Three First Nations join forces to build new casino – Winnipeg Free Press

SIOUX VALLEY DAKOTA NATION – Three Westman First Nations are taking an economic deal into their own hands by signing a memorandum of understanding to open a casino on land owned by the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation.

Sioux Valley Chief Vince Thakan and his council met with Kanupawakpa Dakota First Nation Chief Raymond Brown on Friday, and Dakota Plains First Nation Chief Don Smoke joined the meeting via video call.

The proposed site would be located approximately 38 kilometers west of Brandon near the Sioux Valley Petro-Canada station at the intersection of the Trans-Canada Highway and Highway 21.

Having casinos owned by all three First Nations – Sioux Valley owns 34 per cent and other First Nations own 33 per cent – will greatly increase their ability to employ youth and bring other benefits such as revenue streams and spin-offs. – outside of businesses like the convention center and hotel, Takan said.

“It gives our people an opportunity to educate small businesses and have a seat at the table when we talk about things like that,” he said. “It opens doors not only for our youth in the Sioux Valley, but also for the participating communities.”

Each First Nation is responsible for the project's success, Takan said, with Sioux Valley taking care of political negotiations, feasibility and logistics, and Dakota Plains and Kanupawakpa providing political, financial and human resource support.

Once the MOU is signed, the next step in making the casino a reality is working with the province to develop a feasibility study and obtain a gaming license, Takan said, adding that unanimous shareholder approval is required. matters governing the establishment and operation of a casino.

It depends Brandon Sun on Friday Glen Simard, Brandon East MP and minister responsible for the Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Corporation, said his government is “proud to have removed the gaming freeze” at new facilities built by the former Progressive Conservative government in 2018.

“We look forward to receiving this proposal and continuing to have ongoing conversations with a number of stakeholders in Manitoba,” Simar said.

The three First Nations will meet with the province in two weeks to discuss the casino project and will update the community on developments, Thakan said.

He and his consultants conceived the idea of ​​developing a casino on the land they purchased near the Trans-Canada Highway and Highway 21 as something that would create a new economic base for their community, he said, noting that the land was lonely. A viable option for casinos.

From there, Sioux Valley representatives discussed the idea with Kanupawakpa and Dakota Plains councils. The three First Nations are unified because they are not part of other tribal councils, Takan said.

“We're all facing the same challenges in the community, we're all struggling with different things and resources, so this is something that helps us.”

Sioux Valley has a good track record in business development, Takan said, citing the Petro-Canada station as an example.

“With this experience and the lessons learned from that, I think we're ready to move forward and successfully complete the casino project and any other project,” he said.

Brown said his community is excited to be a part of the casino plans.

“As Dakota people, we don't have much. You look around and see that we don't have business and tribal councils,” Brown said.

“We are here too. These are our lands too. I'm very happy that we're moving forward.”

Smoke is equally excited to be involved in the project and said the partnership is key to his First Nation's success.

“We tried everything we could in our area. However, our market is not there, our car is not there. “There are not enough people in the district who benefit from economic development, so partnerships are key for us,” he said.

When the federal government moved Dakota people onto reservations during colonization, they were placed in economically unviable or convenient locations that made them dependent on the government for their survival, Smock said.

Of all the First Nations in Canada, only two are located along the Trans-Canada Highway, Takan said, and that shows that Indigenous peoples are not able to participate in their province's economy. The casino project would be an important part of economic reconciliation, part of a larger process of truth and reconciliation taking place across the province and country, he said.

“I hope that ultimately we can participate in our local economy, that we can bring tourism and opportunities and a little bit of optimism to people in our area.”

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