Wyoming experts discuss Indian sovereignty, gaming

Becky Bohrer

Friday, Oct. 20, 2000 | 9:12 a.m.

CODY, Wyo. - American Indians' struggle for sovereignty continues, with tensions from ongoing disputes over land and resource rights being brought to a head by the wild success of tribal casinos, a panel on Indian rights said Thursday.

State governments want to share in the growing industry, which generated about $9.7 billion for tribes last year, said Kevin Washburn, general counsel for the National Indian Gaming Commission.

Some states have entered gaming compacts with tribes that include revenue sharing provisions, he told a small group at the Frontier Justice Symposium. The agreements also address such issues as criminal jurisdiction.

The courts and federal government have allowed states to have jurisdiction and say in certain matters on reservations, building tension, said Susan Williams, an attorney from New Mexico who has largely represented Indian interests. Casinos have generated so much conflict because there's so much at stake, she said.

Non-Indians also are eager to tap into the industry and have begun lobbying for more relaxed state restrictions on gaming operations, Washburn said.

This could erode revenue made by tribes. And if the public's attitude about gaming changes, it could force states to entirely ban the activity, which also would affect tribes, he said.

While Indian gaming is widespread, particularly across the West, its revenues are not.

"A few tribes are very high profile because they're successful, but that leaves other tribes still slugging away to do what they can with what little they have," Washburn said, noting that the poverty rate among Indians is one of the highest in the nation.

About one-third of the tribes in this country - 198 - have gaming, he said, and a small number make a large portion of that annual revenue. There has been great success by tribes in Connecticut and California, where some experts believe the industry will grow as large as that in the rest of the nation, he said.

Money generated is often used for basic services, such as education, housing and roads, Washburn said. A more controversial use is per capita distributions to members, which occurs among a "handful" of successful tribes, he said.

She said she believes that officials are working together to accomplish more for the common good. But there still needs to be a better understanding of the different governments and cultures, she said.

The three-day symposium focuses on issues with roots in the frontier days that are still important today, said Bob Pickering of the Buffalo Bill Historical Center, where the forum was being held.