WHITE EARTH, Minn. -- The Minnesota Indian Gaming Association exists to protect the status quo in gaming. That's not a surprise, given that the most influential members of the organization are the tribes with the most successful casinos.
But it's also an important reality for readers of the recent column by my fellow tribal chairs Arthur "Archie" LaRose, chairman of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, and Floyd Jourdain, Jr., chairman of the Red Lake Nation ("White Earth's casino would be bad bet," Page A4, Feb. 25).
While I have great respect for LaRose and Jourdain, I am disappointed that they agreed to defend the policies that have denied meaningful economic opportunities from gaming to all but the few tribes that by accident of geography have locations near the Twin Cities metro area.
The arguments they make are political, not substantive:
• They claim that the White Earth Nation's proposal for a business partnership with the state for a Twin Cities casino would "compromise sovereignty." Nothing could be further from the truth.
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White Earth is proposing a business partnership with the state of Minnesota. The contractual agreement would apply only to the metro casino -- not to any other aspect of tribal affairs.
This is a business partnership, not unlike non-casino business arrangements tribes in Minnesota and around the country have made with local and state governments.
• They argue that the White Earth proposal is "contrary to the spirit of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act."
The Minnesota Indian Gaming Association wants to reinforce the belief that the courts and Congress were blind to the disparities in gaming revenue. In fact, the spirit of the regulatory act is that all American Indians have the opportunity to benefit.
What we are proposing is entirely consistent not just with the spirit of the regulatory act, but also with the implementation of the law.
Look around the country -- including our neighbors in Wisconsin and Michigan -- and you will see many examples of tribes sharing revenue with state governments. The fact is, our proposal would deliver huge economic benefits directly and consistently to White Earth Nation, the state's largest and poorest tribe.
And, it would happen in a way that strengthens the spirit of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act -- that gaming be an economic opportunity for all tribes.
• Last but not least, they argue that a partnership with the state would undermine the long-term interests of all tribes. In fact, there are no long-term interests served by imposing the kind of extreme poverty on some tribes that for too long has been our reality.
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Our long-term interests are in decent housing, good education, quality health care and jobs that pay decent wages. These are the long-term interests that would be served by our venture -- the chance to generate the revenue needed to create a bright future for all tribal members.
That is the true spirit of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. It's the spirit that's at the heart of White Earth casino proposal.
Vizenor is chairwoman of the White Earth Nation.
