The Eklutna Tribe has operated its new casino outside Anchorage under the shadow of two separate lawsuits. A federal judge has dismissed one of them, filed by a group of property owners near the tribe’s casino in Birchwood.
With approval from the U.S. Interior Department, the tribe opened its Chin’an Gaming Hall on a Native allotment in February.
The property owners argued that the casino harmed the rural character of their neighborhood and claimed it would increase traffic, noise and raise the risk for water pollution. Their attorney, Don Mitchell, also challenged the Native Village of Eklutna’s status as a federally recognized tribe…