FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron. Photo by Manfred Joehnck.
FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron calls this a momentous day as chiefs from around the province voted on a proposal to build a casino in Lloydminster.
It will be the seventh casino run by the Indian Gaming Authority, with the majority of chiefs voting “yes.”
A special Legislative Assembly of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations was held in a huge tent on the grounds of the First Nations University in Regina on Monday.
Chiefs from all over the province were in attendance and made their vote in the afternoon. FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron sees no downside.
“It’s about asserting our jurisdiction and sovereignty when it comes to economic development, and this is one of them,” he said. “It’s about jobs and revenue for our First Nations people.”
Saskatchewan’s minister responsible for Indigenous and Metis Affairs, Jim Reiter says the project has been under discussion for months and has the approval of the government. He says it’s a positive development for both First Nations and the province as a whole, but says economic development for Aboriginal people is about more than gaming.
“We need to be moving on all fronts, not just gaming, but gaming is an important component in all of that,” he said. “But today it’s about a new opportunity for a new project in Lloydminster that will create jobs and create economic development.”
If all goes according to plan, an official sod turning for the new Lloydminster casino will take place next month.