I can only give you my opinion from my limited perspective on the potential of a casino for the GRBOI. Since I am not a gambler and have no experience working in the industry, I can only go by what I know of gaming in general and the personal experiences I have had with an Indian casino and tribes who own casinos through my job with the Association on American Indian Affairs.

Money Is the Root of All Evil

Society’s general materialistic focus, pre-occupation with money, greed, appears to cloud the judgment of many people. Although money in and of itself, is not a bad thing, the pursuit of money is and this is what I have a problem with. I live in Northern Virginia 7 miles from Washington, DC. On a regular basis I see people seeking to have more. More than they need, more than they can afford. Rent for a one bedroom apartment in my area is $900-$1,300 per month. Homes sell for anywhere from $300,000 and up with no land. It doesn’t matter where you live; there is always the pursuit of more. I’m not immune to this, and there’s nothing wrong with wanting better, but each person has to decide for themselves where they stand on acquiring more or better and what the more or better will be.

Undoubtably, the lack of money can be a tremendous burden. I know. It’s well known that many Indian people throughout the country live well under the poverty line. Many live well above it. The issue of a casino for GRBOI needs to be decided individually and collectively. Most of us have already made a choice regarding the option we were given regarding money that will be received when we are federally recognized. Did you opt for the money to go to you, or to the tribe? What was the basis for your decision?

Creatures of Habit

How are our own people going to be effected if we build a casino? Huge question many answers. In part what I’m asking is, “What are your own gambling habits?” Are you, as an individual likely to go into debt trying to get more? Would you even go to the casino? Do you plan to work for the casino? The questions are endless.

The pleasure aspect of money or the potential of “winning” money via gambling out weighs the reality of loosing. I’m not going to preach on the evils of addiction, no one intentionally sets out to become addicted to gambling or anything else, but as we well know, it happens. Indian people already have the reputation for being addicted to alcohol. In large part perpetuated by urbanization in the 1940’s & 50’s, lack of jobs…all the stuff we all know about. Many tribes have a bad reputation in regards to casinos. Many have made good on their investment and been socially responsible.

Lack of Culture

We don’t have our own land. Many of us come from mixed families. Our parents or grandparents don’t want to talk about the past. We may not have learned much, they may not have learned or retained much. Will a casino pull us further from our Indian culture, the culture that many of us have to try to re-capture/capture/retain. Will a casino bring us closer together as a tribe? Will it help us to be in contact with other tribal members?

Our Best Interest

We as a tribe have to decide what is in the best interest of our people. Where will the initial investment come from? Will the money received from the federal government be enough to cover the cost or will we have to look for outside investors? If the initial investment is sponsored by outside investors how much money and control are we as a tribe willing to give up What can and will be done with money earned through a casino. How, and by whom is this money going to be managed, and will it be profitable for us given the number of casinos already in both Upper and Lower Michigan?

What kind of regulations will be imposed by the state or federal government, gaming commission, etc. If we choose to build a casino with any monies received through reparation does it mean we have to build it wherever the land we receive is or can we purchase land in a more lucrative location? Will people be willing to drive to our casino? Will our people be willing to move to be employed by the casino or to be on a reservation?

I don’t believe that a casino needs to be managed by one of our own people. Although this would be ideal, we need to hire the best business people possible even if that means going outside of the Indian community. If we build a casino I assume there would be preference given to tribal members in regards to employment.

If it means that more Indian people are employed, if it means that the tribe can provide more services such as housing, if it means that IHS will be available at a convenient location and we would be able to access services out of state when necessary, if it means that schools have more computers and books and the tribe can draw qualified teachers to the area, if a casino means being better able to care for the elders of our tribe, if tribal members will receive royalties/dividends, then there is a potential for some very good things to come out of the GRBOI having a casino.

The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly: My Observations

The Good: I have had the positive experience of traveling for work to a casino that has generated money that has been used for a lot of good things for their relatively small tribe. During a Board Meeting we were briefed by the Tribal Chairman of this tribe and it was very impressive. Of course nobody discloses all of the “bad” stuff, but it was very obvious while on tour of the town on the reservation that the money had been used for good.

They had “stuff”. The homes were nice and well kept, many were new; they drove nice cars, there were kids’ toys in the yards, etc. Community services, all new, newly remodeled or expanding, were based right on the reservation – fire department, police department, tribal courts, health services, schools, residential treatment facility. Of course there was a reason they needed their own residential treatment facility, but at least they knew it and did something about it. Every community has problems but this particular tribe appeared to be trying to meet and overcome their challenges. The casino was not extremely large, but large; they had an event facility for concerts, boxing matches, and a very large bingo hall in addition to the main gaming area. They also had there own TV show, radio show, magazine, and sponsored things within the wider community. They were building their reputation through the media to the wider public. I also observed a wedding which was taking place on the patio of the four year old resort, which had all of the amenities; gym, sauna, pool, three restaurants, two bars, and a hair salon.

I have also had brief dealings and knowledge of some of the things that have been done with money obtained from casinos of large tribes. Diabetes prevention education, language preservation programs with curriculum materials, large donations made to the National Museum of the American Indian and other organizations. Funding for college scholarships for students of Indian heritage, funding for legal fees for a variety of issues such as sacred site protection and environmental protection, backing of particular legislative issues, backing of political candidates whom will be supportive of Indian people and issues, media, public education…

The Bad: I have family members who worked in the tribal as well as secular casino industry for several years. I hear their perspective, I know of their gambling habits. Personally, I can’t afford to lose money, so I don’t gamble. If I go to a casino, I go with my family and I put in my $20, when I loose it, I’m done. I would rather go to Vegas, walk around outside and look at all of the different buildings, people, and lights. What I have observed while in a casino is what I consider a lack of self control. I would hope that people who gamble can actually afford to lose money. And you will lose. Some can afford to lose, some can’t, and you can’t tell the difference. And who’s to say who does and doesn’t have self control. It’s not up to me to judge. But when I stay at a casino and see people gambling at 6 am and it’s apparent that they have been up all night…to me there’s a problem. When the wife has to pick up the paycheck because the husband will cash it and play the tables…to me there’s a problem.

I’m not purposely trying to go off on the evils and destructiveness of gambling or the “mismanagement” of the income it generates. But in reality, how many people have ever bought a “winning” lottery ticket? One that paid off more that what you’ve spent over the entire course of you buying them? And in Michigan, what’s really happened to that money that was supposed to go into the education system?

The Ugly: Personally, I don’t like the atmosphere of a casino. It’s extremely smoky, even if you do smoke, which I do not. People tend to consume too much alcohol, especially if it’s free like in Vegas, and it’s noisy. And most casinos I’ve been in are ugly! Do these people not know how to decorate?!

The Decision

It is not my intention to persuade you in either direction of the gaming issue. It has both “good” and “bad”, and even the “ugly.” But think about these aspects and so many others that I haven’t even touched on. And pray. Pray to whomever you pray to that when the time comes for GRBOI to make the decision about what is best for our tribe and our people, that whoever our leaders are at the time, whether it is the current council, you, me, or Santa Claus that the best decision is made. Remembering that we not only have the responsibility to our tribal members and our future generations, but to society as a whole.