Statement by the Trustees of the Shinnecock Nation Following Thursday's Vote Denying them Authority to Contract with Detroit Casino Syndicator

As the elected leaders of the Shinnecock Indian Nation, we understand and accept the vote of our people on Thursday. While some may want to put their own spin on this vote, the elected leadership of the Shinnecock Indian Nation remains committed to the eight-year partnership we have had with Gateway and remains committed to pursuing economic opportunities for our people, including off-reservation gaming on Long Island. We have made tremendous strides in these last eight years and will not turn back now.

We hear clearly that we must do a better job of explaining and clarifying these agreements for our people, while also remaining open to adjustments to address legitimate concerns. We will work with our independent experts to ensure our people get accurate information about the terms, which were carefully negotiated for more than a year. We will not allow false and misleading information, peddled by negative forces, to stop the Shinnecock Indian Nation from getting the economic opportunities we have long been denied.

Shinnecock Indian Nation Tribal Board of Trustees Chairman Randy King, Trustee Gerrod T. Smith and Trustee Frederick C. Bess on the Shinnecock Nation Tribal Vote December 15th

According to the Daily News, former Shinnecock Nation Trustee Lance R. Gumbs had this to say following Thursday's vote:

"Gateway [Michael Malik and Marian Ilitch] needs to understand that they are not going to control our tribe," said Lance Gumbs, a former tribal trustee who voted against the pact.