Someone commented on one of Rippa's blogs about how us Native Americans (Indians) are lucky we have casinos, that all their people got was addictions.
I wasn't offended, I see the point they want to make. We do have a casino. It's called Prairie Wind Casino and here is the link.
It started from 3 double wides back in 1994. I really didn't live here back then, so I can't tell you the history but I am sure it is in the link.
I lived amongst a tribe who gets a ton of money per month per member, just for being Indian.
I worked for them, at their casino, for their tribe, and I sold them beadwork. I made friends there and still have friends there.
Some of my friends from there have passed on. Some are paralyzed, they were young and had money and lived too fast. Some weren't even from that tribe but died young by association or by just plain youthful ignorance. I feel lucky that my brother, though he hung around them never got caught up in the same tragedies.
He used his head.
Being from the second poorest county in the United States with staggering statistics that compare to Haiti doesn't mean we escaped any kind of "living life too fast" lifestyle.
I have friends that are long gone from here too...I am sure everyone does.
The casino here doesn't kick back any money back to the people. If they do, I don't know where it goes. Tribal politics to me is the same as it was when I left. Same group of people getting in and staying for two years to not really make any changes.
If I ran for tribal president, I wouldn't hire any relatives, give everyone a block of cheese, public transportation, (because this rez is larger than Deleware and Rhode Island combined) make alcohol legal, (use that money for treatment programs), use the casino money for education, start a recycling program, make long term jailers pick trash, and give every household two puppies for wahanpi.
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