Guest Author
Home for me has always been Poarch, Ala. — 10 miles from the Florida state line. I know when I pass the highway marker that I am leaving one state and entering another, but it is a separation that means little to those of us who grew up with family spread out on both sides of that boundary.
Certainly, it would be impossible to explain where Alabama ends and Florida begins to my ancestors. They were Poarch Creek Indians with a distinct culture and values. Neither they, nor the place they called home, were ever defined by lines drawn on a map.
Today, our Poarch Creek Tribe is federally recognized with trust lands in our ancestral homelands of Alabama and North Florida. It is our land in Nokomis that has been the focus of our efforts to negotiate a gaming compact with the state of Florida. But, recent roadblocks in those negotiations, a lack of understanding of our status as a federally recognized tribe and sensationalized media headlines indicate a need to reiterate our legal rights pertaining to the property, as well as how we plan to use it.
So, let me be clear. We are a federally recognized Indian tribe and we have been consistent in wanting to build a gaming business in Florida. In exchange for entering into a compact with the state, we have committed to sharing revenue and honoring existing compacts.
During a recent media interview that focused on our rights as a federally recognized tribe, the reporter asked whether we believe we legally could grow marijuana on our land. We have been advised that the answer to that question is “yes” because we are a federally recognized tribe, the same legal status that entitles us to negotiate a gaming compact with Florida.
Let me clarify, though: While it appears that we are legally entitled to do so, we have no plans to grow marijuana on our land.
We do have plans to replicate in Florida what we have done in Alabama — create jobs and economic security, add to the tax base and fiscal strength of our state, and be good and charitable neighbors.
In Alabama, our Tribe and our businesses have created more than 3,500 direct jobs and another 3,000 indirect. Last year, we spent more than $200 million on goods and services, paid more than $51 million in wages, and generated in excess of $100 million in taxes.
If he would meet with us, Gov. Rick Scott would learn that we are a deeply caring and religious people. We have given more than $7 million in charitable donations because we believe that to whom much is given, much is expected.
We are a community of Poarch Creek Indians who care deeply about each other and our neighbors. We are hopeful that the state of Florida will recognize our rights, sit down with us, and negotiate a compact. We stand ready to be good partners and good neighbors for Florida.
Stephanie A. Bryan is Tribal Chair for the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, from Poarch, Ala.
