Tradition vs. Economic Development

This item is a photocopy of a newspaper sent to María Elena Martínez. The newspaper article details the violence that broke out at Akwesasne, also known as the St.Regis Indian Reservation, in northern New York state and across the Canadian border, after the opening of a casino on the reservation. This conflict may seem like a purely contemporary issue, but this divide in Indian Country goes back to at least the late 18th century. 

As cited in the article, there was Seneca Prophet Handsome Lake who preached to other Haudenosaunee at the beginning of the 19th century about maintaining traditional ways of life and refusing the dangerous ideas and goods brought by European settlers. Handsome Lake was not alone in his ideas, other prophets such as Neolin (Lenape) in the late 18th century and Tenskwatawa (Shaunee) in the early 19th century preached similar ideas across the East Coast. To this day, many Native activists advocate for decolonization and maintaining/revitalizing traditional practices.

 The other side of the conflict, exemplified by Tony Laughing the casino owner from the article, also has roots in at least the early 19th century. Back in 1832, the landmark case Worcester v. Georgia established the basis for modern tribal sovereignty after recognizing that Indian tribes and the US federal government have nation-to-nation relations and therefore the state of Georgia (and any other state) does not have jurisdiction over Indian country. Over a century later, Bryan v. Itasca County (1976) established that states do not have civil jurisdiction on Indian reservations (but still maintain criminal jurisdiction). Not long after two similar court cases, Seminole v. Butterworth (1981) and California v. Cabazon (1986-87), established that states with regulatory, not prohibitive (i.e. criminal), laws about gambling could not regulate Indian gaming. After these rulings, many other federally recognized tribes were emboldened to seek out economic opportunity by entering the gaming industry. The United States federal government later passed the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act in 1988 to provide a more concrete legal framework for these casinos. According to the Indian Gaming Association, as of 2023, there are over 250 federally recognized tribes who participate in the gaming industry.

This article is a snapshot of Indian country at a pivotal moment in Native history and exemplifies the tension between traditionalists and non-traditionalists, as well as how Indian country has navigated and continues to navigate its relationship with the United States and settler-colonialism.