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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2002

The following statement was made by Kevin Battise, chairman of the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas, last night in response to a federal judge's order to shut down the tribe's casino.

"This decision is wrong. This decision hurts not only the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas and its Tribal members, but also our non-Indian employees, our local community and the citizens of the state of Texas as well. Let’s get straight just what this decision really means. This decision means that Texas can change its laws to embrace gaming, but that the Tribe cannot. This decision means that Texans can spend billions on the Texas state lottery, but that they can’t spend a dime at our Tribal gaming enterprise. This decision means that Texans can gamble across state lines, but that they cannot gamble on our sovereign, federal Indian reservation. This decision means that our Tribe was forced to make a bad deal in 1987, and that the state of Texas can still enforce that bad deal in 2002. This decision means that in Texas, even in the new millennium, Native Americans are still not a part of the American dream. Apparently the Texas Attorney General feels it is right to not only hurt the poorest Texans but also feels now is the right time to remove our school funding source; after all, it is "only" Native American education.

"History will record these most recent actions by the state of Texas, and the court’s decision upholding the state’s actions, as one more example of government’s continued mistreatment of America’s original citizens. The Texas Attorney General should not be proud of his actions and this decision; rather, he should be ashamed. It seems that the Attorney General has forgotten the words of Sam Houston, and I quote “Implanted in me is a principle enduring as life itself. That principle is to protect the Indian against wrong and oppression, and to vindicate him in the enjoyment of rights which has been solemnly guaranteed to him by this government.

"In this case, the court had the opportunity to set the record straight, and to give effect to the true meaning of the Restoration Act. During the course of this country’s deplorable history regarding the rights and conditions of Native Americans, we applaud the occasional circumstance when the United States Congress exercises its trust responsibility to protect Native American rights. This happened in 1987 when the Senate forced the language in the Restoration Act to be expressly amended to protect the Tribe ’s gaming rights. It is most frustrating that the federal courts in Texas and the Fifth Circuit have dismissed the Senate’s deliberate actions to protect the Tribe’s gaming rights as meaningless. The Fifth Circuit’s rewrite of history, as expressed in its prior decisions, is wrong. We were hopeful that Judge Hannah would force the Fifth Circuit to squarely face, and ultimately reverse, the prior errors in legal reasoning and in rewriting history. We will pursue this litigation as far as we can in order to right this terrible wrong. Further, we will take our cause to the Texas Legislature and to the halls of the United States Congress. We will never give up. We will continue to fight and take a risk for what we think is right as our ancestors did when they stood with Sam Houston."

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Tribe ordered to close casino (6/26)