'California has a tragic record of dealing with Indian people. At the time of the Gold Rush in 1848, California's Native American population was close to 150,000, and Native American groups occupied almost all of the state. By 1860, a decade after California statehood, the Native American population had plunged to about 30,000, and most of them had lost any claim to their ancestral lands.

The government and people of California were no bystanders to this demographic disaster, which cannot be attributed to disease alone. California Indians were hunted like game animals during the first decades of statehood, and thousands were killed. The state's first governor, Peter Burnett, famously declared "a war of extermination will continue to be waged between the races until the Indian race becomes extinct." And in 1852, faced with 18 federally negotiated treaties that would have reserved lands for California's Indians, the state rallied to prevent Senate ratification.

In light of California's history of holocaust, the governor shouldn't be whipping up anti-Indian sentiment to serve political ends. But are his claims against the tribes well-grounded despite the unfortunate rhetoric? The answer is no."

Get the Story:
Carole Goldberg: Governor Is Double-Dealing on Indian Gaming (The Los Angeles Times 1/20)
pwnyt

Relevant Links:
California Nations Indian Gaming Association - http://www.cniga.com
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger - http://www.governor.ca.gov/state/govsite/gov_homepage.jsp

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