— John Tahsuda , Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary , U . S . Department of the Interior dictated by advocates for more state control , whether it ’ s in the sportsbetting arena or whatever the next policy discussion is down the pike . Or it could be driven by folks who understand — just as folks who understood the Meriam Report understood — that self-control , self-regulation and empowerment of tribal nations to truly exercise their sovereignty can govern a successful path forward , not just for Native nations , but for the American public as a whole .”
Part of that goal will be to tackle the myth of the “ rich Indian ,” says Stevens . In reality , he says , “ The ‘ rich Indian ’ is the one who can go to the museum and get the real story , who can go to local tribal facilities and learn about their culture and their language , and go to language class and learn how to make their own tribal regalia .
“ That ’ s the wealth . Our culture and our religion are things that are very important to us .” www . tribalgovernmentgaming . com 29