The Prairie Band Potawatomi Indian Tribe recently purchased a 128-acre farm near the Shabbona Forest Preserve and Shabbona Lake State Park in DeKalb County.

They want to build a Class II bingo hall and government building on the site. While local residents most likely have fears about what this construction could entail, this is an opportunity for DeKalb County to negotiate a fair deal with the Potawatomi and to resolve the injustices that have affected the tribe for centuries.

According to the tribe’s Web site, www.pbpindiantribe.com, the property was an Indian reservation that belonged to the tribe in the early 1800’s. This was prior to the Federal Indian Removal Policy, which forced all Indian tribes to relinquish their land and move west of the Mississippi River. Those American Indians who remained in the east became subject to state laws.

Over the years, the Potawatomi tribe has suffered a great deal of injustice. Their land was taken from them at gunpoint. The tribe was relocated several times against their will and lives were lost. I am not proud of the U.S. government’s unfair dealings with the Potawatomi Indians and all the other American Indian tribes. Much of the tribe moved to Mayetta, Kansas, where they are now based. The tribe dealt with high unemployment, lack of health care and education, and other trials.

This ended recently when the tribe signed a contract that would open a Harrah’s Casino, a bingo hall, a gas station, motels and restaurants on their reservation 15 miles north of Topeka, Kan.

Local people fear that even though the tribe has only announced a bingo hall, the Potawatomi will have the ability to decide to build a casino at a later time. Also, the reservation could be lawless area, not subject to federal, state and local laws. The people who own property on the site of the original reservation are worried about how their rights might be affected by this legal transition, as well as the possibility that the tribal businesses will have an unfair advantage because they are not subject to taxes. Others are also concerned that the tribe will benefit from services like schools, fire stations and police without being taxed. NIU officials would likely be concerned that students may be led astray by the possibility of gambling. These are all valid concerns that need to be addressed.

The upside of all this is the potential for increased tourism in the area. The tribe has plenty of money and they seem to be willing to pay for services like schools, fire and police security, according to www.dekalbcounty-il.com. The employees of the reservation pay income taxes on their earnings. In addition, this will likely bring a lot of new money into the area.

Although the tribe cited the 1987 Supreme Court decision California v. Cabazon, the Potawatomi tribe has not sued for their land; instead, they purchased a small portion of it. They want to avoid a long, costly legal battle. DeKalb County likewise does not want to waste millions of dollars fighting a battle they may lose.

We should allow these people to have their sovereignty on the land that was reserved for them, and lay our fears about possible future dealings to rest.