Hopi / ban casinos

In the last few decades, over 300 Native American tribes have voted "yes" to casinos on their reservations and all the money, and problems, they bring. The Hopis, the most culturally-intact of all the tribes, was the first, and only, to say "no." As their website (www.hopi.org) reads: “The Hopi have inhabited the same place for a millennium, far longer than any other people in North America. They are not only the oldest dwellers in this land but are considered by most other Indians to have a wisdom, a knowledge of things, beyond average comprehension. Peace-loving and knit tightly together by clan relationships, they are intensely spiritual and fiercely independent. Their religion, deep and all-pervading, is a many stranded cord that unites them to their stark, and beautiful environment.” Their recent rejection of casinos in May was the second time they refused casinos. What is even more amazing is the circumstances under which they said "no." The tribe is in danger of losing $7 million a year, a third of their tribal budget, if they lose royalties from a coal lease. The casinos were expected to add over $20 million a year to this poverty-stricken tribe--a great incentive to say "yes." Also the casino would not have been built near the 11 Hopi villages but rather 80 miles away on tribal land on Interstate 40. It would not have effected their day-to-day life. However, Dawn decided to join with a few others and defeat the casino referendum. She even took students from her school to the tribal council meeting so that they could tell them the reasons why they did not want the casino, much to the dismay of the "pro-gambling" council members. She encountered much resistance but with her father's quiet support ("He was important because it was his teachings that lead me to do what I did."), Dawn persisted. With other supporters, she visited her tribal villages and reasoned with them stressing two main points: 1) Hopi tradition says they are never to benefit from another's weakness, and; 2) Money was never a part of the Hopi society before the whites came. Though now they must use money to pay bills, if permanent large sums are given yearly to the tribe, it will be very destructive. On these two premises alone--not that casinos would bring in organized crime, not that they would destroy the day-to-day Hopi life, not that Hopis would have to look daily at gaudy buidings and traffic--the Hopis, including many young voters, many of who heard our message in the September concerts, overwhelmingly said "NO!" to casinos and their cash flow. The Hopi healing truly has begun! This success sends the message, especially to other Native American tribes, that the centuries of succumbing to the seductive materialism of the dominant culture, at the expense of their culture and land, has weakened, at least in this very important, and prophetic, incident.

This is a very good thing! -Thunderhands