Wisconsin’s Ho-Chunk Nation has purchased property in Beloit, in the midst of land designated for a casino to be built by another tribe.
Chippewa tribal spokesman Joe Hunt says it doesn’t stop the project being pursued by the tribe’s St. Croix and Bad River bands. Hunt says he hopes the two tribal councils can discuss how it will affect the casino plans. In a press release, the Ho Chunk Nation says they “have federally-recognized aboriginal ties to Beloit and the region, which is a critically important element of casino approval by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.” The Chippewa casino has been tied up in the court system, and oral arguments in a case against the federal government are expected November 13th.
WCLO’s Beth Wheelock contributed this report