The recent opinion by White Earth Chair Erma J. Vizenor responding to the misinformation presented by fellow chairs Jourdain and LaRose, on behalf of MIGA, raises questions needing to be addressed.

Vizenor finally acknowledged what most of us Anishinaabeg have known for years: Casinos have not delivered the “good life” for us all as they were supposedly intended.

While Vizenor addressed poverty, Jourdain and LaRose completely ignored the unemployment creating these disparities. If not for racism, how does one explain the massive unemployment, six to 10 times that of surrounding communities, plaguing our reservations and urban communities? It is clear that some of the main perpetrators of this systematic racism are our own tribal leaders.

Gaming has led to tremendous debt and poverty wage jobs in unhealthy work environments that contribute to the health issues of its workers. Again, this was ignored by chairs Vizenor, Jourdain and LaRose, and more than likely by the other chairs of the MCT due to their special interests with those that refuse to regard our actual needs.

FULL ARTICLE: Questions on American Indian poverty must be addressed | Bemidji Pioneer | Bemidji, Minnesota.