From what I see there is plenty of room at Akwesasne for private and communally owned businesses, especially in the hotel industry. And what good is our casino if the only ones to benefit are only the wealthiest of us at Akwesasne? The very few who can afford to undertake the massive investments needed to expand or create the infrastructure of a new business?

The last time I checked this was still the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe and the casino and its ancillary businesses are to benefit Tribal members not the few wealthy families that live here and have undertaken the paradigm of American capitalism. The problem with American capitalism is that it requires an American form of government to succeed and the last time I checked, the American paradigm is still something to not trust. And there are many examples of how that paradigm has even failed American citizens, The Madoff, the Wall St. and Abramoff scandals being the most recent among them.

This is not the Tarbell Management Tribe; this is the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe. And as always, this is just one man’s opinion.

Raymond Wahnihtiio Cook is a Mohawk Nation citizen, Marine Corps vet 75-77. He is a co-founder of the Native American Journalist Association, former typesetter and layout producer for Akwesasne Notes, co-founder of the Indian Time newspaper, founder of Akwesasne Freedom Radio, co-founder of the Associated Indigenous Communications. He serves as an audio producer for Indigenous People’s Network, associate editor of the Northeast Indian Quarterly, and op-ed editor for Indian Country Today Media Network.

Ray Cook: Plenty of room for St. Regis Mohawk gaming expansion