[Guest]

Many American Indian tribes count on money-losing casino gamblers to generate most of the income for their members. The Southern Ute tribe, whose 700,000-acre reservation here in the San Juan Basin sits on one of the world’s richest deposits of methane found in coal seams, is a lot luckier.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/24/business/24tribe.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin

 

[longshadowfarms]

What a great story! Unfortunate that some people can't be happy for them. Sounds like they have done an awesome job of ensuring that it benefits the tribe - gives a hand up, not a hand out.

 

[Guest]

I found it inspiring, too. I also was angry at how hard they had to fight to get what was rightfully theiirs that was being denied them.

 

[Shinsan]

It's great that they are reclaiming what is rightfully theirs. How many times have the Native Americans been dispossed of all they own by the tearing up of treaties, simply to satisfy the greed of the whiteman. (A scenerio that has been repeated in many other countries unfortunately.)

 

[fordy]

...................The interior dept. has mismanaged and and can't account for billions of dollars of revenue received from oil\gas\coal extraction for years . I've always believed that the officials incharge of leasing and monitoring the extraction of minerals from reservations were in Cahoots with the oil companies . I was just through that area back in May and there is lots of economic activity occuring. Lots of indian folks about which is kinda different because their facial features are so unique because I'm so use to seeing the mexican folks hereabouts . The country up there is so beautiful and unique and the distances twixt towns is so much greater than here in texas . , fordy

 

[patnewmex]

My husband and I call Casino's "Revenge on the White Man!" and are happy that they are indeed getting the best revenge possible. People who gamble are never forced to do so. Now I'll go read the article.

Pat