"As chairman of the Tohono O'odham Nation, I feel I must provide accurate information on Indian gaming.

Indian gaming created our Fire Department. Our Police Department has tripled in size. Gaming revenues fund the nation's sizable border-security efforts. Without gaming, the nation would have no dialysis center, no health clinics, no cultural museum, no skilled nursing facility, no new courthouse nor the thousands of new jobs funded by gaming.

The Star's follow-up article on the nation also was riddled with misrepresentations. To substantiate a claim that youth needs are unmet, you would expect a reporter to interview key officials, such as the nation's education director. This did not happen. As a result, the Star provided inaccurate information on our students and educational successes funded by gaming.

Like many communities, the nation is working to educate its youth and keep them away from the proliferation of drugs and gangs. The nation has devoted substantial resources to its youth, including funding three new Headstart facilities, five youth centers to keep kids off the streets, a Boys and Girls Club, its own fully accredited community college and full scholarships for students heading to college.

In addition to supporting its own programs, the nation provides funding to dozens of local governments and charitable organizations annually. Ask Tucson Medical Center, which received funding for a newborn incubator, or the Flowing Wells Neighborhood Association, which constructed new Little League baseball fields, if Indian gaming is working. Ask the numerous first responders, who have new vehicles and safety equipment, if gaming is working."

Get the Story:
Tohono O'odham Nation Chairman Ned Norris Jr.: Benefits of gaming not reported (The Arizona Daily Star 10/24)