Otoe-Missouria News Archive

Ground work on a new casino behind the current Otoe-Missouria tribe’s travel plaza and casino is under way. The tribe plans to open a second casino with 900 machines in November.

“We’re very pleased with the amount of traffic and business that facility draws,” said John Shotton, vice-president of the Otoe-Missouria Development Authority. “So we’ve launched an endeavor for a full-scale casino.”

Read the full article on ArkCity.net.

The Otoe-Missouria Development Authority has completed the Red Rock Travel Plaza and Casino.

To celebrate, a grand opening is set for Saturday with prizes, including flowers for the ladies, store specials and unleaded gas sale set at $1.99 per gallon from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Located near the tribal headquarters on U.S. 177 south of Ponca City, the new “lodge-themed” facility with a combination of traditional Otoe-Missouria symbols and art represents the Tribe’s leadership in Oklahoma business development.

Read the full article in the Stillwater NewsPress.

Chairman of the Otoe Tribal native American Church, Marvin Diamond, performed a blessing ceremony on the new 7 Clans Travel Mart and Lil Bit of Paradise Casino Friday north of Newkirk.

“The travel plaza is the first Otoe Tribal enterprise outside of Red Rock,” said Otoe Missouria Tribe Chairman Michael Harwell. “This is a new direction for the tribe and an opportunity to serve northern Oklahoma and southern Kansas and create jobs for tribal and non tribal members.”

Harwell said that travel plaza is the first of many that are planned to open in the area and that another one is set to open in about 100-120 days in the Red Rock area. General Casino Manager David Owens said the Lil’Bit of Paradise Casino inside the travel plaza is an unique game mix consisting of Class Three Las Vegas Style Machines. “This is a spacious, nice casino,” said Owens. “We gave it a mix of games unlike any other in northern Oklahoma.”

Before the plaza could open for business, Harwell insisted that Diamond perform the blessing ceremony. “He insisted we have a blessing before they do anything,” said Diamond. “This will let everything be good for us.” Diamond explained that many traditional ceremonies like the blessing are gone because of lack of interest shown by young tribal members. “We’re trying to build up membership and renew interest,” said Diamond.

The blessing ceremony consisted of heating coals on the grounds and then sprinkling cedar on the coals, creating smoke. Diamond explained that the ceremony came from the story of a dying tribal man that talked to God and expressed concern for the future of the tribe. “When he died God turned him into a Cedar Tree and they live year round,” said Diamond. After saying a prayer through the smoke, Diamond invited onlookers to approach the fire and bless themselves with the smoke.

Harwell said the operation currently employees 50. “We are serving needs to Kansans and Oklahomans with this facility,” added Harwell. “The northern Oklahoma area and southern Kansas area is very important to our development.” Harwell also commented on aggressive redevelopment plans, that could include developers such as Disney, in the area of the former Chilocco Indian School.

An extensive clean up of the site is under way in the area and a planning session was scheduled for this week. The land is owned by five area tribes including the Otoes, Tonkawas, Pawnees, Kaws, and Poncas. Harwell said that at a meeting of the Chilocco Confederate Tribes held Friday, extensive development and clean up plans were discussed. “We hope to return it to its glory and we have extensive economic development plans,” said Harwell. “We are drawing up a master plan that could include developers such as Disney.”

The Chilocco property consisting of over 70 buildings is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Harwell commented on a $70 million grant that Arizona Senator John McCain is working with for Native American War Veterans. “The group of Native American Veterans picked Chilocco as a possible site,” said Harwell. Harwell said members of the Chilocco Confederate Tribes, which include: Vice president, Anthony Street, president of the Tonkawa tribe; Treasurer, Guy Munroe, chairman of the Kaw Nation; Chairman Dan Jones, chairman of the Ponca Nation, and president Ron Rice, president of the Pawnee Tribe, want to make the area a family oriented destination location.

“It would not be unreasonable to work on bringing train service to the area as well,” said Harwell. “We have very ambitious plans.” The Chilocco Area has been booming recently with the opening of the Native Lights Casino and now the 7 Clans Travel Mart. In November of 2005 the Pawnee Nation issued the final Chilocco Casino Complex Environmental Assessment. According to the assessment the casino project site is on 816 acres of land adjoining the old Chilocco Indian Agriculture School campus on Home Road just west of U.S. 77 north of Newkirk and just south of the state line.

Under phase 1, the casino would be built with a capacity for 1,200 gaming machines, 20 table games, and four poker tables. The facilities could include restaurants, retail space, administrative space, and a Kids-Quest Arcade. The Phase 1 plan also states that a 150 room hotel could be constructed as well. An 18-hole golf course is also proposed.

Originally published in the Ponca City News.

The Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Indians and Southwest Casino Corporation announced today that, on March 24, 2006, the Tribe entered into a Gaming Management Agreement with Southwest Casino and Hotel Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Southwest Casino Corporation, for the Tribe’s Seven Clans Paradise Casino near Ponca City, Oklahoma. Under the terms of the Gaming Management Agreement, which must be approved by the National Indian Gaming Commission before it becomes effective, Southwest will have exclusive management responsibility for the Seven Clans Paradise Casino and will receive management fees equal to 20 percent of the net revenue from gaming and non-gaming activity at the facility.

Read the full article on The Free Library website.