By: Travis Bateman
MANDAN, HIDATSA AND ARIKARA NATION (McKenzie County Farmer) – After purchasing land in Las Vegas, Nevada for undetermined reasons at the time, it has now been made official: The Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation intends to build a casino and hotel, among other amenities in the Sin City.
This plan has raised a great deal of outcry from tribal members given that the tribal government is experiencing a great deal of financial difficulties here at home. Staff layoffs, hiring freezes, project funding abilities and other strains have been outlined in recent months with no official word given from tribal council as to what exactly is going on.
The project in Las Vegas is touted to have $2 billion in “outside funding” according to information disclosed by tribal chairman Mark Foxto news outlets in Nevada.
The land was purchased in 2020 for $115 million and has sat idle and with undisclosed plans for use of the land until now. An 8.7 acre parcel was first purchased through a bankruptcy case. Then the 13-acre parcel once owned by the Route 91 Harvest Festival was bought. And finally, the tribe bought the White Sands Motel to finalize the total land deal of 23 acres.
In February of 2025, the MHA Nation applied for a pre-review with the Clark County planning department. Preliminary plans submitted with the application included documents for a casino-hotel, entertainment theater, convention center, and possibly a 15,000 to 20,000 seat sports center.
The plans were general in nature and did not include any artist renderings or casino details.
Fox said he is seeking a professional sports team to move into the sports center, possibly a new NBA expansion team.
Clark County Commissioner Jim Gibson stated, “I’m expecting to see something pretty significant,” in regard to the casino project.
Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo met with Fox last August about the project and tribe’s plans. According to Lombardo’s spokeswoman, Lombardo is, “supportive of their plans and welcomes new development in Las Vegas.”
This comes amidst continuing turmoil on the Fort Berthold Reservation as tribal members are demanding answers and accountability, transparency and explanation into Tribal Business Council operations, spending, procedures, and what many are alleging is overstepping of powers without citizen engagement.
Many have stated that they unable to get any answers or even attend council meetings citing that rules continue to be changed as to who can be present in council chambers during meetings.
Questions regarding spending and concerns related to the “Peoples Fund” and a $250,000,000 withdrawal. It is unknown what those funds were allocated for but a lawsuit
filed in MHA Nation Supreme Court, Fredericks and Carol Good Bear vs Mark Fox sought to seek reversal of a lower courts ruling but that ruling was affirmed by the higher court.
In a release from the plaintiffs they stated, “The MHA Nation Supreme Court has affirmed the lower court’s dismissal of our case. The Court did not hold that the People’s Fund issue is unimportant. Instead, the Court held that this dispute cannot move forward in court because the Tribal Business Council raised sovereign immunity as a defense, and the Court concluded that we have not been deprived of property as required to invoke under the Indian Civil Rights Act (“ICRA”) sufficient to trigger our Constitution’s limited waiver for ICRA claims because the People have received all disbursements to date.”
Tribal members are continuing to seek remedies for these ongoing issues while election season is also getting underway for the MHA Nation.
