by Trisha Orlando

Created on: October 04, 2008

After doing some research on this topic for a college course, I could provide answers to both sides of the issue. The casinos help and also hurt the Native Americans. On the HELP side, I offer this:

I was curious as to the percentage of Native Americans vs Non-Natives regarding employment at the casino.
I located this information about the very first Native American casino to open in Wisconsin:

"The Menominee Casino-Bingo-Hotel is Wisconsin's first Las Vegas Style Casino which opened on June 5, 1987. Before our casino we had our Bingo Hall which opened August 13, 1982. The facility is owned and operated by the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin. The Menominee Casino-Bingo-Hotel now employs over 500 employees. Approximately 79 percent of these employees are of Native American descent or spouses of Native Americans."

That means out of the 500 employees, 105 are non-Native.
http://www.menomineecasinoresort.com/?pag e_id=47

I was also curious about the actual dollar amount received by a member of a tribe that owns a casino. (This subject is surrounded by controversy too, I found out. Seems it is not easy to get recognized as a tribe member)
In California, as reported by TIME magazine,
"Annual revenue is estimated at more than $100 million, and while the tribe doesn't release figures, each enrolled member averages an estimated $350,000 a year. It may sound like an unmitigated success, but only about half of Table Mountain's Indians receive any money at all. The council of tribal leaders that controls the official rosters simply won't enroll many tribe members."
http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101021216/ ncasinofeud.html

The thing about the casinos is that it is surrounded by controversary among members of it's own owners, the various tribes. Many of the elders feel that gambling is bad and it should not be presented on the reservation land. The younger, more modern, generation comes back with reasoning that since the lands are not governed by the "white" man and that there is a "supply and demand" for something that is not readily available to people on government turf, they should excercise their right and utilize it to make money to benefit the tribe.

It's the perverbial ROCK and A HARD PLACE.

If the elders don't approve of gambling, they certainly are not forced to participate in the operations of the casinos, nor are they required to spend money there. The elders must realize that the days of a simple life are gone. Money is the name of the game now and while it may be the root of all evil, it is also what life is all about these days.

One thing that bothers me is that "white" people look at the homes on the reservations and declare that the Natives are still living in poverty. To this I say : BY WHO'S STANDARDS? Because there are no fancy cars in the driveway, no fancy landscaping and homes with vinyl siding and modern windows, does that mean they are in poverty? No, it means that they can live with the basics. A roof over their heads, heat in the winter, and food on the table.

Americans have gotten spoiled, the standard of living now includes driving cars less than 4 years old, recreational vehicles and things that a person does not really need. Too many people use this standard tojudge the lifestyle of those on the reservation.

In California the tribe members receive $350,000 per person annually. How can anyone say that is a bad thing?

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