"The Star Tribune editorial, "Gambling mania: Try for win-win with tribes" (March 21), rightly points out that gaming is one of the few economic development tools that has worked on the reservation and has benefited Indians and non-Indians alike. However, the newspaper's implied vision of a gaming utopia where the state and all Native Americans draw direct benefits from casinos is unrealistic and based on a false assumption that all Indians are the same.

The newspaper fails to recognize that each tribe is a distinct, sovereign government responsible for its own community's wellbeing. Every tribe has different needs and resources to meet those needs. Some are blessed with substantial land and natural resources. Others have successful businesses. Some have almost nothing."

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Doreen Hagen: Not all tribes can benefit from gaming (The Minneapolis Star Tribune 3/26)
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