Casinos have brought some positive financial results to a small number of Indian tribes. However, most tribes remain poor - indeed, the poorest by far of all the ethnic groups in America. For more information on this subject, click on this US News and World Report article from November 2014. Here is a quote from this article:
“American Indians suffer from a variety of problems somewhat similar to African Americans,” says Algernon Austin, author of a 2013 Economic Policy Institute (EPI) report on Native American unemployment. “You have lower levels of education [and] continued racial discrimination in the labor market. Some of my work for EPI showed that … improving education attainment of American Indians would likely produce a significant increase in their employment rates.”
Many of us remain convinced that it is the intention of U. S. Government policy to weaken tribal sovereignty and diminish their economic independence. Here's more proof of that belief: In 2004, in a case involving the San Manual Band of Mission Indians, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) reversed 70 years of prior rulings and held that tribal governments - UNLIKE STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS - were subject to the NLRB. This ruling meant that tribal businesses would be regulated like private businesses - a clear blow to tribal sovereignty.
Above: Blog posts are boring without photos! Above is Mark and I with one of our Supai Tribe member friends, during a recent visit. The Supai Tribe has managed to preserve it's tribal language and runs a wonderful tourist business at their Grand Canyon National Park tribal reservation location. They still have their challenges, but have a history for fighting for control of their native tribal lands. You can read more about visiting by clicking here.
