" While some tribes are getting rich off gambling, an "Indian tribal Appalachia" has grown up among rural tribes that do not operate casinos, according to a member of Montana's Blackfeet Tribe and former top U.S. Interior Dept. official.

"Once we have a new administration, the federal government must work out a way to help tribes not benefiting from Indian gaming," said Forrest Gerard, who served as the first Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs.

Gerard said the poorest tribes are located in Northern Tier states, where population centers are few and far between.

Gerard and Dr. Abe Bergman, longtime chief of pediatrics at Harborview Hospital, were honored Wednesday with the Henry M. Jackson Award for Distinguished Public Service.

The award is presented annually by Henry M. Jackson Foundation, which makes grants to non-profit organizations and educational institutions in the U.S. and Russia, in honor of the longtime (1952-1983) U.S. Senator from Washington.

The awards can be said to honor government at its best."

Get the Story:
Strange Bedfellows: "Indian Tribal Appalachia" (The Seattle Post-Intelligencer 10/15)