Jan
15
2010
A special committee of the Florida House of Representatives rejected the new compact negotiated by the Seminoles and Gov. Crist. The decision marks a possible turning point in Florida tribal-state politics. Up until now, the tribe has been open to renegotiating what, at least arguably, should have been a done deal -- the long-delayed and duly-entered-into compact that was called into question by the Florida Supreme Court.Back from Break
Jan
12
2010
We're back from our holiday break, which included a week at the Encore in Las Vegas. Fantastic spa! No need to go outside to get to the Wynn buffet! And the pool was not crowded at all in December . . . not everyone has the hardy nature of a North Dakotan. After all, 40 degrees is about 70 degrees higher than our temps in Grand Forks last week. And as the "Asian Rain" signature scent of the Wynn casino dissipates, we'll be back to blogging . . . . Indian Gaming and Federal Recognition
Dec
19
2009
These days, federal recognition of tribal groups is always about gaming. Here's what we mean by that: Even if the tribal group is not motivated by gaming, outsiders will think it is. Indian gaming unquestionably has politicized federal recognition. We think that much of the politics surrounding federal recognition and Indian gaming results from lack of knowledge or understanding of how the federal acknowledgment process actually works. So, here are some basics on federal acknowledgment of Indian tribes.Off-Reservation Gaming 101
Dec
18
2009
With the pending Shinnecock Tribe's federal recognition in the news, we thought folks might appreciate the basics of "off-reservation" gaming.First, of course, is that common usage of the term "off-reservation gaming" usually means gaming on newly acquired lands. That is, people commonly say "off-reservation casino" to refer to any effort to open a gaming establishment on new lands. Often, those lands actually have some tie to the tribe's reservation, so the "off-reservation" part is something of a misnomer. "Gaming on newly acquired lands" is more accurate, but apparently it's too much of a mouthful for most people. With that little lecture on legal terminology out of the way, let's move on to some basic rules.
Shinnecock Federal Tribal Recognition Likely
Dec
15
2009
The New York Times reports that the Shinnecock Indian Nation of Long Island has met the criteria for federal recognition, according to the Interior Department. The seven mandatory criteria for federal recognition are detailed in 25 C.F.R. § 83.7. Briefly, they are:- the group has been identified as an American Indian group on a "substantially continuous basis since 1900"
- a predominant portion of the group comprises a "distinct community" and has existed as such from historical times to the present
- the group has maintained autonomous "political influence or authority" over its members
- the group has membership criteria and governing processes in place
- the group's members are descended from an Indian tribe
Indian Gaming Industry Report for 2009-2010 Released
Dec
11
2009
On Thursday, the latest edition of the Indian Gaming Industry Report was released. Authored by economist Alan Meister and published by Casino City Press, the annual Report is a well respected source for economic and financial information about the tribal gaming industry, much of which is not easily available from any other source. In particular, the Report provides information by state, while the National Indian Gaming Commission reports only by region. The Report also does a nice job of providing important information r Will the Obama Administration Be Open to Off-Reservation Gaming?
Dec
9
2009
For some time now, experts and insiders have been predicting that the Interior Department under the Obama administration will remove at least some of the obstacles to so-called off-reservation gaming put in place under Bush. Steve and I have made a similar prediction, though we've said that we think a compromise is much more likely than sweeping reform. In other words, we expect there to be a lessening of restrictions on gaming on newly acquired lands, not a complete removal of those restrictions. Off-reservation gaming is a politically loaded issue, and we think it unlikely that either the executive or legislative branches will throw open the door to tribes to pursue gaming on newly acquired lands.