San Manuel head takes aim at Hesperia, Barstow casinos
From Indian Country Today, the premier American Indian news site: Deron Marquez, the politically influential chairman of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, takes aim at “reservation shopping,” and specifically attacks proposed casinos in Hesperia and Barstow:
The San Manuel Mission Indians live today on some 800 acres of our ancestral lands, a miniscule portion of what was once a vast homeland, extending from as far north as Barstow south to the San Bernardino Valley; and from the Los Angeles area east to Twenty-Nine Palms. We will never leave, because if we move away from our homeland, we lose our identity. We cease being Yuhaviatam.
Our legitimacy as a sovereign, Indian nation – our claim to the legal and moral right to govern our own affairs – is directly tied to the fact we live on a homeland that has been ours since time immemorial. Thanks to government gaming, we are building a strong diversified economy, preserving our culture and our way of life. Our community is strong and our people are healthy once again.
Indian government gaming works best when tribes use it as part of an overall plan to improve life on the reservation. It was the intent of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988, that gaming was to be conducted on “Indian lands.”
Unfortunately, this country has strayed from the intent of IGRA. Indian gaming has become a tool for non-Indian development companies and casino corporations seeking profits, and state officials seeking to tax tribal government revenues.
Some tribal leaders have compounded the situation by allowing themselves to fall prey to non-Indian interests. They are offering up their sovereignty for the almighty dollar.
The result is a proliferation of off-reservation gaming commonly known as “reservation shopping” – a trend that is generating a great deal of negative publicity and congressional scrutiny toward Indian nations.
The concern being generated by the potential proliferation of tribal gaming has seriously eroded the political good will toward American Indians. It also has generated divisiveness among American Indian tribes.
Many tribes are establishing or seeking casinos hundreds of miles from their existing reservations, some in other states. In some instances, these off-reservation casino projects are encroaching on the ancestral lands of other tribes.
Many of these proposals are backed by non-Indian developers or state officials whose goal is to get an unreasonable percentage of revenues from tribal gaming operations. No one is concerned about issues of sovereignty. The projects have nothing to do with the congressional intent of IGRA to build tribal economies and strengthen tribal governments.
San Manuel is not opposed to tribes seeking and acquiring rightful and much-needed lands to rebuild their homelands. We respect each tribe’s sovereign right to conduct government gaming on their reservation. But the abuse of the two-part determination process is hurting all land acquisitions. Efforts to acquire lands far from existing reservations for gaming purposes has generated undue scrutiny from Congress and the public, hindering and delaying tribal land acquisitions for housing, schools, health care facilities and other governmental purposes.
Moreover, off-reservation gaming projects often encroach on the ancestral land claims of other tribes.
Last year, when I appeared before the House Resources Committee on the issue, I testified that two tribes – the Timbisha Shoshone and the Los Coyotes Band – sought to acquire San Manuel ancestral lands near Hesperia and Barstow for gaming purposes. Both are backed by non-Indian casino developers.
Today, three tribes seek our ancestral lands: the Shoshone, Los Coyotes and Big Lagoon Rancheria. One of their casino proposals is near an ancient Serrano village.
Congress needs to act immediately to limit reservation shopping and preserve the integrity and ancestral homelands of all American Indian peoples.
Meanwhile, tribes must not allow themselves to be a party to questionable off-reservation casino projects.
Sovereignty is a sacred responsibility. Our ancestors fought and died and suffered for our inherent right to practice self-determination. Sovereignty is a responsibility. It is not a commodity. It is not a toy.
No Comments »
No comments yet.
RSS feed for comments on this post.
Leave a comment
Line and paragraph breaks automatic, e-mail address never displayed, HTML allowed: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>
