‘The last step.’ Bill clearing the path for NC Catawba casino construction becomes law
A bill supporting the Catawba Indian Nation’s Two Kings Casino project has now become federal law.
The Catawba Nation Indian Nation Lands Act, included in the National Defense Authorization Act, was signed into law Monday by President Joe Biden.
Catawba Chief William Harris called the bill “the final step in a decades-long fight,” to receive federal backing for the casino.
While the casino is under construction, with a temporary facility open, there have been challenges to the Catawba’s claim on the land where the casino sits, making the future uncertain.
Lawsuits by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians have kept the development in jeopardy. The Cherokee’s claim that the land is in fact their ancestral land. But this bill should end any disputes over who the land belongs to.
The Department of Interior placed the land in trust of the Rock Hill, SC-based Catawbas in March of 2020, designating the site as the tribe’s aboriginal land.
The EBCI’s most recent lawsuit was rejected in the U.S. District Court. They have since filed an appeal.
“The enactment into law of our lands act will likely have a significant impact of the Eastern Band’s appeal,” Catawba Chief Bill Harris said.
He’s right.
The Catawba Indian Nation Lands Act provides federal backing to the Department of Interior’s decision, making any challenge to the Catawba’s ownership of the land a challenge to federal legislation.
The bill also clarifies that the Catawba Indian Nation is subject to the well-established rules and regulations of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act on their modern and ancestral lands in the State of North Carolina.
The bill was sponsored in the U.S. House of Representatives by Majority Whip Jim Clyburn.
“I was proud to work with my colleagues in the House and Senate to ensure passage of this bipartisan piece of legislation,” Clyburn said Monday. “The Catawba Indian Nation Lands Act is a very significant step towards rectifying historic injustices that have been perpetrated against the Catawba Indian Nation. This legislation will be crucial in helping the Catawba Indian Nation secure economic self-sufficiency.”
Officials are optimistic that the creation of the casino will return economic control to the tribe, which experiences high unemployment and poverty rates. The casino’s pre-launch facility is already up and running, with 1,000 total machines.
The complete project — a $273 million casino and resort — is still under construction. An opening date has not yet been set. But the pre-launch facility already employs several Catawba citizens.
“These are the lands of not just our ancestors, but also the hundreds of Catawba citizens residing there today,” Harris said in a release last Thursday. “Make no mistake, this legislation means more people will have good paying jobs, more kids will have a better education and more people will have better housing and health care. That’s what this bill really means.”
The bill was passed by an overwhelming majority of 89-10 in the Senate and 361-55 in the House. The bill was sponsored in the Senate by: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC), Sen. Thom Thillis (R-NC) and Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC). In the House, it was sponsored by: House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC), Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC-12), Rep. William Timmons (R-SC-4), Rep. David Price (D-NC-4), Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC-2) and Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-NC-1).
This story was originally published December 28, 2021 at 2:39 PM with the headline "‘The last step.’ Bill clearing the path for NC Catawba casino construction becomes law."
