Meskwakis approve alcohol at casino

By Orlan Love
Cedar Rapids Gazette

TAMA , Iowa — Alcoholic beverages will soon be sold on the Meskwaki Settlement for the first time since the tribe settled here in 1857.

Members of the Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa approved a referendum Tuesday authorizing the sale of alcohol in the Meskwaki Bingo-Casino-Hotel west of Tama. The vote was 229 "yes" to 122 "no," according to totals posted last night at the Tribal Center.

A similar measure was defeated last April by a vote of 143 "yes" to 166 "no." About 640 tribal members were eligible to vote.

The sale of alcohol will enable the Meskwaki casino to compete on a level playing field with the other 19 casinos in Iowa, all of which sell alcohol to their customers, said Tribal Council Chairman Adrian Pushetonequa.

The process of gaining necessary approvals will take six months to a year, he said.

Tribal leaders expect alcohol sales and the increased gambling traffic they may generate to bolster the casino's revenue, Pushetonequa said.

Many opponents of alcohol sales at the casino feared increased problems associated with drinking on the settlement.

"We already have that problem, like every place else in Iowa, but this is for the customers in secure conditions. It won't be like a local bar for people to hang out in," Pushetonequa said.

Ray Young Bear, a former Tribal Council member who publicly opposed the sale of alcohol at the casino, said he hopes tribal leaders will maintain a portion of the casino for non-drinking patrons.

"To me, being alcohol-free was an asset rather than a liability," Young Bear said.

Pushetonequa said sections of the casino would be reserved for non-drinking customers.

"I just hope the results will benefit everyone in the community," said Leodean Peters, another opponent of the measure.

The council held two public information meetings on the issue before the election, and it has been a topic of conversation on the settlement for weeks.

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