The New Politics of Indian Gaming: The Rise of Reservation Interest Groups

Chapter 3: Reservation Gaming: A Catalyst for Self-Governance for the Tribes in Arizona

chapter 3 Reservation Gaming A Catalyst for Self-Governance for the Tribes in Arizona t. joy clay, diane wilde, and rodney e. stanley 57 arizona contains the sixth largest Indigenous population of all states, totaling more than 256,000 according to the U.s. Census Bureau (2007). arizona ’s first Indian gaming compacts were formalized in 1992 as a result of the passage of the Indian Gaming Regulatory act (igra). Out of twentytwo federally recognized tribes in arizona, the National Indian Gaming Commission has granted gaming rights to fifteen tribes for the operation of twenty-two casinos in the state, including the ak-Chin Indian Community , Cocopah Indian Tribe, Colorado River Indian Tribes, Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, Fort Mojave Indian Tribe, Gila River Indian Community , Pascua Yaqui Tribe of arizona, Quechan Indian Tribe, salt River-Pima Indian Community, san Carlos apache Tribe, Tohono O’odham Nation, Tonto apache Tribe, White Mountain apache Tribe, Yavapai-apache Nation, and Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe. surprisingly, the Navajo Nation has rejected gambling in referenda for fear that it would undermine the cultural integrity of their community. There are also six other nongaming reservations. as tribal revenue, and control over this revenue, increases as a 58 t h e n e w p o l i t i c s o f i n d i a n g a m i n g result of reservation gaming, the gaming tribes are experiencing increased self-governance and a decreasing reliance on social welfare programs administered solely by the state. This research strives to determine the effects of Indian gaming revenue on tribal self-governance, political behavior, and economic development in the state of arizona by examining several important indicators—political campaign contributions, poverty levels, educational achievement, and number of housing units. This chapter begins with a review of existing literature discussing the impacts of reservation gaming. While there are several works on the benefits reaped by Indigenous populations in the United states as a whole, the academic literature on the impact of reservation gaming on tribal self-enfranchisement and social policies is sorely lacking for the state of arizona. arizona gaming a number of studies have been conducted on the economic development of Indigenous populations as a whole for the entire United states as a result of the authorization of reservation gaming. Using thirty indicators of economic and social health, Taylor et al. (2000) reported that Indian casinos were responsible for statistically significant socioeconomic benefits for surrounding communities. Taylor and Kalt (2005) examined socioeconomic changes between the 1990 and 2000 censuses for both gaming and nongaming reservations. “although substantial gaps remain between america’s Native population and the rest of the U.s., rapid economic development is taking place” (Taylor and Kalt 2005, i). These authors found that per capita income rose by 36 percent, family poverty rates dropped by almost 12 percent , unemployment rates dropped by almost 5 percent, public assistance decreased by almost 2 percent, and college graduates increased by almost 3 percent from 1990 to 2000 on gaming reservations. The authors surmise that while the policy of tribal self-governance is driving the socioeconomic changes, gaming revenue is fueling this self-governance. Cornell et al. (1998) discussed the socioeconomic effects of First Nations gaming policy in their report to the National Gambling Impact study Commission (ngisc) (ngisc 1999). They focus on the “shift to a policy of tribal self-determination” (Cornell et al. 1998, ii) initiated in the mid-1970s as the federal government began to grant First Nations “enhanced decision- r e s e r v a t i o n g a m i n g i n a r i z o n a 59 making power over reservation affairs, more complete control over their governments, and more secure property rights to reservation assets” (Cornell et al. 1998, ii). This policy of self-determination is responsible for an increase in sustained economic development success on reservations, with its most “controversial expression” found in the operation of tribal casinos based on tribal sovereignty. Cornell et al. (1998) present statistics on pre-gaming economic conditions in Indian Country in comparison to post-gaming economic conditions. Prior to the introduction of Class III gaming, Indian families lived below poverty at three times the national average, earned less than two-thirds the incomes of non-Indian families, and approximately 90,000 american Indians were homeless. The authors claim that without the...