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Opinion
Tim Giago: Tribes giving up their sovereignty


"In their haste to gain sudden wealth, tribes signed away much of their sovereignty beginning in 1988 with the introduction of the National Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. If the tribal leaders from those early days thought everything would come out all right in the end, they were wrong. The key word here is �Regulatory.� Not only did the regulation of gaming start on the federal level, the clause that forced tribal governments to get state approval prior to getting a gaming license placed tribes under the direct control of state governments. This was a horrifying thought to most tribal leaders even 25 years ago.

If labor unions gain a foothold on tribal lands and if tribes continue to join organizations that place them under even tighter control of counties or cities, they will have completed the �hat trick� that will eventually totally diminish their imagined status as sovereign nations.

The colonization of the Indian nations that started with the incursion of the settlers and the formation of new governments outside of tribal governments followed by the religious and educational immersion intended to mold minds has, for the most part, been a resounding success."

Get the Story:
Tim Giago: The 'domino effect' in Indian Country (The Native American Times 8/7)

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