"All my life my family has instilled in me the value of sharing, and I've always believed that sharing is a core cultural value of my Native-American people. `Be generous, not greedy,' I was taught. But apparently for some tribes with big casinos, these long-cherished beliefs are fading, and the lure of wealth is pitting Native Americans against one another.

For a Native American, your tribe is your heritage, your culture, your identity and often provides the foundation for your political and religious beliefs. It used to be tribes were very inclusive when it came to acceptance of others, taking care of our own and showing generosity to those in need. It used to be that tribes needed every single member they could find. There's no doubt that some tribes are now benefiting from the cash generated by casinos, but to me it's not worth the price of discarding their relatives."

Get the Story:
Harlan McKosato: Gaming Changes Native American Tribes (National Public Radio 5/20)

Relevant Links:
Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians - http://www.pechanga.com
Pechanga Tribal Disenrollment - http://www.pechanga.info
Bureau-of-Indian-Affairs.com, Disenrollment site - http://www.bureau-of-indian-affairs.com

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