- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
WASHINGTON — The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) on relased its approval the Kiowa Indian Tribe’s land-into-trust application for an approximately 11.33-acre parcel in the city of Hobart, Okla., for gaming and other purposes.
The gaming facility will include a restaurant, office space, back-of-house operations, and a parking lot to accommodate patrons and employees. The proposed project is expected to directly employ 156 people.
The site is located within the Tribe’s former reservation in Kiowa County. The Tribe is seeking to restore part of its land-base in its historical reservation and support its long-term goals of economic self-sufficiency, self-governance, and self-determination.
“I am pleased to approve the Kiowa Indian Tribe’s fee-to-trust application for gaming, which means it can now move forward with creating new opportunities for economic and employment growth for itself and its neighbors,” U.S. Dept. of the Interior Assistant Secretary Sweeney said. “The cooperation between tribal, city, county and state officials paved the way to a win-win situation not only for the Tribe but for the region as well with the promise of new jobs and revenues.”
"This is a prime opportunity to embark on great purpose for our Kiowa people while providing a community endeavor that will assist with prosperous advantages, and entertainment, to this economically distressed area,” Kiowa Indian Tribe Chairman Matthew Komalty said. “We express our sincere gratitude for this approval."
The proposed project site is located within the Hobart city limits and bounded on the east by U.S. Highway 183 and less than one mile north of the intersection of U.S. Highway 183 and Highway 9 (E. 11th Street). While its location is in a rural area that is primarily farmland, with agricultural lands and developed properties near it, the proposed project will not disrupt neighboring land use nor prohibit access to neighboring parcels.
The Assistant Secretary determined the site is eligible for gaming pursuant to Section 2719 of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act and that it would have no significant impact on the quality of the human environment. The Assistant Secretary also issued a Finding of No Significant Impact following preparation of an Environmental Assessment, thereby fulfilling the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act.
With its application approved, the agreement the Kiowa Tribe has with the city of Hobart, wherein the city, through the Hobart Economic Development Authority, will convey title to the site to the United States, at no cost, for the benefit of the Tribe, can now be implemented and allow the Tribe to move forward with its proposed project.
More Stories Like This
American Basketball Association Announces Native ABA InitiativeFour Winds South Bend Upgrades to Class III Gaming Casino
Native News Online Wins Two Awards from Native American Journalists Association
Wahlberg Brothers Are a Big Hit at Indian Gaming Tradeshow and Convention in Las Vegas
Native Gro Offers Tribes a ‘One-Stop Shop’ for Entering the Cannabis Industry
Do you appreciate a Native perspective on the news?
For the past decade-plus, we’ve covered the important Indigenous stories that are often overlooked by other media. From the protests at Standing Rock and the toppling of colonizer statues during the racial equity protests, to the ongoing epidemic of Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women (MMIW), the attacks on tribal sovereignty at the Supreme Court and the past-due reckoning related to assimilation, cultural genocide and Indian Boarding Schools, we have been there to provide a Native perspective and elevate Native voices.
Our news is free for everyone to read, but it is not free to produce. That’s why we’re asking you to make a donation this month to help support our efforts. Any contribution — big or small — helps us remain a force for change in Indian Country and continue telling the stories that are so often ignored, erased or overlooked. Please consider a recurring monthly donation of $5 or $10 to help fund us throughout the year. Whatever you can do, it helps fund our Indigenous-led newsroom and our ability to cover Native news.
Donate to Native News Online today and support independent Indigenous journalism. Thank you.
