Games of Chance: Gambling and Land Tenure in Tracks, Love Medicine, and The Bingo Palace

N o r v a l M orr isseau . T H E S T O R Y T E L L E R . 1981. A cr y lic o n can v as. 50 1/2" x 37 1/2". “A s th e years w en t by, I u n d er sto o d th e tr u th o f th e w ords o f m y gran d fath er P o tan . So I listen ed to h is m an y stor ies an d t o ou r legen d s an d an cestr al b eliefs as th ey w ere to ld to m e by th e w ise m en o f th e O jib w a. I w rote som e o f th e m d ow n o n paper , an d I drew an d p ain t e d th em as b e st I co u ld fo r th e O jib w a an d for all th e ch ild r en o f ou r w h ite b r oth ers to see ” (fro m N o rv al M o rrisse au : T rav els to the H o u se o f In v en tion 10 2 ). Games o f C hance: G am bling a n d L an d T e n u re in Tr a c k s, L o v e Me d i c i n e , a n d Th e Bin g o Pa l a c e K r i s t a n S a r v e - G o r h a m H ist o r ic a lly , g a m e s o f c h a n c e h a v e flo u r ish e d in n u m e r o u s A m e r ic a n I n d ia n so c ie t ie s. N o t o n ly d o g a m b le r s fr e q u e n t ly figu r e in n a t iv e m y t h s, b u t g a m in g p r a c t ic e s o c c u r in b o t h c e r e m o n ia l a n d se c u la r c o n t e x t s ( C u lin 3 2 - 3 4 ) . I n c o n t e m p o r a r y A m e r ic a , h o w e v e r , t h e A m e r ic a n I n d ia n a p p r o a c h t o g a m b lin g , as w e ll a s t h e st a k e s, h a v e c h a n g e d , p r o fo u n d ly a ffe c t in g I n d ia n n a t io n s a s d e b a t e s o v e r t h e r o le o f g a m b lin g h a v e d iv id e d t r ib e s a n d c o m m u n it ie s. A lo n g w it h A m e r ic a n I n d ia n w r it e r s su c h a s L e slie M a r m o n Silk o , L o u is O w e n s, a n d G e r a ld V iz e n o r , L o u ise E r d r ic h in c o r p o r a t e s m o t ifs o f g a...