June 29, 2005
The Senate Indian Affairs Committee held an oversight hearing on the regulation of Indian gaming on Tuesday.
The committee heard from six tribal leaders representing all parts of the country. They cited the strong regulation of casinos at the tribal, state and federal level.
Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona) questioned the tribal leaders about off-reservation casinos. Only two -- Chief Jim Ransom of the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe of New York and Chairman Joseph A. Pakootas of the Colville Confederated Tribes of Washington -- said they supported such proposals.
Vivian Juan-Saunders, the chairwoman of the Tohono O'odham Nation of Arizona, said tribes in Arizona agreed not to pursue off-reservation casinos and will discuss the matter further. Dallas Massey, Sr., the chairman of the White Mountain Apache Tribe of Arizona, said he was opposed.
Deron Marquez, the chairman of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians of California, said Congress needed to change the law to prevent off-reservation gaming. James Crawford, the chairman of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Tribe of North and South Dakota, and Doreen Hagen, the president of the Prairie Island Indian Community of Minnesota, said off-reservation casinos hurt reservation economies.
Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma) pressed the tribes to explain why they keep their gaming revenues secret. Of the witnesses, only the Colville Tribes release revenues. Other tribes not on the panel, such as the Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut, also make casino figures public.
Get the Story:
Tribes grilled on casino income
(The Arizona Republic 6/29)
Senator seeking change to Indian gaming act
(The Las Vegas Review-Journal 6/29)
Some tribes would back halt to off-reservation gambling (The Cleveland Plain-Dealer 6/29)
INDIAN GAMBLING: Playing the law (AP 6/29)
Tribal leaders put on the spot during Senate hearing (AP 6/29)
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