Tribal gaming - Assignment Example

Tribal Gaming Q How were reservations economies systematically underdeveloped? How did tribal communities manage to maintain cultural values and practices and instill them in modern tribal nations? How have tribal gaming investments reflected underlying cultural values? In the absence of tribal gaming, reservations can still be effective in terms of reducing the rate of poverty, decreasing the rate of unemployment, and increasing the tribal’s income (Spilde and Taylor). However, reservations economies are systematically underdeveloped because most of them are located in poor regions of a country (Spilde and Taylor).

Due to their limited resources, income and ready access to nearby markets, most of the reservations economies remain underdeveloped. Tribal gaming strategies are commonly used to gradually improve their overall socio-economic conditions of each tribe (i.e. improved literacy rate, better access to education, higher employment rates and higher income, etc.) (Marks and Spilde-Contreras). To ensure that tribal communities are able to maintain their cultural values and practices despite the process of economic modernization, most of the tribal governments are creating a framework that aims to strengthen the cultural background, education, and identity of the tribal nations (Spilde) Through the use of cultural revitalization strategies, it is possible to preserve or maintain the cultural values and practices of the all tribal communities without the need to adversely affect their economic growth (Spilde and Taylor).

The tribal gaming investments reflected the underlying cultural values of the tribal people because of its “spillover effects” (Spilde). Since people living in tribal lands are socially and economically benefiting from tribal gaming investments, there is a strong possibility wherein cultural values and beliefs of tribal people on gaming can be altered accordingly. It means that some people from the tribes could accept gambling as something that is normal. Q.2 How did tribal governments overall cultural practices, values, and beliefs about wealth effect their economic development?

Why were tribes willing to push the limit of political and economic rights of tribal sovereignty? The tribal governments’ decision to regulate the tribal gaming industry could undermine, weaken, or change the tribe’s previous economic development and that each tribal government has the right to decide on how they will employ tribal gaming based on their individual culture, political and economic situation (Spilde and Taylor). In case a tribe’s culture is against gambling, the tribe government can anytime refuse to approve tribal gaming investments in their tribal land.

Thus, affecting their overall economic development. Tribal sovereignty is all about the rights of each tribe to rule and manage their own political, social and economic development. And as a common knowledge, the mere act of preserving tribal sovereignty is an important part of a tribal’s social and economic development (Wakeling, Jorgensen and Michaelson). Most tribes are located in poor regions of a country. Therefore, one of the main reasons why most tribes are willing to push the limit of their political and economic rights on tribal sovereignty is because of the need to maintain federal-tribal relationship when managing and regulating the tribal gaming industry. Q.3 What is the importance of tribal language recovery for tribal communities?

Tribal culture is anything that refers to their customs, traditions, beliefs, the use of their native or indigenous language (dialect) and so many more (Robinson ; Vidyarthi and Rai 167). In fact, language tells us something about our own identity (Robinson). Since language is a significant part of culture, the process of promoting tribal language recovery in tribal communities is very important. In doing so, it is possible to preserve the tribal culture despite the presence of tribal gaming industry within a tribal community.

Total Number of Words: 516 References Marks, Mindy and Kate Spilde-Contreras. "Lands of Opportunity: Social and Economic Effects of Tribal Gaming on Localities. Policy Matters. Vol. 1, No. 4, pp. 1-11." 2007. Web. 26 February 2015 . Robinson, Gary. "Ancestral Languages Heard Again. The revitalization of Californias Tribal Languages." 2011. 26 February 2015 . Spilde, Katerine A. "25 years after IGRA. Tribal Government Gaming." 2013. Web. 26 February 2015 . Spilde, Katherine and Johnathan B. Taylor.

"Economic Evidence on the Effects of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act on Indians and Non-Indians. UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal. 17(1): 13-30." 2013. Web. 26 February 2015 . Vidyarthi, L.P. and B.K. Rai. The Tribal Culture of India. New Delhi: Concept Publishing Company, 1976. Print. Wakeling, Stewart, et al. "Policing on American Indian Reservations." July 2001. Web. 26 February 2015 .