Response to “On Partying at ‘Mo Sun,’ – Or, Not”

Although I agree with last week’s article “On Partying at ‘Mo Sun,’—Or, Not” there was information in the article that I think is based on assumptions and generalizations that I feel needs to be addressed.

The first generalization came in the first paragraph, which stated that the Trail of Tears forced tens of thousands of Native Americans out of their homes, and although this is relevant when discussing other tribes, it is not when discussing the Mohegan Indian tribe of Connecticut.

Unlike other tribes, which were being forced from their homes in the 1800s, the Mohegans had made deals with colonists and the state of Connecticut, not the federal government, two centuries earlier to sign over their land. The Mohegan tribe, although a victim of oppression, was not a victim of the Trail of Tears.

The article later states that tribal casinos, “Litter New England today.” According to the National Indian Gaming Commission, there are two tribal casinos in New England, both in Southeastern Connecticut, one in Mashantucket, CT, and one in Uncasville, CT. It is clearly inaccurate to say that they litter all of New England, when in the five other New England states, residents and governors have successfully fought to keep their states casino-free.

The article continues by making two general statements, both of which are stereotypes and assumptions that the author fails to provide evidence for, stating that tribal casinos, “Serve only to propagate the exploitation of Native Americas, perpetuate the immobile ethnic castes of the modern U.S.-American class system.” Later in the article, the author states that Indian casinos are, “Not good for the tribes (already shat on by the white man six ways to Sunday).”

I would like to counter these arguments by looking at the background of the history of Indian gaming. In the 1980s when the act was passed, President Reagan cut federal funding to Indian tribes by one third, from 3.5 to two billion dollars. Throughout the country, tribes were devastated and needed some way to regain the money, which they used to maintain their tribal governments and facilities. For many of these tribes, including the ones in Connecticut, gambling was seen as the best possible solution.

In response to this, Congress passed the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, which provided tribes with the legal opportunity to open casinos. Congress describes how they wish for tribes to use casinos as a, “means of promoting tribal economic development, self-sufficiency, and strong tribal governments.”

In response to the success of casinos, many outsiders challenged them, saying that casinos were unconstitutional and against the law. However, the Supreme Court shot down that view, and continued to assert the importance of casinos in Indian culture, stating in a ruling that, “tribal games provide the sole source of revenue for the operation of tribal governments and are the major sources of employment for tribal members.”

Tribal casinos may degrade culture, as the article points out because of mockeries of Native American culture such as the casinos of the “earth, wind, and sky,” but for the first time since the sixteen hundreds, tribes in America are becoming free from the hand of the federal government.

Indian gambling is a 26.7 billion dollar industry. Tribes, such as the Mohegans, can for the first time in centuries, use this money, their own money, to decide what programs they want on their reservation, how they wish to structure their tribal government, and how they wish to recognize members.

The culture of Indian tribes, although possibly being exploited on a superficial level, is also being incredibly strengthened, as tribal courts and governments, tribal schools and tribal ceremonies, such as Pow-Wows are once again resuming because tribes have the money to support such institutions and can spend it at their own discretion.

The article also argued that Native Americans cope with a disappearing culture, and that this may lead them to drink. Alcoholism continues to be rampant on Indian reservations, usually desolate places where unemployment often reaches forty percent.

In my opinion these two are the factors which contribute most to alcoholism, not a loss of tribal culture. Additionally, throughout the country, tribes which have been successful from gambling have opened up healthcare centers, including alcohol and drug rehabilitation centers, which help to address this issue.

The article also makes assumptions about tribal welfare, but the welfare of tribal members has improved greatly in the Mohegan tribe. All members of the tribe, including adults, are given scholarships by the tribe for educations, which allows more social mobility than ever before. All college students in the tribe are also placed into internship programs within the tribal structure, which because of being a multi-billion dollar enterprise includes health centers, law enforcement agencies, schools and businesses, which are able to provide job training in almost any fields. The tribe also has built an elderly home for all tribal members. None of these programs would have been possible with the meager federal funding.

I feel it is necessary to acknowledge that Indian casinos have experienced isolated success. More than eighty percent of tribes make less than one hundred million dollars in revenue, and about twenty percent of the gaming tribes earn seventy percent of total Indian gaming revenue. In fact, the two tribes in Connecticut make as much money as 101 casinos in Oklahoma. So, the achievements of the Mohegans are not by any means indicative of all tribes, but they are still admirable.

I agree with the article about the fact that Mohegan Sun is an over-the-top entertainment center, and that it is often harmful to the surrounding community, including our community last spring, but in terms of what it has done for Indian tribal sovereignty, it has greatly increased the rights and abilities of Native Americans to protect their own rights, express their own opinion and strengthen their own culture.