D#4, HW#9 Draft of WP#1

Should Native Americans be allowed to operate casinos?

Many Native American governments across this country are building casinos. I belong to the Seneca Nation of Indians and my reservations located in the Western New York area are home to all three of our casinos. I believe that for my tribe, as well as countless others, to thrive in this day in age a solution is needed to help alleviate the economic crisis that has plagued our reservations for decades, if not centuries. With the sovereignty status as a separate government, tribal officials have made or are in the process of making compacts with their respective states for the right to operate Las Vegas style casinos within reservation lands. However, there are many obstacles that have to be overcome in order for these tribes to accomplish their goals. These obstacles are what makes this topic of tribal casinos such a controversy.
Some of the nations have made compacts with officials from their respective states to reacquire lands that once belonged to their ancestors and this allows them to build and then operate Las Vegas style casinos on the new “reservation” but at what cost? Some people think that because there are stipulations put on the casinos by the state, the tribe surrenders a part of their sovereignty. Each tribe prides themselves on the fact that they are separate governments so when they agree to these compacts they also agree to pay the state a certain percentage of their profits. It is this stipulation that some believe violates the centuries old treaties made between the tribal and federal governments. This presents a controversy within a controversy.
Also included in another aspect of the casino controversy is whether or not people support gambling; there are also people who give tremendous amounts of support to the tribes in their quest to become financially independent; they view these tribal casinos as a way for Native Americans to finally be self-sufficient and not depend so heavily on federal aid to support their communities. The supporters sympathize with the constant struggles of the Native people dating back to 1492. On the other hand, some critics argue that Natives shouldn’t be allowed to build casinos in the first place as this will affect the non-native communities in a negative way. They feel that casinos are a negative environment and couldn’t possibly be good for their community. I plan on further exploring this aspect of the casino controversy as I don’t know much about this side of it all. Needless to say, it will definitely be an eye-opening experience for me due to the fact that I belong to a tribe that owns and operates casinos.
As I stated above, I am invested in this topic by being born a Native American. When I moved here to Arizona from New York I was wondering if the tribes down here had casinos as well. After meeting a few Native people from this part of the country and learning that they did have casinos located on their reservation, I then became interested in discovering how their tribes built their casinos. I wondered if they had obstacles to overcome as well and I also wondered if their peoples’ way of life had improved or deteriorated. The Native way of life is comparable to that of a third world country. When one drives through a reservation it’s easy to see why there is a great need to generate as much capital as possible to improve Native communities. Tribal officials are constantly looking for ways to improve and enhance their reservations while still being able to maintain their sacred sovereignty, their dignity, and their pride.
I plan on gathering my research through books, online newspapers, periodicals, databases, and/or interviews with tribal officials. I know the research is limited on this topic and could possibly present a challenge but I am confident that the methods of research mentioned above will provide sufficient information when combined together. I will need to accomplish my research as soon as possible so I can have an abundance of information to pick and choose from for my final paper. I’m very interested in how my final paper will come together. I’m also interested in learning about how other tribes, besides my own, have utilized their casino profits. I will then convey this information to my potential audience which may consist of casino supporters, anti-gambling groups, citizens of the communities surrounding the casinos, tribal members, and tribal officials. I know that my audience will better understand the history of Native Americans and will be able to make a conscious decision on whether or not to support tribes across this country in their quest to own and operate casinos