Opinion: The fourth war with the Seminole Tribe

Monday, July 21, 2008  

"The United States won the third and final Seminole War, which ended in 1858. Ah, but the Fourth Seminole War now being fought in Florida? The tribe is winning, and despite the method of warfare, the outcome seems fair.

The fourth war is over the Seminole Tribe of Florida's fight to have the most lucrative casinos in the state. And the tribe is holding all the cards. Why is this fair? Start with the Indian Wars, which lasted for almost a century into the mid-1880s. Among the many tribes routed from their land was the Seminoles. After they lost to the Army, most tribal members were driven west as part of the Trail of Tears. The Seminoles who remained hid out in the South Florida wilderness.

In 1979, descendants of those survivors began running bingo games on their reservation west of Hollywood. In 1976 and 1984, Florida voters defeated efforts to establish casino gambling on state land. Aside from bingo, betting meant horse and dog tracks and jai-alai frontons.

But then came 1988 and the Indian Gaming Regulation Act. The law allowed recognized Native American tribes to have gambling in any state that allowed it in any form. It was the first shot in the Fourth Seminole War."

Get the Story:
Randy Schultz: Seminoles up the ante in latest 'war' (The Palm Beach Post 7/20)