The No on 5 group continues to use generalizations for all of the Native
Americans in California. "If one thing can happen here, then it occurred, or
can occur, over there and we need to control them." This type of reasoning
is part of the Eurocentric ideology towards people of color. The opposition
is taken a modern issue and applying methods the governments and their
ancestors used for controlling Native American Indians. Then, it was land
and today, it's gaming. The connection: both deal with money.
This binary paradigm has always existed between Europeans and Native
American Indians, African-Americans, people from Mexico, Central America,
South America, Asia, Alaska, Hawaii and any other area where the West
encroached. This paradigm intensifies even more when wealthy members of
"mainstream" society fear losing a minute amount of control. Do not dismiss
the backdrop of racism that permeates in the No on 5 side's campaign,
especially with the most recent commercials. At one time in the history of
this country and particularly in California, the settlers from the West
believed that "the only good Indian was a dead Indian." Today, according to
Cathy Christian and the No on 5 group, we are "allocated" to live but only
under Las Vegas and Wilson's guidelines.
Cathy Christian, one of the leaders for No on 5, has a hard time finding
facts. As a lawyer and a lobbyist, according to past articles, she seems to
only expel half-truths and fabrications. In her in dialogue, she sounds like
the governor. She believes that since San Manuel is "tiny," then we don't
need to run a gaming operation because we make too much money. The houses
that No on 5 show are dwellings that tribal members saved for years so they
could build their "dream home," but being Native American Indian means that
one's house must be made out of mud - the traditional way!
On the concept of "tiny," I wonder : How many people own casinos in Las
Vegas? Or own the corporations behind them? Stockholders? Majority stockhold
ers? I am sure it is a small number, but they chose to be a small number. I
don't feel the need to address the reasons why Native American Indians in
California are "tiny" in numbers and in the amount of inutile land. The next
step for Cathy is the very Western notion of "blood quantum." Soon, she will
be saying that we are not Native American Indians at all.
She claims that Prop. 5 will have "virtually no independent regulation."
This is the same attempt to raise a red flag. The state will have ample
access and accountability. What probably agitates Cathy is that Native
American Indians created and agreed to the regulations in Prop. 5. Unlike
the Pala agreement, which only 4 tribes support No on 5 and not 11, where
the state "dictated" their way to interpose tribal rights to govern with one
tribe. Simply stated, the Pala agreement takes a tremendous amount of tribal
governance and gives very little.
Lets look at some statements from Cathy and her commercial's intent:
"...large commercial casinos..."
make "even more money."
"...a fewer rich casino owners richer."
Accusing San Manuel of greed and deception.
Hypocrisy - a feigning (pretend) to be what one is not. Now, Cathy is
accusing San Manuel of rapaciousness and subterfuge. At the start, was it
not Las Vegas trying to hide behind the Coalition Against Unregulated
Gambling and Bad-4-California? Is it not Las Vegas who is building
astronomical casinos? Is this not an attempt to garnish Cathy's pockets?
Isn't No on 5 backed by a "few rich casino owners" trying to maintain and
get "richer?" Was it not Cathy who called the money from Las Vegas
"irrelevant?" Was this not an attempt to downplay Las Vegas intrusion?
I do not see any money from these casinos going to local reservations nor to
other tribes in the state of Nevada. Also, if "Indian Gaming" is so ghastly
for California, then why is Las Vegas involved with operations on
reservations in Arizona and with riverboat casinos? Simple answer: MONEY!
Does Cathy really care about Californians? Not really!
Deron Marquez
San Manuel Band of Mission Indians - Tribal Member (1 in 163)
Graduate Student in the College of Ethnic Studies
San Francisco State University