Al Jazeera: Navajo Nation puts tribal people to work at casinos

On the southwestern corner of the Navajo reservation, Twin Arrows Casino Resort towers over the empty Arizona desert, its lurid neon lights drawing travellers from the historic Route 66 highway to its bright Las Vegas-style gaming floors.

Crossing through the arid plains of western Texas into New Mexico and Arizona, the path of the famous US roadway is punctuated by Native American-operated casinos.

"These casinos are about creating jobs, about sourcing Navajo products and building our economy," said Geri Camarillo, media representative at Twin Arrows Casino. "But it's more than that. For most [non-native] people, casinos are the only indication they have entered unto sovereign native lands."

Anxiety about the affects of casinos was expressed for years, and was a primary reason behind the Navajo Council's rejection of opening such establishments.

However, the profitability and largely positive impact of casinos on the nearby tribes compelled the 200,000-plus members of the Navajo nation to begin gaming.

Today, the four Navajo casinos employ more than 1,500 people, 90 percent of whom are Navajo. "It has enormous support from the community. It's the largest job initiative not only in Navajo nation but in all of Arizona," said Ken Johnson, players club manager at Twin Arrows.

Other means of economic development include the sourcing of products from the Navajo reservation.