"It was a song and dance. Ten head honchos from well-to-do Indian Gaming companies, law firms and architecture businesses, showed up to razzle-dazzle the country bumpkins of Siskiyou County on Feb. 8.

These men tried to explain that Indian Gaming Casinos provides an economic base for Tribes to create a better self-functioning economy.

The problem is that the Alturas Rancheria has only five adult members. The Rancheria already operates a casino in Alturas. But because that casino plays less than 350 slots, the Tribe is also designated as a non-gaming Tribe.

In California, each non-gaming Tribe received $1.1 million last year. With more than a million in non-gaming monies; profit from a casino; and only five members -- the Alturas are not a poor Tribe."

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Opinion on Alturas Indian Rancheria doing off-reservation shopping (The Sierra Times 2/18)