Tiny Oklahoma Tribe’s Casino Shuttered Amid Leadership Battle
The Golden Pony Casino has been closed since November, court date looming this week
1 min
A nasty dispute over who’s in charge of the tiny Thlopthlocco Tribal Town (TTT) Indian nation in eastern Oklahoma has caused the closing of the tribe’s only casino, the Golden Pony.
The dueling factions are scheduled to present their cases in front of the Oklahoma Supreme Court on Tuesday, but in the meantime: No gambling.
The casino, which is located off Interstate 40, has been closed since Nov. 3 when there was an attempted break-in, according to a report from mvskokemedia.com. The article indicated that Muscogee (Creek) Nation Attorney General Geri Wisner, MCN Lighthorse Police, and Bureau of Indian Affairs officials are investigating, though there are no suspects at this time.
The attempted break-in happened in the same timeframe as a heated battle is going on between the two factions of the tribe, one of the smallest nationally recognized Indian nations.
According to a report in The Oklahoman, the main sticking point is that leadership hasn’t called an election in 18 years.
Court records obtained by the newspaper show a powder keg situation in Okemah.
During an October meeting of the Thlopthlocco Business Committee, which governs the tribe, a group entered the room and demanded the resignation of committee members.
The members stood their ground, and the group instead “conducted an unauthorized ‘election’ and declared they were the new Business Committee,” a court filing states.
Days after, members of the newly “elected” committee entered the tribe’s office and threatened to fire workers there, according to a trespass lawsuit filed in Okfuskee County District Court by the tribe’s leadership.
Attorneys for the government allege members of the rival group threated physical action against the employees and were spotted on tribal property carrying guns.
Control of tribe’s finances also in dispute
While the two factions have been fighting it out in court and otherwise, the casino had remained open until the break-in attempt.
The dispute has extended to the tribe’s finances, with the rival faction contacting the tribe’s bank in an attempt to gain control. The bank has frozen tribal funds until the competing groups can agree on who has authority over the account, according to a post on the Thlopthlocco Nation Facebook page, though it’s unclear which faction controls the tribe’s social media.
The Okfuskee County District Court initially sided with the incumbent leadership, ordering the rival group to cease harassing and threatening behavior. But the faction now calling itself the legitimate Business Committee appealed to the Oklahoma Supreme Court, arguing state courts have no jurisdiction over internal tribal disputes.
Even the federal government remains uncertain about who’s in charge. The Bureau of Indian Affairs website acknowledges the tribe’s leadership “remains in dispute.”
The tribe has about 1,000 members.
