A GUEST AUTHOR’s HARVEST STORY

The St. Regis Reservation, Upstate New York Casinos and the Oneida

By Carl Shalit

Now that you published one story, here's another. This one just happened this week, the week before Memorial Day, 2016.
As usual, I combined gathering with work travel. I had to be in Syracuse NY so, rather than go directly, about a 5 1/2 hour drive, I went by way of the Akwesasne Casino in upstate New York. That's also about 5 1/2 hours from home but then it's another 3 plus hours to Syracuse (more on that part of the trip later).
My main point in going to the Akwesasne was not so much to gather chips (but of course I would have if I could have) but more to try to discover some of the history of the illegal gaming done on the St. Regis Reservation.
I couldn't find anyone who could tell me anything! Maybe I could have if I had a couple of days to spend in the area but I gave it about three hours. I checked with pit bosses, the floor manager, security, and tried to find the Indian Gaming Commission. I was told that the Commission had an office in the casino but that I couldn't get to it!
I left the casino and found the Akwesasne management office. they told me that the Gaming Commission was back on the other side of the casino. So I backtracked to try to find that.
I found their personnel office where I was told the Gaming Commission was located in the casino! When I explained what happened in the casino, they told me a secret(!) back way into the office. Sounded good but I still couldn't find it.
I then figured I would try some barrooms (couldn't find any), antique shops (couldn't find any), and smoke shops (found lots of them). Even thought there were some old-timers in them, nobody could, or would, tell me anything.
I also showed everyone I spoke to the St. Regis Mohawk images from the Chipguide but everybody claimed they had never seen them.
So, after about three wasted hours on the reservation, except that I did walk away with about $40.00 from a crap table, I headed towards Syracuse. I knew how to go but I put on my GPS.
After a couple of miles, it said to turn right. I did so out of curiosity. That took me onto a toll bridge to Canada with no way to turn around. So I went into Canada and, when asked why I was going to Canada, I explained what happened. The customs agent eventually told me how to turn around and go back over the bridge. So I again had to pay the toll and now go through US customs.
After the usual questions about citizenship, etc., I was asked how long I had been on Canada. I said about 5 minutes! That took a bit of explaining!
For the next ten miles or so, the GPS kept telling me to make a legal u-turn and apparently go over the bridge again. Finally it gave up, until I came to the next bridge to Canada. This time I ignored it but it again kept telling me to make a legal u-turn for several miles.
Only thing I can think of is that there's a highway on the Canadian side which is much faster than the road I was on in New York. What the GPS obviously did not know is how long it takes to go through Canadian and US customs!
So I eventually made it to Syracuse and of course had to visit Turning Stone and the new Yellow Brick Road casinos. FYI, those are both owned by the Oneida Indian Nation. Nothing new at Turning Stone but I did make my usual pleas to try to buy their not used drop chips which they absolutely refuse to sell.
So on to Yellow Brick Road. That facility is somewhat interesting. From what I could see, it's a strip mall which they took over completely. it was surprisingly busy but it is closer to Syracuse and it was now after dinner time so maybe it shouldn't be surprising.
I gathered my chips from there (plus about $60.00 at the crap table) and headed to my motel to prepare for the next morning with a client.