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• FOGLI website - www.fogli.org
• FOGLI - How it all began
• FOGLI Testimonials
• FOGLI Membership e-sign up form

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In the spring of 2001, following an informational meeting held at Wayland Union Schools, the wheels began to turn. The Tribe had held the meeting to tell the community of its proposal to place a casino in Dorr Township.

The project was met with much opposition and the meeting quickly became uncontrolled with the crowd getting hostile and throwing many racial slurs.

Judy Bott read about the meeting in an article in the paper and wanted to do something. She called the tribal office. That led to a meeting with the Gun Lake Chamber of Commerce, they then talked to the Tribe allowing them to present their project.

Marcia Halloran, at about the same time, also contacted the Tribe to see what she could do.

She and Bott traveled with the Tribe to Lansing to give testimony for the Tribe.

The two talked and discovered both were passionate about the project and the Tribe's desire to become independent.

It was then the idea blossomed for FOGLI. The first meeting was held July 23, 2001. An article was printed in the local paper, announcing the new group and its intention of supporting the Tribe.

Another meeting was held at Wayland Township hall Aug. 15 where more than 250 people showed up to lend their support.

Shortly after that a rally took place at the former Ampro building where the crowd grew to 500. Another followed a year later with 1,000 turning out for the rally.

Today FOGLI has more than 6,000 members who continue to support the Tribe and its efforts.

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"The Gun Lake Tribe can potentially open the door to a bright, prosperous future for Allegan County and surrounding areas. Their devotion to this are and its people, their willingness to share with the local communities and the whole state of Michigan, prove what genuine, caring individuals they are. I will continue to stand behind them, support and applaud them until the doors of the Gun lake Casino are open. Then celebrate with them every day in what a great accomplishment they have achieved as we watch tourism and businesses flourish in our very own communities."

"We started FOGLI because of the injustice of it all. After the very first community meeting regarding the casino project and upon witnessing the insensitive manner in which the Gun Lake Tribe was treated, we knew we had to get involved. The Tribe consists of a good, gentle people who deserve to become self-sufficient, to find a means to purchase land for a reservation and to establish services they need. A casino project will help them capture that security by providing health care, housing, job training, and an elderly care facility, just to name a few. As I see it, gaming is a legal, viable business already recognized by the state of Michigan. We have 11 such businesses in the state, why stop this Tribe from becoming the twelfth."

"I became a member of FOGLI because I felt the tribe was being treated unfairly by local opposition, which was a vocal minority. I also observed firsthand that their representative in the state government was supporting the opposition. I felt that if the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians was the only tribe in the state of Michigan excluded from the right to build a casino than something was wrong. I joined FOGLI in an effort to right, what I perceived, was a wrong. It was an issue of fairness."

"I support the Tribe and its right to open a casino in Wayland Township. The Tribe deserves the same rights as those who come from foreign countries. The Gun Lake Tribe should be treated as equally - those who come to our country don't have to pay any taxes for at least eight years, why should the Native Americans? After all, they were in this country before anyone else."

"I have a pub and I've never asked for Keno or any type of gambling in my establishment and I've got it. The Tribe, on the other hand, has been asking for one thing, to be treated as fairly as other federally-recognized tribes in the state. They're still waiting. It's strictly a matter of fairness for them and for me."

"We formed because of the issue of fairness and equality. We formed because the prejudice shown our Native American neighbors was disgusting to all of us. The tribal members have become our good friends now as well as our neighbors. And they certainly have taught us something about patience. I will never forget at the first vote in Lansing when the House of Representatives voted against having the governor sign the compact. I was angry and disappointed. I turned to one of the women from the tribe and said, 'Doesn't this upset you and make you angry?' She replied, 'We've gotten used to waiting.' I think they have waited long enough."

"It started out as one single issue for me - fairness. But over the years it has grown into more than that. There's the issue of the highest rate of unemployment in a decade; a poor economy with factories closing their doors every day; declining school financing; a jobless market; and a city with businessmen fearing some competition from a county which has dealt with their competition for many years. Bring on the casino, bring on jobs, bring on a thriving economy, bring on the competition and bring on the fairness!"