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Marching for a meeting: Menominee Nation members want to talk with Gov. Walker
Marching for a meeting: Menominee Nation members want to talk with Gov. Walker
MARQUETTE COUNTY (WITI) -- Members of the Menominee Nation want a meeting with Governor Scott Walker to discuss his decision to deny their casino proposal. They are drawing attention to their cause by marching 155 miles across the state to Madison. This, as Governor Walker issues a letter to the Menominee Tribe, indicating he doesn't plan on changing his mind -- despite a new offer made last week.
Through the ups and downs, in the bitter cold, the trek by the tribal members is a living, breathing metaphor for the long, winding road that has taken the Menominee Nation to the brink of despair. The poverty-stricken tribe had viewed an off-reservation casino in Kenosha as its way out of poverty. The $800 million Hard Rock Hotel and Casino would have brought 10,000 jobs to the state. But Walker denied the project, saying the potential cost to state taxpayers from threatened lawsuits was too great.
What the Menominee Nation wants now is one last chance to make the case to the Governor -- face-to-face.
"We're just trying to get a meeting with Governor Walker -- it's not a publicity stunt. It's the Menominee standing up for what they believe in," said Craig Corn, Menominee tribal member.
Walker himself last met with the tribe on October 23, 2013. But Laurie Boivin, the trial chair through most of that process, says it's not for lack of trying.
"We specifically put requests in to meet with the Governor, and those written requests had not been replied to," said Boivin.
A spokesman for Governor Walker's Department of Administration says representatives from Walker's office have met with the Menominee Tribe in person 15 times.
More than 50 people are retracing the steps of the tribe's 1971 march from the reservation in Keshena to the State Capitol in Madison.
"Like the 1971 March, it's the Menominee standing up for what we believe. He may meet with us, he may not, but at least we tried," said Corn.
Marchers expect to arrive in Madison at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, February 18th.
But this march may be a wasted effort.
Governor Walker has issued a letter to Menominee Tribal Chairman Gary Besaw. In that letter, Governor Walker says he has looked over the Menominee Tribe's offer to chip in $220 million towards a new Milwaukee Bucks arena in downtown Milwaukee along with a $275 million bond.
That letter reads:
The Menominee's long journey will end one way or another on Thursday. The Federal Bureau of Indian Affairs has set February 19th as the date for Governor Walker to finalize his decision.
READ IT: Menominee Tribe's letter to legislators on impact of potential Kenosha casino on Milwaukee.
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