Harold Monteau: NIGA should live up to Buy Indian pledge

Friday, April 29, 2011  

"Congratulations to Ernie Stevens, Jr. on his victory for another term as President of the National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA). The numbers speak for themselves. The other candidates are to be congratulated too, for being good sports.

This is not an apology for my comments about NIGA needing to do some soul searching about better serving the “have-nots” of Indian Gaming and how to better serve Indian country.

Every month that passes without a strategic plan for implementing the 10% “Buy Indian” goal that NIGA set for itself means a few hundred million dollars more that hemorrhages from our Indian economies, never to be seen again.

Should not NIGA study the draining of gaming revenues away from reservations? Or at least make an effort to understand the problem? I want to be proved wrong. I’d be happy if a study revealed that 10% of tribal gaming and governmental spending goes to Indian-owned or majority Indian-owned sources. I’d retire and put away my pen if someone could demonstrate that the number of new tribal or Indian-owned or majority-owned companies fulfilling Indian country purchasing is increasing each year. I’d shout praises to the heavens if it could be demonstrated that Gaming tribes are investing in the creation of Tribal and Indian companies that supply and serve Indian Gaming."

Get the Story:
Harold A. Monteau: Eating Crow with Ernie Stevens, Jr. (Indian Country Today 4/28)