In May I had just passed the state capital of Albany on the New York State Thruway (Interstate 90) on my way to Rochester, New York. There I was stunned by an electronic sign on the median: “SENECA NATION: Contributing $1.3 billion to New York State’s economy.”
Turning Stone Casino in Verona, NY, one of three casinos owned by the Oneida Nation of New York, celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. The Oneidas paid a record $85 million from their annual slot machine revenue to state and county governments in 2022, The Post-Standard of Syracuse reported in January. This equates to 25% of the tribe’s total annual slot revenue. Kevin Rivoli/Associated Press, file
As I drove, I reflected on this economic impact on revenue and jobs, and marveled at this tremendous contribution to the economically depressed region of east and central New York. With the decline of dairy farms and the closure of industrial plants in town after town along Interstate 90, the emergence of tribal businesses hit a core.
What if Maine applied the same policies and logic to our relationships with the Wabanaki Nations?
Driving through central upstate New York in rural Oneida County, I pointed out to my wife the tower to the left of the highway: “This must be the Turning Stone Resort owned by the Oneida Nation in New York.” I had been there in the mid-1990s Stopped for years to satisfy my curiosity and witnessed a small casino and hotel establishment owned and managed by Native Americans and struggling with New York State’s restrictive liquor licensing and gambling laws. That was then.
“Hey, let’s stop on the way home from Rochester,” I said. So we stopped on the way home to Maine. If we were stunned by the Seneca Nation sign near Albany, what we saw in the small town of Verona, New York really stunned us. It appears that the tribal nations of New York and New York State have settled their issues under the banner of sovereignty.
We stopped at the front desk for information and I showered questions on the men and women at the front desk. “This place is huge,” I said. “Yes,” said the young man, “we are the largest private employer in the district and in Verona.”
How big is this successful state company today?
There are five golf courses, three of which are 18 hole championship courses and two are 9 hole par 3 courses for us golfers. There are 20 restaurants on the 3,400-acre complex, including several award-winning eateries. There are three major hotels and two motels. The resort is listed as a Forbes Four Star and AAA Four Diamond Resort Destination and is one of the top five most popular tourist destinations in the state.
While the Oneida Nation of New York has a combined population of 1,000, the resort employs over 1,000 people directly and an additional 1,500 indirectly through contracts and small business relationships. Of the employees, 54% are women and 46% are men. 62 percent of employees are white; 15% are Latino/Hispanic; 13% are African American, the rest are mostly Native American.
As in Maine, if sovereign economic freedom were allowed, there simply would not be enough Indians to fill the jobs created. It’s a huge win-win situation. Imagine what this would mean for our poorest region, Washington County, home of the Passamaquoddy tribe. Imagine what it means for all white people there (91% of the population) and others struggling economically in the area. Canadians would flock to Maine for this experience, as would all of us from the South. Boomtown in the USA comes to mind.
The resort offers good salaries, health insurance and benefits, and has built on-site housing or provided housing benefits for employees.
Rock singer Janis Joplin once said, “Freedom is just another word for having nothing left to lose.” After my visit to Turning Stone, I realized that Maine continues to be the loser of its inexcusably obstructive relationship with our sovereign tribes here is.
The Oneida Nation celebrates the 30th anniversary of the founding of Turning Stone this year. Incredible entertainment covers their calendar. Steve Martin and Martin Short do live comedy. Carrie Underwood and Peter Frampton perform. The Beach Boys are playing on August 4th. These are all live concerts. I suggest Governor Mills gets on Interstate 90 and sees for herself. She might even catch the Beach Boys.
Imagine Maine.
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