The Tigua Tribe of Texas has a new leader who hopes to revitalize the reservation's stuttering economy.
The tribe, also known as the Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo, ran a successful casino in El Paso.
A legal battle with the state led to the closure of the facility, which brought in about $60 million a year.
Gov. Frank Paiz, who took office this month, hopes to reopen the casino. He's also looking at other types of development to bring businesses to the reservation.
"I think this is going to be a good year," Paiz told The El Paso Times. "This is our culture, this is my culture. I'm staying because this is where I belong, and I'm going to die here."
The tribe was victimized by convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his associates.
But lawmakers have not been receptive to allowing the tribe to reopen the casino.
Get the Story:New Tigua leader seeks to revitalize reservation (The El Paso Times 1/15) $rl Ysleta del Sur Pueblo - http://www.ysletadelsurpueblo.org
