The mayor of Anchorage has thrown her support behind the Eklutna Tribe’s efforts to build a small casino on the outskirts of the city. Mayor Suzanne LaFrance’s endorsement comes as the Bureau of Indian Affairs has closed public comment on the proposed project’s environmental assessment.
The land in question is just off the Glenn Highway’s Birchwood exit. Only about six-and-a-half acres are involved — a Native allotment that could become another important test case for tribal sovereignty in Alaska.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy has already tried to kill the project. In a wish list he sent to Donald Trump just after his election, Dunleavy asked him to reverse an Interior Department decision last year that gave the Eklutna Tribe the green light to pursue its gaming hall.
In contrast, LaFrance has given her whole-hearted support. She said the project will generate hundreds of jobs in the construction phase, and more after it opens.
“We believe that there would be a spillover effect too, that would boost surrounding businesses, hotels and workers,” she said.
The BIA released its environmental assessment of the project last month and opened it up for comment on Dec. 20. In her written response, LaFrance said the assessment found no significant concerns.
“We'd like to formally share our support for the Native Village of Eklutna as it exercises its sovereignty and pursues economic development,” the mayor wrote.
She said she has confidence in the tribe, based on its track record for environmental stewardship and its willingness to collaborate.
“There's such an emphasis on listening, problem-solving and being very open about the situation,” LaFrance said. “I feel like that's part of what makes the relationship so strong.”
Longtime advocates for Alaska tribes like attorney Sky Starkey say the mayor’s public comments on the environmental assessment are unprecedented in this state.
“They're remarkable in this, from the standpoint that they're from Alaska,” Starkey said. “They're not remarkable if they were in many, many other states in the United States that have good working relationships with tribes.”
Starkey said while other states have long recognized the value of the jobs and economic development that tribes bring to the table, Alaska’s state government has been bogged down in a debate over the legitimacy of tribes.
“It is really good to see Mayor LaFrance embracing what tribes have to offer,” Starkey said. “It’s a constant struggle to advance the ball. Hopefully through good relationships like mayor’s and others, Alaska moves forward.”
Starkey said tribal organizations like the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium and Cook Inlet Tribal Council bring in hundreds of millions of dollars a year in federal funding to Alaska. He said that contribution to the Anchorage economy is rarely acknowledged.
Michelle Demmert, an assistant professor in the University of Alaska’s tribal governance department, said the mayor’s remarks are encouraging.
“I thought, good for her, for understanding how important tribes can be,” she said. “Tribes are really great partners. We bring in a lot of money, we bring in a lot of resources. We want the same types of healthy communities for our villages like everyone else wants.”
Eight neighboring property owners say the mayor shouldn’t have endorsed the project without hearing from them first. In a lawsuit, the group says the land does not have Indian Country status that would permit a casino, which would also hurt the rural character of their community.
Brian Hall is one of the parties in the lawsuit but says his objections to the project are completely personal and not targeted at the Native community. Hall lives on Alluvial Street on land next to proposed site.
“We are a close-knit neighborhood,” he said. “If the casino gets developed, it will change the whole environment of the neighborhood.”
Hall has lived in his home for 27 years and says one of his pleasures is watching wildlife, like the brown bear that ambles across his yard as it follows Peter’s Creek. He worries that the increased traffic will chase the wildlife away.
Debbie Ossiander is not part of the lawsuit but lives about a mile from the site. Her biggest complaint is that the BIA only allowed three weeks for public comment on the assessment and its supporting data, which are packed with hundreds of pages of highly technical information.
Ossiander said the mayor’s endorsement is premature.
“It’s an awful big commitment to say you support it,” Ossiander said, “until you learn what’s being proposed and we’re still learning that.”
Ossiander serves as co-chair of the Birchwood Community Council. She said the council hasn’t formally opposed the project but passed a resolution last week listing its concerns about the BIA’s environmental assessment.
Ossiander said it’s riddled with inaccuracies. She also worries whether a retaining wall the tribe plans to build on its land next to Peter’s Creek, a salmon stream, is enough to protect it from run-off from the gaming hall’s parking lot that could pollute the creek.
“Peter’s Creek regularly has glacial flooding and moves its banks,” she said.
Ossiander also opposes the project because she believes it will increase the need for city services.
“We pay taxes for police and fire, but the casino won’t,” Ossiander said.
The Eklutna Tribe would not have to pay state and local taxes, because its gaming hall would be built on a Native allotment, which are exempt from taxes.
Despite that, LaFrance said the benefits would outweigh the loss in tax revenue. She also believes objections to the project can be worked out.
“We are committed to listening to the community. We're committed to communicating,” she said. “We're at the beginning of the process right now and are aware there are concerns, and we'll communicate more, as we move forward in the process.”
If the BIA finds no significant threats to the environment, it could approve the tribe’s gaming hall, which calls for a restaurant and space for up to 700 electronic gambling machines.
The Eklutna Tribe also plans to seek a permit for a bar.
The Eklutna Tribe says it will use the profits for scholarships, housing, healthcare, and cultural programs.
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