Eastern Shawnee Survey

Thread: Indian Gaming in the News

In Ohio, the Eastern Shawnee commissioned a telephone survey of residents of Canal Fulton, where the tribe hopes to open a casino-resort. Not surprisingly, the survey indicated that local residents needed more information about the proposed casino. Said the Canal Fulton city manager, "We already all knew that" -- that local folks weren't clear about the tribe's proposal. In fact, the city council received a petition with 350 signatures asking the city to learn more about the proposal.

We think it is imperative for local and state officials to gather good and accurate information on any proposed tribal casino. As we've said elsewhere, the stakes are too high for a lack of information, or bad information, to influence policymaking on Indian gaming. That's not to say that we think every city should embrace a tribal casino; there are many factors, some that are particular to a community or a state or a tribe, that must be assessed in making that decision.

As we're fond of saying, we don't tell folks *what* to think about Indian gaming, but we're happy to offer assistance in *how* to think about issues related to Indian gaming.