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Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation Denies Plans to Build Bingo Parlor

When the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation took over the 128 acre DeKalb County farm in May, they said that they have no plans of any sort of development on the land. But almost two weeks ago, officials of DeKalb ordered the tribe to cease work on the site and an official of the tribe conceded on Thursday that a bingo hall is among the projects that the tribe is considering building on the area.

The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation operates a casino business on its reservation land in Mayetta,Kan., and made an offer for a casino in Illinois almost three years ago. The work was halted on July 28 though according to tribal chair, Tracy Stanhoff, and the bingo hall is merely an idea that the tribe is considering. The bingo parlor is only just an speculation and there is nothing concrete to prove that. The tribe is just looking at the pospect of a bingo business in the area.

But the fact still stands that the Potawatomi Tribe began working in the area without first asking county permission which can result into a legal battle. The Tribe is reiterating its position that the farm in Shabbona, which is about 60 miles west of Chicago belongs to the 1,280 acres that are given to Potawatomi Tribal Chief Shab-eh-nay in a treaty of 1829. Because Congreess never contested Chief Shab-eh-nay's claim to the property, the land is already a sovereign land owned by the Potawatomi Nation and is not under the jurisdiction of DeKalb and Illinois Law.

But county officials diagree and concede the whole disagreement may end up in court to be resolved. According to DeKalb County Administrator Ray Bockman things are shaping up to be one huge legal battle over federal laws, but it looks like they are going to win these over the tribe.

Though neither side wants that to happen. Ray Bockman said that the Potawatomi Tribe claims that they have the same goal as the County Officials, for the whole issue not to reach the courts and avoid protracted litigation.

As of now the relationship between Tribe Official and DeKalb County Official remains civil and as long as the Potawatomi Tribe does not insist on exercising its sovereign rights in any way, the uneasy truce between the two factions will remain.

Ray Bockman added that it's not when you pay the appropriate taxes and a permit but start building an infrastracture that it becomes an issue. The majority of the residents in Shabbona suspect that the Potawatomi Tribe wants to build a casino on the land because the one in Kansas that the tribe owns is a successful venture.

Almost three years ago, Gov. Rod Blagojevich received a plan from the Potawatomi Tribe that contains details about a massive complex that includes a casino, hotels, golf courses and a lot more. But Stanhoff strongly disagrees, saying that proposal was the idea of a developer who no longer has any connection with the tribe.

The Potawatomi Tribe had scheduled a hearing on Friday before the tribal zoning board so that it could finally zone out the property properly. But the hearing has been postponed indefinitely late Wednesday. The tribe's building equipment still parked in the disputed land. The Potawatomi Tribe has asked the DeKalb County Officials and the Shabbona Officials to sign an agreement to provide services such fire and police protection for the land.