Tribe wants to know who’s proposing casino in its name

Judy Lin

Thursday, April 25, 2002 | 9:51 a.m.

PITTSBURGH -- Rumors in a small Pennsylvania coal town abound: A Canadian Indian tribe wants to replace block after block of empty storefronts with a casino, restaurants and shops.

But there's one major hitch. The proposal to annex land in Brownsville is lacking the support of the tribe it claims to represent.

The leaders of the Six Nations of the Grand River, a 20,000-member tribe in Ontario, say they aren't actively lobbying for the project, which seemingly foundered more than a year ago after tribal leaders found the tribe had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on legal and lobbying fees.

Roberta Jamieson, the newly elected chief of the Six Nations' council, said it's unclear how or why the proposal continues to gain momentum in Pennsylvania when the council hasn't authorized any active pursuit.

"I am trying to get to the bottom of this," said Jamieson, adding that the Six Nations Confederacy, the tribe's historical form of government, isn't pushing for the project either.

State officials say a Pittsburgh land speculator and representatives of the tribe have made efforts to bring gambling to the economically depressed Brownsville, a town still grappling with the loss of its coal mining base, located about 30 miles south of Pittsburgh.

Gov. Mark Schweiker's staff was scheduled to meet Monday with representatives of the Six Nations Confederacy, but the group canceled without giving a reason, said spokesman David La Torre.

"All we promised (was) that we're going to sit down and listen to what they have to say," La Torre said.

The House Committee on State Government scheduled a hearing on a bill to establish a commission to provide formal state recognition of Indian tribes, although the bill's sponsor says it's intended to empower Indians, not provide a loophole for gambling.

"Native Americans cannot take advantage of the rights the federal government has given them unless the state gives them recognition," Rep. Louise Bishop, D-Philadelphia, said about a growing number of her constituents lobbying for Indian schools and businesses.

Currently, there are no federally recognized tribes in Pennsylvania, La Torre said.

The Six Nations tribe had explored the idea of creating a gambling district in Brownsville with backing from Pittsburgh resident Ernest Liggett and his wife, Marilyn, who own about 125 properties throughout town.

The idea, which called for a possible riverboat casino and other attractions, fell by the wayside when tribal council members discovered the tribe had spent more than $400,000 in legal and lobbying fees. It prompted Six Nations to order an audit of the tribe's involvement in the Brownsville casino project.

Telephone messages left with Liggett at his home and business and an attorney representing the Six Nations Confederacy in the casino project were not immediately returned.

Previously, proponents suggested creating a reservation in Brownsville because the region was inhabited by Six Nations' Indian ancestors during the 18th century.

The tribe has a reservation about 60 miles southwest of Toronto.

Last week Ernest Liggett met with local state legislators for an informational meeting at Sen. Richard Kasunic's office to learn about the proposal and its possible impact on the community. Details of the proposal were kept confidential.

"We want to keep an open mind. After all, we are talking about jobs," Kasunic said.

While the state Legislature won't vote on the matter, Kasunic said the Canadian tribe will face many government hurdles, such as getting recognition from the federal government as an American Indian tribe, entering into a land compact with Pennsylvania and placing that land into a trust for the tribe.

Brownsville community leaders said they have not been contacted about the project and were surprised to learn that efforts to develop a casino in their town of 3,000 had even been revived.

Council president Jack Lawber said, "If this is such a good thing, why is it such a big secret?"