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These materials ma y contain opinions that are not shared by t he Board of Studie s NSW .

Aborigina l Studies Stage 6: HSC Course Social Justice and Human Rights Issues

Part I • Topic 6 – Economic Independence

Community/ies to be studied Topic area Unit duration

International community: Santa Ana Pueblo Economic Independence 3 weeks

1

Unit outline Skill focus

The focus of this part is the examination of the social justice and human rights issues from a global

perspective, including a comparative investigation of two topics. This will be studied through a

Comparative Case Study on:

• the local Aboriginal community/ies (must be the same community/ies for all parts) AND

• a national Indigenous Australian community (may be different communities for each topic) AND

• an international Indigenous community (may be different communities for each topic).

•

•

Analysing and making inferences from statistics

Synthesising information from a range of

sources

Big ideas/key concepts Why does this learning matter?

The key concepts students learn are that:

• the experience of colonisation still impacts on

Indigenous peoples around the world

• Indigenous people have developed initiatives to

improve access to social justice and human rights.

The learning matters because:

• an understanding of the ongoing impact of colonisation is fundamental to understanding

contemporary Indigenous social, political, economic and legal issues

• it is critical to acknowledge and understand the role of Indigenous people in improving

contemporary cultural, political, social and economic life for their own communities.

Aboriginal Studies HSC Course: Social Justice and Human Rights Issues


These materials may contain opinions that are not shared by the Board of Studies NSW.

2

Place in scope and sequence/Building the field Target outcomes

• This unit draws on knowledge developed in the

Preliminary course, focusing on the colonisation of

Aboriginal peoples in Australia. Students will extend

this knowledge through a study of Indigenous people

in Australia and overseas to enable them to develop a

deep knowledge and understanding of contemporary

social justice and human rights issues common to

Indigenous communities around the world.

H2.1 analyses the importance of land as an aspect of contemporary issues impacting on

Aboriginal people

H2.3 discusses and analyses consequences of colonisation on contemporary Aboriginal cultural,

political, social and economic life

H3.3 compares and evaluates current initiatives that reassert the social, economic and political

independence of Aboriginal and/or Indigenous people

H4.1 investigates, analyses and synthesises information from Aboriginal and other perspectives

H4.5 compares and evaluates the histories and cultures of Indigenous Australian people with

international Indigenous people

Websites Books/Articles

Santa Ana Pueblo tribal enterprises

www.santaana.org/

Santa Ana Pueblo community profile

www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=17958

Indian Pueblo – Santa Ana page

www.indianpueblo.org

New Mexico tourism – Santa Ana Pueblo

www.newmexico.org/place/loc/bymap/page/DB-place/place/196.html

Census profile

ww1.edd.state.nm.us/images/uploads/cdps/SantaAnaPueblo.pdf

Santa Ana Pueblo cooking enterprise

www.cookingpost.com

Articles

New Mexico Magazine (various articles on Santa Ana Pueblo)

www.nmmagazine.com/index.php

Santa Ana Pueblo News

www.topix.net/city/santa-ana-pueblo-nm

The Use of GIS and Digital Orthophotography for Management of Santa Ana

Pueblo Tribal Lands

http://gis.esri.com/library/userconf/proc98/PROCEED/TO750/PAP714/P714.HTM

Books

Bayer, L & Montoya, F 1994, Santa Ana: The People, the Pueblo, and the History

of Tamaya. University of New Mexico Press. (Also available through

www.amazon.com)




3

Content from Economic Independence

Students learn about (LA) Students learn to (LT)

1. ways in which Aboriginal people incorporate economic systems into

the environment

2. the impact of colonisation and subsequent events on Aboriginal

people’s economic systems

3. statistics indicating Aboriginal people’s participation in the economy,

including income statistics

4. mainstream government economic programs and strategies in relation

to Aboriginal people, including culturally appropriate programs and

strategies

5. ways in which Aboriginal people and communities have attempted to

reassert their economic independence

6. the importance of regaining land, and cultural maintenance, in

achieving economic independence

7. Aboriginal initiatives that address economic status and their impact on

other lifestyle factors

8. social and political changes necessary to improve Aboriginal people’s

economic status

9. similarities and differences in economic independence issues for

Aboriginal and other Indigenous people and communities

1. identify pre-contact Aboriginal systems and draw conclusions on the impact of

colonisation on Aboriginal economic independence

2. use basic statistics such as tables, graphs and charts to assist in the analysis of

social indicators that relate to economic independence

3. make deductions and draw conclusions using social indicators to analyse

current Aboriginal and Indigenous socioeconomic status in terms of economic

independence

4. synthesise information to evaluate the connection between land, culture and

economic independence

5. compare Aboriginal and other Indigenous people’s responses and initiatives to

improve their current socioeconomic status in terms of economic independence

6. construct hypotheses about the future of Aboriginal economic independence

and assess the implications in relation to social justice and human rights issues

Content from Research and Inquiry Methods

Students learn to:

• examine data to interpret meaning and differentiate between fact and opinion

• synthesise information from a variety of sources and perspectives.




4

Learning experiences – International Community – Santa Ana Pueblo Evidence of learning

Colonisation of the Santa Ana Pueblo

• Students complete research task on colonisation (see WORKSHEET 1).

• Task provides basic background on colonisation period in New Mexico.

• Class discussion at end of activity to discuss similarities and differences with experience of colonisation for local Aboriginal

community (LA2, LT1).

• Writing task – Outline the experience of colonisation for the Santa Ana Pueblo people. How did the use of treaties and other

agreements make the colonial experience different to that of your local Aboriginal community?

Students use appropriate

sources of information.

Students synthesise

information from a range of

sources.

Analysis of statistics

• Students complete analysis of statistics providing indicators of Santa Ana Pueblo people’s participation in the economy (see

WORKSHEET 2 for data).

• Students work in groups using data to prepare graphs and commentary, compiling a data profile of the Santa Ana community

(LA3, LT3).

• Using information from the above activity and existing data on their local community, students work independently to write

a newspaper article discussing the differences and similarities in the socio-economic profiles of the Santa Ana Pueblo

community and their local Aboriginal community.

• Research task – examine the social indicators of health, education, home ownership and household income in the period

since the major Santa Ana Pueblo casino and resort initiatives. Is there any evidence that the indicators are improving as a

result of these initiatives?

Students analyse and make

inferences from statistics.

Jigsaw task – gaming and Native American peoples

• Students form groups to complete jigsaw reading task using articles provided by teacher (see Jigsaw resources).

• Students then use their summaries from the readings to complete the Fact/Opinion chart (see WORKSHEET 3).

• Class discussion of the impact of gaming licenses on indigenous communities in North America (LA4, LA5, LT4).

• Research task – students use the internet to locate other articles on the use of gaming licences by Indigenous communities to

improve their economic status. Students develop a summary of the key points in each article, and the main advantages and

disadvantages in using gambling to support Indigenous communities.

Students identify key issues

related to gaming licences for

Native American

communities.

Santa Ana Pueblo economic initiatives

• Students read about the key economic initiatives (see www.santaana.org) and complete a SWOT analysis of each one (see

WORKSHEET 4).

• Students examine the resort, casino, native plant nursery, restaurant and broadband wireless project and consider the impact

of each of these initiatives (LA6, LA7, LT4).

Students identify economic

initiatives in the Santa Ana

community and analyse the

impact of each initiative on




5

Learning experiences – International Community – Santa Ana Pueblo Evidence of learning

• Students analyse Santa Ana Pueblo website – in what ways are aspects of Indigenous culture and heritage used in the

marketing on the economic initiatives outlined on the site?

• The Santa Ana Pueblo community has used gaming licences and hospitality initiatives to improve the economic

independence of the community; the local Aboriginal community and the Bathurst Island community have focused more on

economic initiatives based on culture and heritage. Discuss the long-term viability and sustainability of the different types of

initiative.

the economic independence of

the community.

Hypothesising

• Students complete P.M.I. chart, examining the idea of gaming licenses for Aboriginal people in Australia (see

WORKSHEET 5) (LT5, LT6).

• Class discusses ways in which governments in Australia could use legislation to grant Aboriginal communities special rights

to improve their economic independence.

Students hypothesise about the

potential impact of gaming

licences on Aboriginal

communities in Australia.

Comparing

• Using a Venn Diagram, students identify the similarities and differences in the responses to economic issues of two

communities they have studied (see WORKSHEET 6) (LA9).

• Once the areas of similarity have been identified, list each of them. Allocate initiatives to small groups and identify the

elements common to each of the initiatives. What does this tell us about economic initiatives in Indigenous communities

around the world?

Students compare economic

issues in the communities they

have studied.

Writing task

• Students use WORKSHEET 7 to plan their response to the question: to what extent has the granting of casino licenses

made a positive contribution to the economic independence of the Santa Ana Pueblo? (LA8).

Students explain impact of

gaming on the economic

independence of the Santa

Ana Pueblo.




6

Evaluation of unit

Teacher evaluation Comments/Variations

How did the unit rate in these areas?

Time allocated for topic

Student understanding of content

Opportunities for student reflection on learning

Suitability of resources

Variety of teaching strategies

Integration of Quality Teaching strategies

Integration of ICTs

Date commenced: Date completed:

Teacher’s signature Head Teacher’s signature


7

Social Justice and Human Rights Issues Part I • Economic Independence

Worksheet 1 – Colonisation of the Santa Ana Pueblo

Research Task

Using resources in the library and the internet, complete the following tasks. You will

have two lessons in class to complete this task. Any uncompleted questions must be

completed as homework.

Pre-contact

Describe the pre-contact economic systems of the Pueblo peoples and ways in which

they made use of their environment.

Colonisation

Outline the period of colonisation, including the nature of colonisation and a

description of the colonisers. What was the result of colonisation for the Pueblo

peoples?

Timeline

Develop a timeline showing key events in the history of the Santa Ana Pueblo’s

interaction with the colonisers.

Impact on economic systems

Explain the impact of colonisation on the economic systems of the Pueblo peoples.

You are expected to write at least 200 words on each question.

The timeline should be completed on one page.

Date due:



8

Worksheet 2 – Population

Working in groups, analyse the following statistics and present your findings in

graphs and commentary as a data profile of the Santa Ana community.

Then, working independently, use that profile and data on your local community to

write a newspaper article on the differences and similarities in the socioeconomic

profiles of the Santa Ana Pueblo community and your local Aboriginal community.

Research the effects of the major Santa Ana Pueblo casino and resort initiatives on the

social indicators of health, education, home ownership and household income. Is there

any evidence that the indicators are improving as a result of the initiatives?

Website: Santa Ana Pueblo, NM

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 Census; ePodunk

Population in year 2000: 479

Metro area: Albuquerque

Santa Ana Pueblo New Mexico USA

Population

Total population

Square miles (land)

Population per square mile

Number

479

6.92

69.20

% Number

14.99

Number

79.56

Gender

Male

Female

Number

225

254

%

47.0

53.0

%

49.2

50.8

%

49.1

50.9

Age

15 or younger

16-24

25-44

45-64

65+

Average age (years)

Number

141

81

128

85

44

31.35

%

29.4

16.9

26.7

17.7

9.2

%

23.0

14.7

28.4

22.2

11.7

35.37

%

21.4

13.9

30.2

22.0

12.4

36.22


9

Worksheet 2 (cont)


Race and Ethnicity Number % % %

White 6 1.3 66.8 75.1

Black or African American 0 0.0 1.9 12.3

American Indian and Alaska native 466 97.3 9.5 0.9

Asian 0 0.0 1.1 3.6

Native Hawaiian and other Pacific islander 0 0.0 0.1 0.1

Some other race 4 0.8 17.0 5.5

Two or more races 3 0.6 3.6 2.4

Hispanic or Latino 12 2.5 42.1 12.5

Housing units

Total housing units

Number

128

% Number Number

Renter-occupied housing units

Renter-occupied housing units

Average number of household members

Average number of rooms

Average number of vehicles

Median year structure was built

Median year householder moved in

Median rent ($)

Median rent asked for vacant units ($)

Rent includes utilities

Rent as a pct of household revenue

Number

1

5.00

5.00

2.00

1975

1993

0

0

1

0.0

%

0.8

100.0

%

26.1

2.37

4.06

1.33

1975

1999

432

406

24.5

26.6

%

30.8

2.36

4.04

1.19

1969

1998

519

469

16.5

25.5

Owner-occupied housing units

Owner-occupied housing units

Average number of household members

Average number of rooms

Average number of vehicles

Median year structure was built

Median year householder moved in

Median value ($)

With mortgage or contract to purchase

With second mortgage, equity loan

Median price asked for vacant housing ($)

Monthly cost, with mortgage ($)

Monthly cost, without mortgage ($)

Number

117

4.35

5.83

1.09

1976

1979

53,900

6

2

0

275

174

%

91.4

5.1

1.7

%

60.8

2.74

5.70

1.59

1978

1992

94,600

45.5

8.3

87,500

929

228

%

60.2

2.71

6.30

1.64

1971

1991

111,800

55.4

12.7

89,600

1,088

295


10

Worksheet 2 (cont)


Educational attainment Number % Number Number

Population 25 and older 261

High school graduates (includes equivalency) 115 44.1 26.6 28.6 Some college, or associate’s degree 101 38.7 28.8 27.4 Bachelor’s degree 7 2.7 13.6 15.5 Master’s, professional or doctorate degree 0 0.0 9.8 8.9

School enrolment Number % Number Number

Population 3 years and over enrolled in school 221

Preschool and kindergarten 21 9.5 10.4 11.9

Grades 1–12 172 77.8 67.0 65.3

College 28 12.7 22.5 22.8

Average Incomes $

Per capita income 19,174

White 22,981

Black or African American 21,496

Native American 8,150

Asian 20,691

Native Hawaiian and Pacific islander 15,838

Some other race 14,699

Two or more races 15,019

Hispanic or Latino 13,980


11

Worksheet 2 (cont)

Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico

Santa Ana Pueblo is a census-designated place located in Sandoval County, New Mexico, in

the United States. As of the 2000 census, the CDP had a total population of 479.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 479 people, 121 households, and 99 families residing in

the CDP. The population density is 26.7/km� (69.2/mi�). There are 132 housing units at an

average density of 7.4/km� (19.1/mi�). The racial makeup of the CDP is 1.25% White, 0.00%

African American, 97.29% Native American, 0.00% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.84%

from other races, and 0.63% from two or more races. 2.51% of the population are Hispanic or

Latino of any race.

There are 121 households out of which 43.0% have children under the age of 18 living with

them, 41.3% are married couples living together, 31.4% have a female householder with no

husband present, and 17.4% are non-families. 14.9% of all households are made up of

individuals and 5.0% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average

household size is 3.96 and the average family size is 4.42.

In the CDP the population is spread out with 34.9% under the age of 18, 11.5% from 18 to 24,

26.7% from 25 to 44, 17.7% from 45 to 64, and 9.2% who are 65 years of age or older. The

median age is 28 years. For every 100 females there are 88.6 males. For every 100 females

age 18 and over, there are 73.3 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP is $45,179, and the median income for a

family is $45,714. Males have a median income of $22,188 versus $23,125 for females. The

per capita income for the CDP is $9,857. 5.1% of the population and 4.1% of families are

below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 4.1% of those under the age of 18 and

5.3% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Source: Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Ana_Pueblo,_New_Mexico


12


Worksheet 3 – Native American casinos jigsaw task

Article One Two Three Four Five

Author’s viewpoint

Key ideas


13

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Worksheet 4 – Native American casinos jigsaw task

Group discussion

Read the following six articles about casinos and gaming. Share them with the group, then

consider and discuss the following questions with your group.

1. What evidence is there to demonstrate a conflict of information when comparing articles?

2. What explanation can you give for this conflicting information?

3. Consider the source of each article, its viewpoint and the date it was published. Which

articles would you consider to be reliable sources of information? Why?

4. Which articles would you consider to be questionable (doubtful) sources of information?

Why?


14

Worksheet 4 (cont)

Article 1

Gaming now supports the environment

Source: http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=2353 Posted on 16 May 2001 by David Melmer, Indian Country Today

WASHINGTON – Member tribes of the National Indian Gaming Association are putting

gaming revenues to work to support education and most recently embarked in the area of

environmental improvement and protection.

Financially supported by the Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut, tribes came together at a recent

Caring for Mother Earth symposium to share ideas about programs they have implemented

and financed with gaming revenues that continues the commitment to respecting and

protecting the environment their ancestors passed on, tribal officials said.

The gaming tribes acted within the comments spoken by Chief Seattle: “Whatever befalls the

earth befalls the sons and daughters of the earth. We did not weave the web of life: We are

merely a strand in it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.”

Gaming revenues, spelled out in compacts and commitments, usually support jobs, schools,

roads, police and fire departments, water systems, social programs and education. Now

additional funding will be dedicated to environmental issues.

The Aqua Caliente Band of the Cahuilla Indians representatives from California said the tribe

has restored the sacred Tahquitz Canyon. People who lived in the canyon and many others

who traveled through caused the canyon to deteriorate. Graffiti was prevalent on the canyon

walls and litter and trash became a regular sight.

The Cahuilla sandblasted the graffiti off the walls, removed 400 tons of trash and eradicated

non-native plant species. The canyon is now open to the public and rangers guide tours on a

daily basis.

“The Tahquitz Canyon is a sacred place for the Cahuilla Indians. The restoration of Tahquitz

Canyon and our other programs would not have been possible if it were not for the gaming

revenue,” said Michael Kellner, director of the bands’ Natural Resources Department.

The Aqua Caliente supports this and other programs without outside revenues. The band

began a Tribal Ranger Program and a Junior Ranger Program for children ages 6 to 12. It also

funds the Tahquitz Canyon Wetlands Study, Trail Assessment, eradication of non-native

plants and the Tahquitz Canyon’s Visitor’s Center. An estimated 50,000 visitors will tour the

canyon each year.


15

Worksheet 4 (cont)

Some tribes with casinos are able only to support families with jobs and bring a small return

to the tribe if any profit is made at all. This doesn’t mean the tribes have to abandon or not

consider environmental programs. John Berry, executive director of the National Fish and

Wildlife Foundation, said his organization partners with organizations such as tribes to fund

restoration programs.

“I am aware of the funding needs in Indian country, especially in the area of restoration and

preservation of lands and resources. I understand the leadership role that tribes have had with

environmental issues.”

He added that the foundation was ready to continue working with the tribes to develop the

programs and to work with the National Indian Gaming Association to consult and provide

funding for these special projects.

Without gaming revenue the Santa Ana Pueblo in New Mexico would not have been able to

restore habitat and the Bosque on the Rio Grande River, Todd Caplan, Restoration Program

director for the pueblo said.

More than 50 years of river control and channel alteration adversely affected the river flow

creating a narrow, deep single channel. Two fish native to the river, the Rio Grande Silvery

Minnow and the Southwest Flycatcher, are endangered. The Cottonwood and Willow plants

cannot sustain themselves because of the change in the river.

Santa Ana Pueblo invested million of dollars to restore the Bosque to its natural state and the

Pueblo Restoration Program has been worked to restore the river to its natural wide and

shallow state.

The Sandia Pueblo won the Partnership for Environmental Excellence Award for its work to

improve the water quality standards of the Rio Grande River. The Sandia Pueblo was one of

eight tribes that won the High Honors Award from the Kennedy School of Government at

Harvard University for excellence in self-governance on water quality.

The Mohegan Tribe put plans together to restore one of its traditional means of sustenance,

the harvesting of fish and shellfish. Aquaculture technology will be used by the Mohegans to

bring back the dwindling population of fish and shellfish in their area. This project is

designed to not only help the Mohegan tribe, but the communities in the region. Fish and

shellfish have been a staple of the Mohegan diet for centuries and now the tribe will not only

supply this traditional food to its members but will also supply the product to area restaurants

and food suppliers under the brand name Mohegan Brand Seafood Products.


16

Worksheet 4 (cont)

Article 2

Industry report tells the gaming story

Source: http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096413359

Covering an industry like Indian gaming, as it expands by leaps and bounds, challenges even

the most enterprising journalist.

With more than 227 participant tribal governments offering two classes of gaming in 420

facilities located throughout 30 states, tracking down and sorting through mounds of data can

be a daunting endeavor. Thanks to the Indian Gaming Industry Report, compiled and written

by economist Alan Meister, that task has gotten easier.

The 2006–07 edition of the report contains a host of facts and figures about the Indian gaming

industry in the United States. From an analysis of the industry’s nationwide economic

contribution to revenue sharing amounts paid by tribes, from numbers of slots and table

games to non-gaming revenue, and from a state-by-state summary of trends and activities to a

directory of gaming tribes and facilities, the report has it all.

Did you know that in 2005:

• Gaming tribes paid a combined $985.2 million in revenue sharing to various states?

• Indian gaming directly supported 310,000 jobs with wages of $10.5 billion?

• The total fiscal benefit of Indian gaming, including tax revenues and direct payments by

tribes to local and state governments, was $8 billion?

• Indian gaming comprised 41 percent of the national casino gaming market?

• The top five Indian gaming states – California, Connecticut, Arizona, Oklahoma and

Minnesota – combined to generate 61.4 percent of the industry’s $22.7 billion in revenue?

These are but a few of the many facts found in this comprehensive and informative report.

Meister has moved mountains to gather and present a wealth of data on a rapidly growing and

changing industry. The fruits of his efforts are useful and welcome.

Two factors keep Indian gaming in the national spotlight – the industry’s sustained double-

digit annual growth and the Abramoff lobbying debacle. Both perpetuate the false impression

that an out-of-control Indian gaming industry has created a slew of rich Indians. Nothing

could be further from the truth.

But some of our national politicians are feuding over potential amendments to the Indian

Gaming Regulatory Act and debating other restrictions on Indian gaming. It would serve them

well to read this report.


17

Worksheet 4 (cont)

Meister speculates that any legislative and/or regulatory changes currently under

consideration would not greatly affect the long-term expansion of existing Class III gaming,

the industry’s main area of growth. Rather, he believes that such changes, again depending

upon how they are framed, could have considerable impact on Class II gaming and the tribes

operating in states that only offer Class II. Want to know why? Read the report.

The Indian Gaming Industry Report, now in its fifth year, is an essential reference tool and

information source for anyone – executives, managers, vendors and, yes, journalists – with an

interest in the Indian gaming industry. For more information on the report and to obtain a

copy, visit www.IndianGamingReport.com.


18

Worksheet 4 (cont)

Article 3

Indian properties: more than just casinos

Source: Fox News http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,57052,00.html Posted Saturday 6 July 2002, by Farhad Heydari, Fox News

Located in a New Mexico valley between Albuquerque and Santa Fe are 73,000 pristine acres

of high desert land owned by The Pueblo Nation of Santa Ana.

The dusty plain, speckled with a few cacti and dense with cottonwoods, is rather

unembellished, save for lush fairways of the championship golf course and the new adobe-

styled Hyatt Tamaya resort.

Once an empty parcel home to tumbleweeds and culturally sensitive archeological sites, today

it is a thriving resort of spa treatments, horseback riding and immaculate putting greens – built

with deference to the sacred buttes that protrude from the landscape.

The idea of creating revenue by using once-vacant native Indian land isn't a new one. Tribes

in New Mexico, Connecticut and elsewhere have used their sovereign status to set up casinos

where other developers could not.

But the movement to build golf courses, amusement parks and diversify beyond gaming

seems to be a part of a new trend, as financially strapped governors have begun to look

beyond casinos as a way of improving their increasingly slim bottom lines.

It's about creating diversions for potential visitors and businesses who don't want the

association with casinos, according to Robert Porter, professor of law and director of the

Tribal Law and Government Center at the University of Kansas Law School.

“This is a new trend meant to enhance the revenue stream,” Porter said. “Many tribes use the

money generated by these means for programs and services such as police departments, and

the like. In that sense, the trend is really rooted in nuts and bolts governance.”

And there is much to govern.

More than 56 million acres of land in the U.S. are currently under Native Indian ownership,

most of it in western states like New Mexico, Colorado and Arizona. The Navajo Nation

alone owns more than 15 million acres in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.

But the tentacles of this progress are now even reaching the Southeast.


19

Worksheet 4 (cont)

In Mississippi, for example, the once-downtrodden Choctaws tribe decided to open up their

sprawling 30,000-acre reservation in the east-central part of the state for development.

Instead of unemployment, alcohol addiction, high mortality rates and desperation, the tribe

now has a payroll of 7,000 full-time employees, almost two-third of whom aren’t Indian.

What’s more, they’ve created a total of almost 15,000 jobs – thanks to the factories, hotels,

high-tech businesses, golf courses and in the case of the Morongo Indian Reservation in

California, a water bottling plant owned by the Perrier Group of America.

“This is really rooted in the determination of how badly they need the money, and when it

comes to money, there is always an unquenchable thirst,” Porter said.

But development doesn’t mean forsaking the past.

At the Tamaya Hyatt Resort in Santa Ana Pueblo, N.M., the well-manicured property and golf

course – aptly name Twin Warriors – are both speckled with posted signs asking visitors to

respect and stay out of areas where ancient Native Indian artifacts, like pottery and ceramics,

have been discovered.

And their rich culture is not forgotten either. Each afternoon, visitors to the resort are treated

to traditional bread making and dances in the central courtyard performed by various

members of Indian tribes, including the Aztecs of Mexico.

In fact, experts say this is a two-pronged point of benefit as it allows visitors who would

otherwise never go to an Indian reservation to become familiar with an oftentimes distant

reality – that of the historical plight and rich culture of Native Americans.

“Certainly they are appealing to other demographics,” Porter said. “By bringing in non-

Indians into the territory and having them take advantage of the hotels, golf, etc. they are

being exposed to an environment they would’ve probably never experienced if not for the

development.”


20

Worksheet 4 (cont)

Article 4

Democracy lives in the lobby

Source: http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Lobby/4621/prop5australia.html

Source: The Australian By Cameron Forbes, 31 October 1998

The mourning dove may be protected in Ohio and cockfighting banned in Missouri after

Tuesday’s mid-term elections.

Some late-term abortions may be outlawed in Washington State and physician-assisted

suicide may be legalised in Michigan. Sick people in four States may be able to smoke

marijuana for medical purposes.

If these things, among others, happen, it will have nothing to do with the nervous and self-

important candidates for State and federal office. It will be the work of ordinary American

voters (along with a range of special-interest and lobby groups).

As the great carnival of representative democracy reaches a conclusion in the mid-term

elections, citizens in some States will be making their own laws in what are touted as

exercises in direct democracy.

For politicians and political parties, the stakes are high in the elections. Starting at the top,

President Bill Clinton’s chances of avoiding impeachment could depend on whether

Democrats hold their ground or are routed in the House of Representatives.

There was good news for the White House yesterday, with a Wall Street Journal/NBC poll

showing 46 per cent of those most likely to vote saying they would support Democrats and

43 per cent Republicans.

However, polls here have a margin of error of around plus or minus 4 per cent, contests will

be localised and the impact of the Republicans’ $10 million anti-Clinton advertising blitz is

impossible to calculate.

Like Australians, Americans are not fond of their politicians and people living beyond

Washington DC are not fond of the power that resides in the national capital.

Washington is remote; politicians are out of touch with the people and too often in close

touch with gun or tobacco or a plethora of other lobbies. So the system of ‘initiatives’, of

people voting into law (so long as proposals survive constitutional and legal challenges)

something that has gained enough signatures to be put on the ballot paper, is very attractive,

at first glance.


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Worksheet 4 (cont)

The lives of many people – and those or their furry or feathered animal friends – can be affected by a process that is the descendant of town meetings and the distant heir of Athenian democracy. But nothing is perfect.

Money politics infects direct democracy just as it infects representative government. Last year, the noble folk of the National Rifle Association rode into Washington State with saddlebags of money to defeat a responsible hand-gun safety initiative.

This year in California, Indian tribes spent $9 million to get the signatures necessary to qualify Proposition 5 for the ballot. Proposition 5 defends their right to run casinos on reservations.

Dispossessed and ravaged by disease and massacres, they were given about one-tenth of promised lands as reservations in remote and arid areas. Sound familiar?

But Indian casinos last year generated $1.4 billion in income and $632 million in profits which, under federal law, must be spent on housing, healthcare and tribal administration. Proposition 5 requires tribes with casinos to share revenue with tribes that do not have them.

Opposing Proposition 5 is a holy and unholy coalition – church groups, politicians and labour unions, headed and bankrolled by Nevada casinos. The estimate is that supporters (mainly the tribes) and opponents (mainly casinos) will have spent $35 million and $25 million respectively on the Proposition 5 campaign.

In Washington State, Oregon, Nebraska, Nevada and the District of Columbia, voters will decide whether marijuana should be legal for medical uses. The argument in favour is that it helps ease the symptoms of sufferers of serious diseases, such as AIDS, cancer and multiple sclerosis. But this battle will not end with the ballot. Californian voters said yes in 1996; Washington has fought back in the courts. Barry McCaffery, in charge of the U.S. administration’s drug policy said: “Let’s have none of this malarkey on marijuana smoking by cunning groups working to legalise drugs.”

But supporters are now fighting on new ground, helped by funding from mega-rich George Soros and two philanthropic multi-millionaires.

Propositions can also set well-meaning groups in opposition. Proposition 4 in California, supported by a coalition of humane societies, seeks to ban steel-jawed traps used to capture muskrat, coyote and non-native fox. Trapping this way can be nasty.

But the Audubon Society argues that the traps are needed to control coyotes and foxes as predators that can decimate endangered populations of shore-nesting birds.

Direct democracy is not as simple as it seems.


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Worksheet 4 (cont)

Article 5

A Modern “Small-pox” for Native Culture

Source: http://www.stanford.edu/group/Thinker/v2/v2n2/Akiwenzie.html Clay Akiwenzie, Junior in North American Indian Studies Saugeen Ojibway, Cape Croker Reserve, Ontario

Gaming will give tribes more money which will enable them to diversify and realize the long

sought after goal of individual tribal sovereignty. At least, that is the succession of events that

proponents of Indian gaming would like us to believe. While the allure of more money in

communities that generally have precious little industry, nearly no liquid assets, and

extremely high unemployment is fairly easy to see, what is often missing from a thorough

discussion of gaming is a clear understanding of basic issues like what sovereignty actually

means, how best to achieve it, and who exactly ‘counts’ as Indian? These sort of basic

questions about the terminology used in this debate are often side-stepped altogether when

more pressing questions come up like; where is all of this money actually going? Who

decides where it goes? And of course, most importantly; when do I get mine? Among other

things, the rising tide of crime on Indian reservations that have already instituted gaming,

from the Mashantucket Pequot in Connecticut to the Fort Regis Mohawk in New York to the

Clear Lake Pomo Indian Colony in California, would seem to indicate that perhaps, Indian

gaming does not represent the panacea for Indian country that we have been lead to believe.

The problems are practically uniform throughout Indian country. Disorganized, factionalized,

and historically poor communities with limited infrastructure and little-to-no experience

managing large sums of money are now being confronted with the daunting task of effectively

managing a multi-million dollar corporation. Given the obvious enticements of Indian

gaming, it should come as no surprise that many of the actual members from these reserves

have accepted gaming with a less than perfect understanding of what they were getting into

and, perhaps have made some less than ideal management decisions. This poor understanding

of what gaming and sovereignty actually mean portends disaster for a disturbingly large

number of tribes.

However, vague concepts and ideals aside, former proponents of Indian gaming have been

echoing each other with warning calls to tribes pondering the plunge into the business of high

stakes gambling. Beverley Louis, a registered band member of the Sault St. Marie Band of

Chippewa Indians, noted in her letter to the editor in the July 6, 1995 edition of Indian

Country Today that while her ‘tribe has grossed billions of dollars since the conception of

casinos ... our people – our true Native Americans – remain indigent, disgracefully poor. We

have no idea where the money is going, and diligent inquiry into this matter is met by silence

– or in the alternative – misrepresentations.’ Ms Louis repeated references to the disparity of

wealth and subsequent friction between what she describes as the ‘true Native American,’ or

full-blooded Indians, and the increasingly large numbers of migrating mixed breeds is a

massive problem for nearly every single reservation in North America.


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Worksheet 4 (cont)

While the membership issue may seem like a completely separate issue from gaming, this

power to decide who does and does not belong to the group becomes an absolutely crucial and

potentially divisive issue when you start talking about gaming and the distribution of profits.

Although, there are federal guidelines for membership criteria, each reserve implements their

own membership criteria as an exercise of tribal sovereignty and self-government which the

feds in turn refer to when allotting federal funding. The point being that membership roles,

federal funding, and the distribution of wealth are all intimately connected and whoever

controls membership, also controls the future of the Nation. Often, the irony of the situation is

that the people who justify the continued existence of Indian Nations as distinct Nations (ie

the people who keep the traditions alive), are often left out in the cold when the profits are

divvied up.

One issue that always comes up with gaming is the issue of sovereignty and its relation to

Indian gaming. Proponents of gaming invariably point to gaming as a means to the ultimate

end, real, not just quasi-sovereignty, but real sovereignty for Native peoples. Few, however

have a clear understanding of what sovereignty would actually mean to Indian tribes. For

example, does sovereignty mean an end to the federal fiduciary relationship between Indians

and the Federal government? What will sovereignty mean to the trust status of Indian lands?

Will sovereignty legitimate us as Nations, states, or municipalities? Are we, as a collective

group of Native peoples, ready for tribal sovereignty and all of its implications? If we aren't,

and if gaming moves already unstable Nations towards some uncertain and undetermined fate,

then all of this talk about sovereignty and economic independence may turn out to be another

classic example of counting your chickens before the eggs are hatched.

Another similarly discussed, but never resolved issue in Indian country is to how best balance

traditional cultural practices and moral belief systems with economic development. This idea

of balance has been central to the debate over gaming on the Hopi Reservation in Arizona as

well as on the Navajo Reservation which surrounds them. Both nations have chosen to reject

gaming as a source of revenue because for them, the question takes on an either/or sensibility.

Either you value your culture and moral values above all else, or you support economic

development with the knowledge that culture will be inevitably compromised to one degree or

another. While this may seem rigid and anti-progressive to some people, it is a very real

concern to may of the traditional people whose reality exists outside the world of profit

margins and economic theory.

So does gaming on reservations represent a new hope for an economic resurgence in Indian

country? Maybe, but at best, it’s still an unsure bet, and tribes should know the risks before

entering into any agreement with any outside corporation, investors, or government. I want

to be clear that I'm not saying that Indians have to be poor in order to be ‘real’ Indians, or that

casinos are ‘bad’; so we shouldn’t have them. However, it is my fear that many tribes have

rushed into these ventures without a clear understanding of what they wanted to gain from

their involvement with gaming, aside from the vague assumption that more money means

less problems.


24

Worksheet 4 (cont)

Finally, without the right leadership, discussion, and understanding of gaming and all its

implications, the ubiquitous construction of casinos on Indian lands across the continent

could prove the most destructive and divisive element introduced to Native culture since

Christopher Columbus brought the smallpox.


25

Worksheet 4 (cont)

Article 6

Everyone Wins With Indian Gaming

Source: http://www.stanford.edu/group/Thinker/v2/v2n2/Sanchez.html Tim Sanchez, Graduate Student in Education, Jemez/San Felipe Pueblo

Where today are the Pequot? Where are the Narragansett, the Mohican, the Pokanoket, and

many other once powerful tribes of our people? They have vanished before the avarice and

the oppression of the White Man, as snow before a summer sun – TECUMSEH

(SHAWNEE).

Today, the Mashantucket Pequot Indians of Connecticut generate an income in the

neighborhood of $1 billion annually from their Foxwoods Resort Casino. They are one of the

most influential and respected Indian nations in Native America because of their use of casino

revenues in reconstructing their infrastructure and expanding their tribal homeland. However,

the people and State of Connecticut hold the Pequots under suspicion and distrust because

they perceive the Pequot’s wealth to be unregulated. The fact is, Indian gaming can only be

operated by tribal governments, not individuals, as mandated by the 1988 Indian Gaming

Regulatory Act (IGRA). The 1988 Act directs gaming tribes to use their gaming revenues

solely on their reservation infrastructure. The gaming tribes have used their revenues to build

schools, houses, roads, sewer and water systems, and to fund health care and educational

programs. Indian gaming has given economic, social, and cultural vitality and stability to

gaming tribes.

The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act created three levels of Indian gaming: Class I gaming is

social games solely for prizes of minimal value, Class II is bingo and related games such as

lotteries, etc., Class III is casino-style high stakes gaming. Class I gaming has been in

existence long before European contact. In the last eight years Indian tribes have developed

Class III gaming on their reservations. Today, 104 out of the 557 Indian tribes have Class III

casino-style gaming. This class of Indian gaming accounts for only 5% of the entire gaming

industry and Indian gaming revenues account for approximately $5.5 billion, a mere

1.6 percent of the national gaming revenues. It seems strange, given these statistics, that

American Indian tribes should be faced with such overwhelming obstacles in establishing

gaming on their reservations.

Economic security on Indian reservations is in a state of emergency. The Republican-

controlled Congress has proposed to cut $214 million from the Bureau of Indian Affairs

(BIA) $1.9 billion budget. The proposed cut will have a detrimental effect on tribal services

and programs. In 1991, the BIA reported that the unemployment rate on reservations was

45 percent. Isolated tribes have an unemployment rates as high as 80 percent. These isolated

tribes suffer the highest unemployment, the lowest per capita income, the lowest level of

formal education, the highest rate of infant mortality, the greatest incidence of malnutrition,

and the highest rate of death by exposure in the United States. Indian gaming has become a


26

Worksheet 4 (cont)

survival tool for reservations. Two examples are the Santa Ynez and Monrongo reservation in

Southern California. Santa Ynez reservation has been able to employ 100 percent of its tribal

community because of gaming. In 1983, the Monrongo Band employed 50 of their 700 tribal

members at their bingo (Class II) operation. Their unemployment rate was at 70 percent , their

dropout rate was 80 percent, and they were in extreme poverty. In 1994, Casino Monrongo

provided 600 jobs for Indian and non-Indian employees. They were able to eliminate welfare

on their reservation entirely because their revenues exceeded $50 million. They are now the

second leading employer for the Banning Beaumont area of California, and have projected

that an additional 200 jobs will be created by the casino within the next year.

The myth that Indian gaming is only beneficial to Indians can be refuted by employment rates

and economic development in local communities, and revenue sharing with state

governments. The National Indian Gaming Association reports that ‘over 120,00 direct jobs

and 160,000 indirect jobs have been created nationwide.’ The Michigan gaming tribes provide

2,000 jobs, of which 40 percent are filled by non-Indians. Wisconsin gaming tribes provide

jobs for 4,500 people, of which 2,000 are non-Indians. The Mashantucket Pequot tribal

enrollment is about 300 members. Their Foxwoods Resort Casino employs approximately

9,000 people. The Pequot also have a revenue-sharing agreement with the State of

Connecticut. Last year, the Pequots paid the State of Connecticut approximately $100 million.

For the first time, gaming tribes are able to provide employment, education, health care,

housing, and other important services without federal government assistance.

In summation, Indian nations have the sovereign right to operate Class III gaming. Indian

gaming is providing capital through which tribes are able to make economic and social

improvements on their reservation. For the first time gaming tribes are able to provide

employment, education, health care, housing and other important services without federal

government assistance. Indian gaming is benefiting communities immediately surrounding the

reservation as well as the taxpaying Americans. The fact of the matter is that everyone

benefits from self-sufficient Indian nations and gaming is viable route to self-sufficiency.


27

Worksheet 4 (cont)

Fact or Opinion?

Fact Opinion


28

Worksheet 4 (cont)

SWOT Analysis

Strengths Weaknesses

Opportunities Threats



29

Worksheet 5 – Pluses, minuses, interesting things

Consider what the impact would be if state governments granted gaming licenses to

Aboriginal communities in Australia.

M

P I



30

Worksheet 6 – Comparing responses to economic issues



31

Worksheet 7

To what extent has the granting of casino licences made a positive contribution to the

economic independence of the Santa Ana Pueblo?

Very high High Medium Low Very low

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