On May 18, the Department of the Interior announced a contract award of $329,042 for Tonkawa Indian Casino Hotel parking lot project. The casino, located in Tonkawa, OK, is owned and run by the Tonkawa tribe. Although the money comes from federal highway funds, the tribe has the discretion to use the funds as it sees fit, according to a spokeswoman for the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
“The tribe has its share of Roads funds that it may use for projects it identifies. These funds are set aside for all or many tribes from highway funds,” said Nedra Darling, spokeswoman for the office of the assistant secretary for Indian Affairs. “There is no prohibition on the use of the funds for a parking lot. It is the tribe’s option or decision to determine what projects will be done. The Bureau only serves to provide any technical assistance and as the conduit for the funds, in this case to a contractor.”
Darling explained that now that the contract has been awarded, a pre-construction conference will be held, and then a notice to proceed with the project can be issued.
In 2015, Michael Black, director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, testified before a Senate committee oversight hearing entitled “Tribal Transportation: Pathways to Safer Roads in Indian Country.” Black explained the program:
While Title 23 of the US Code governing use of highway funds does mention “parking lots” as a legitimate use of highway funds, it is not clear that legislators had a casino parking lot in mind.
President Obama’s 2017 fiscal budget allocated $475,000,000 for the Tribal Transportation Program.
