"Some lawmakers have concluded that tribes must be punished for spending big money to get their voices heard in Washington, D.C. Sen. John McCain, a former friend to Indian tribes, has now introduced legislation to wrest control of Indian gaming away from tribal governments and into the hands of the National Indian Gaming Commission.
When the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act was passed in 1988, neither the tribes nor Congress imagined the phenomenal success it would become. (If Congress had, it is quite likely that the act never would have passed in the first place.) Most people assumed that the tribal ''casinos'' would be smoke-filled pole barns offering high-stakes bingo and not much else. Tribes proved them wrong, developing highly successful and sophisticated gaming operations that now serve as the primary engines for economic growth in rural communities throughout the United States. That has made some people very upset.
When some politicians began blaming the tribes for the Abramoff scandal, their ''blame the victim'' message struck fertile ground among the chronic Indian-bashers who seized the opportunity to declare righteously that ''someone has to get these tribes under control.'' Soon after, McCain introduced Senate Bill 2078, an amendment to IGRA that has enraged tribal leaders and become the rallying cry for every Indian-hater in the country."
Get the Story:
John McCarthy: 'Blame the victim' mind-set is basis for McCain's bill
(Indian Country Today 4/14)
Opinion
Opinion: Sen. McCain a former friend to tribes
Saturday, April 15, 2006 More from this date
Opinion: Sen. McCain a former friend to tribes
Saturday, April 15, 2006 More from this date
Join the Conversation
Stay Connected
Contact Us
indianz@indianz.com202 630 8439 (THEZ)
Search
Top Indian Gaming Stories
Trending in Gaming
1 Catawba Nation continues work on controversial casino in North Carolina
2 Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes move forward with casino expansion
3 Poarch Band of Creek Indians said to be on Trump's radar
4 Hopi Tribe officially joins Indian gaming industry with approved compact
5 Seminole Tribe paid just $50M for casino Donald Trump built for $1.2B
2 Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes move forward with casino expansion
3 Poarch Band of Creek Indians said to be on Trump's radar
4 Hopi Tribe officially joins Indian gaming industry with approved compact
5 Seminole Tribe paid just $50M for casino Donald Trump built for $1.2B
More Stories
Navajo Nation wants casino open by August Barona Band in California first to test new technology
Indian Gaming Archive