Tribe plans second casino
Funds approved for Tse Daa Kaan
Navajo casino near Fruitland

Heavy construction equipment sits in the pouring rain Friday, parked at the site of the new casino on Hwy 118 near Churchrock. [photo by Jeff Jones / Independent]

By Kathy Helms
Diné Bureau

WINDOW ROCK — The Navajo Nation’s first casino is just now getting off the ground in Churchrock, and a second gaming facility isn’t far behind.

In action late Tuesday, the Navajo Nation Council approved approximately $650,000 for the Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise, to be used to purchase a modular building for Class II gaming (bingo) in Delegate Ervin Keeswood’s community of Tse Daa Kaan.

Delegate Leonard Anthony presented a resolution calling for a grant of $975,000 to complete the boys’ dormitory at Navajo Preparatory School; however, before the legislation passed, 61-11, Delegate Young Jeff Tom tacked on several amendments, including funding for the Tse Daa Kaan casino, to bring total appropriations to more than $6.7 million.
The Office of the Speaker received more than $2.1 million for youth employment, $500,000 for the hiring of a special investigator, $750,000 for Diné Power Authority, and more than $1.6 million for the Office of the Controller to upgrade the Financial Management Information System.

Keeswood said a market study done recently for the Navajo Gaming Enterprise supports establishment of a small restaurant, slot machines and a small bingo hall at Tse Daa Kaan.

“We understand that not only our community, but the community of Upper Fruitland is also being looked at for another casino in that area, so we’re trying to work together with both communities to get something going. We support every community that wants gaming.”

Keeswood asked Council to support the initiative so they could at least start with a modular building and get gaming going.

“We’ve tried to go through the private sector to get backing,” he said, but added that “it is rather slow right now, trying to bring in investors.”

Because the compact with the state of New Mexico expires in 2015, those chapters in that portion of the Nation need to get gaming moving before the deadline.

“Churchrock, bless their hearts, they’re doing what they can. In our area, we believe that if we don’t get something going soon enough, the year 2015 will come up. ... We haven’t gone back to the table to negotiate anything yet, but we need to get something established prior to that so that we can have gaming on the New Mexico side of the Nation.”
Keeswood said plans are to start small-scale and then ply the profits into expansion of the facility.

“We’re looking at putting in a building and going with Class II gaming first of all, and then we’ll move up into Class III. We feel this is the best approach right now for us.”

Once Speaker Lawrence T. Morgan signs the legislation, it goes to President Joe Shirley Jr. for his signature. The president has 10 days to sign. “Then based on that we’re going to try our best to get it open as soon as possible,” Keeswood said. They have three potential sites within thechapter in mind for a location.