Casino brings freedom to NC tribe, boost to economy
A McClatchy op-ed presented a false picture of why the federally recognized Catawba Indians are finally being allowed to do what other tribes already have done: build a casino that will help bring prosperity to their downtrodden native people.
The op-ed, by former state Rep. Paul Stam of Apex, a staunch opponent of all gambling, argued that Congress should reject legislation that would codify recent court rulings that backed fully the Catawba’s right to build a casino near Kings Mountain, west of Charlotte, where I am mayor.
Stam’s piece claimed that the federal bill “circumvents the people’s will while skirting the judicial process,” but the truth is the opposite. Twice now, a federal judge in Washington has ruled in favor of the Catawba, whose reservation is near Fort Mill, S.C., but whose territory spanned the middle of both Carolinas for thousands of years. North Carolina is home to Catawba County, Catawba College, the Catawba River, and countless businesses named for the indigenous tribe.
The Catawba tribe’s official federal service area extends into six North Carolina counties – including Cleveland County, where, pursuant to federal Indian law, the government has taken land into trust for the Catawba after a private sale of the property. The Catawba provide at least 10 programs and services to their North Carolina members.
To great local fanfare, a temporary casino opened July 1 in Kings Mountain, offering 500 slot machines and employing 260 people, including members of the tribe. Construction on a first phase of the permanent casino will follow soon, with 1,300 more slot machines.
The temporary casino is a precursor to the full $273 million Catawba Indian Nation’s Two Kings Casino Resort, with Vegas-style Class III gaming, which will feature a 220,000-square-foot casino, a 1,500-room hotel, restaurants, shops and other entertainment. It will employ thousands of construction workers and create 2,600 permanent jobs, becoming a regional economic driver and an additional attraction for visitors who come to the area for sports, fine arts or business.
It all adds up to well-paying jobs in construction, hospitality, and operations for residents of Cleveland and Gaston Counties, which have not shared enough in the growth that Charlotte and other parts of the state have enjoyed. What’s more, the Catawba are working with local college officials toward offering hospitality, culinary and other vocational education for local residents.
The project will be a boon not only to the Catawba, but also to Kings Mountain’s economy, which badly needs a shot in the arm. That’s why local elected leaders like me, who are most accountable to the public, welcome it enthusiastically.
This launch represents a new kind of freedom for the Catawba on land where the tribe’s ancestors helped American patriots defeat the British during our nation’s long war of independence. It’s a story of our national government finally doing right by a native people who stood, fought and died with us more than two centuries ago.
Unlike some wealthier tribes that already operate casinos, the smaller Catawba tribe struggles with high unemployment and heavy reliance on government welfare programs the casino would help relieve. One of those tribes sued the federal government last year to try to block the Catawba’s competition. First they lost in their attempt to get a preliminary injunction, and then in April they lost their lawsuit on all counts in federal trial court.
Doubling down on their losses, the Catawba’s opponents have filed a costly and time-consuming appeal with the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, based in Richmond. Pointless litigation could last several more years. The pending bipartisan federal legislation, sponsored by South Carolina Democratic Rep. James Clyburn and supported by both N.C. Senators, would end the frivolous, lengthy, and expensive legal battle once and for all.
Enacting the bill into law would protect vital local jobs and support our regional economy while providing long-overdue justice to our Catawba brothers and sisters. We all owe them that.