The Sault Tribe, along with the City of Lansing, is excited to announce plans for a $245 million casino in downtown Lansing, about ½ mile east of the state Capitol.

Here are some of the most important things to know about the project:

— The Tribe believes a law called the Land Claims Settlement Act will require the federal government to take into trust the land where the casino will be built in Lansing. Once that happens, we believe we have the right to operate a casino on the land. We will ask the federal government to take the land into trust.

— Our developer has agreed to pay all initial costs of the project, including the legal process to take the land into trust.

— 10 percent of the annual income the Tribe receives from the project will go directly into the Tribe’s Self Sufficiency Fund. This fund supports programs and services that benefit elders and provides resources to explore future economic development opportunities; 3 percent of the annual will be distributed among and deposited in the following funds: the Elder Health Self-Sufficiency Fund, the Elder Employment Self-Sufficiency Fund, the Funeral Assistance Self-Sufficiency fund, and the Education Assistance Self-Sufficiency Fund; and 2 percent of the annual income to the Tribe from this project will be deposited into a fund to establish a college scholarship program for tribal members regardless of blood quantum.

— This will be a Native American casino. It will be owned and operated by the Tribe and regulated by the Tribe’s Gaming Commission and the federal government, exactly like our Kewadin Casinos in the U.P. It will not be like Greektown Casino, which was regulated by the State of Michigan and taxed at a very high rate of more than 25 percent.

More information about the casino can be found in the Feb. 17 issue of Win Awenen Nisitotung will include a special section with more details about the project, including the background, comments from Mayor Bernero, artist renderings, and more. Finally, members of the Board of Directors will be hosting meetings throughout our service area to answer any questions you might have.

The schedule is as follows:

Feb. 1: 11:30 a.m. & 6 p.m. at Nokomis/Mishomis Place, Sault Ste. Marie

Feb. 2: 2 p.m. at Munising Tribal Center, Munising

Feb. 2: 5 p.m. at Marquette Holiday Inn, Marquette

Feb. 3: 6 p.m. at Kewadin Casinos, Sault Ste. Marie