The National Indian Gaming Commission has approved the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska’s amended gaming ordinance, paving the way for the tribe to pursue a casino project on Douglas Island in Juneau.
In a letter to tribal President Richard Peterson, Acting NIGC Chairwoman Sharon M. Avery confirmed that the tribe’s ordinance complies with the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act and federal regulations. The approval is site-specific to the Jimmie George Allotment, a 20-acre parcel of restricted Native land on Douglas Island leased by the tribe for up to 50 years.
The allotment is part of a 220-acre land exchange finalized in 2003 and remains under federal restriction against alienation and taxation. According to the NIGC’s review, the land qualifies as “Indian country” under federal law, and the tribe has demonstrated both jurisdiction and governmental authority over the parcel.
