We talked late last week about the utter hypocrisy of the Potawatomi – who have spent millions to hurt the Menominee Tribe and its Kenosha project – being founding members of a group committed to increasing economic opportunities for poor tribes. That group, the Native American Trade Network, has its big kickoff in Washington today, and here’s the statement we released on the irony of it all.

FOREST COUNTY POTAWATOMI PUT HYPOCRISY ON FULL NATIONAL DISPLAY
IN WASHINGTON, D.C., PUBLICITY STUNT
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Multiyear, multimillion-dollar effort to stifle poor Wisconsin tribe’s economic development project is polar opposite of new claim

Evan N. Zeppos, spokesman for the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin’s proposed entertainment center and casino in Kenosha, Wis., today issued the following statement regarding the Forest County Potawatomi’s membership in the newly created Native American Trade Network. The Network, launched today at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C, bills itself as a partnership of some of the nation’s wealthiest tribes with the goal of increasing economic opportunities for disadvantaged tribes. The Potawatomi have been vocal opponents of the Kenosha project, which would compete with Potawatomi’s lucrative off-reservation casino in Milwaukee.

“It is reprehensible that the Forest County Potawatomi would stand up in our nation’s capital and claim to be in favor of spreading economic opportunity to disadvantaged tribes.

“Potawatomi’s D.C. appearance is a blatant and duplicitous publicity stunt that conveniently sidesteps the millions of dollars they’ve poured into ads, lobbyists and other political and legal chicanery to preserve the casino monopoly that has made them rich. To now declare they want to help less-fortunate tribes is laughable at best, shameful at worst and supreme hypocrisy any way you look at it.

“If Potawatomi’s leaders really cared about disadvantaged tribes, they’d take a walk across the Mall after their photo-op and ask the BIA to approve the Kenosha casino and its life-changing boost for an impoverished tribe. Unfortunately, with a record of shameful conduct that directly opposes the noble intentions of the Native American Trade Network, the Forest County Potawatomi seem to be content spreading something less admirable than economic opportunity.”

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Speak out against Potawatomi’s hypocrisy and in favor of fair casino competition in Southeast Wisconsin by signing the online petition.