To the Editor,
The Catawba Indian Tribe is proposing a casino complex near Charlotte. They have succeeded in getting their Senator Lindsey Graham, of South Carolina, to introduce a bill that would clear the way for the Catawba Tribe to take 16 acres near Kings Mountain for a casino. Our own North Carolina Senators Richard Burr and Tom Tillis have betrayed the Cherokee Nation by cosponsoring the bill.
I am an Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians member, raised in Big Cove, and I am opposed to this bill because it would subtract much needed funds for our tribal health projects and other projects and the amount of our per capita checks would go down.
If you want to stop this bill, I urge you to call our Senators now (Thom Tillis 202-224-6342, Richard Burr 202-224-3154, Governor Roy Cooper 919-814-2000).
Now is the time to take a stand. If we are passive, we will lose. A petition should be started, a copy sent to all three men, and should have at least one thousand signatures. Thank you for your time.
Candy Smith
Siler City, N.C.
