Tribes Promise to Non-Gambling Tribes – We Will Keep Sharing

California tribal leaders vowed yesterday to make sure the state's poor tribes get their share of Indian gambling profits in spite of critics' warnings to the contrary.

The chairman of the California Nations Indian Gaming Association, which is holding its annual conference in Palm Springs, said he is confident the tribes will continue to get the full amount.

"Even in negotiations, tribes were adamant to keep" the money coming, said Anthony Miranda, who also is a member of the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians near Temecula. "We'll still continue to do that."

Although the new agreements end payments to a fund that has previously helped supplement the gambling-profits checks the poor tribes receive, gaming-tribe leaders said they will work with the Legislature to see that the poor tribes continue to receive their full checks, with any shortfall coming from the general fund.

That pledge has some non-gaming tribe leaders nervous, given the competing demands for money from the state's general fund in a tight budget year and economic downturn.

Nelson Pinola, chairman of the Manchester-Point Arena Band of Pomo Indians in Mendocino County, said Agua Caliente Chairman Richard Milanovich promised Wednesday to work with state lawmakers to get the money for the poor tribes. Pinola said he takes Milanovich at his word but remains worried.

"We're just tribes, and we would like for the Legislature to work this out," said Pinola, who campaigned against the four casino deals because of his concerns. "However, if he can't get the legislative folks to agree to this, we will be left out in the cold."

Pinola, whose Mendocino County tribe doesn't have a casino, said he has 1,000 members who struggle with housing shortages, electricity and heating problems and other poverty issues. His people rely on that $1.1 million every year, he said. Homes are overcrowded, with some family members sleeping on the floor, he said.

Pinola's tribe is a member of the California Nations Indian Gaming Association and is attending the association's Western Indian Gaming Conference.

Pinola spoke out extensively in recent weeks against the four casino-expansion deals and was hired by the opposition campaign. Although he was criticized for it, Pinola said he would do it again. He said, however, that he never meant to hurt any fellow tribal leaders and hopes to mend the splintered relationships.

Milanovich said it was painful to hear tribes attacking other tribes, calling the opposition campaign "liars" for saying poor tribes wouldn't continue to get their full payments under the new deals.

"This campaign brought a lot of sadness, a lot of heartache," Milanovich said, adding that his people want to help the tribes in need. "We intend to do what we can to assist."

Also at the conference, referring to the recent ballot measures, Agua Caliente chairman Richard Milanovich said. “This campaign brought a lot of heartache and sadness to the four tribes and to tribes across the country."

“Why did so much poison dominate the news media?” he asked, referring to the contentious opposition campaign led by Las Vegas interests, Unite HERE and two Indian gaming tribes in California.

“How do you fight that?” he said rhetorically before over 150 people in the audience. “You fight it with truth.”

Anthony Miranda, chairman of California Nations Indian Gaming Association, said the campaign by competing gaming interests mirrored strategy by the U.S. Calvary to decimate Indian people.

“Their plan was to confuse, mislead and worst of all to pit Indian against Indian,’’ he said.

It was not about gaming compacts, he said. “It was about taking away the right of each tribal government to negotiate a gaming compact on a government-to-government basis.”

The message hit the nail on the head, said Greg Maestas, a Las Vegas-based consultant and member of the Jicarilla Apache Nation in New Mexico.

“It’s always been the policy to pit Indians against Indians” in campaigns involving Indian gaming, he observed, particularly when Las Vegas and horse racing interests jockeying for slot machines are involved.

But Nelson Pinola, chairman of Manchester Point Arena Band of Pomo Indians, which did not back the referenda, said his tribe was not confused or misled.

It had genuine concern about having a legal mechanism in place to ensure that Revenue Sharing Trust funds continue to flow to non-gaming tribes, Pinola said.
This issue polarized tribes across the state, he said.

As mentioned above, the gaming Tribes have said they will continue to send donations to non-gaming tribes, and press lawmakers for state action to keep this trust fund back-filled, if revenues fall short.

CNIGA is also laying the groundwork to make this a reality, he said.
“We are willing to do something about it,’’ Milanovich said.

To that, Milanovich said the campaign also showed that solidarity through CNIGA helped the most recent push to expand Indian gaming to prevail.

“This is one fight,’’ he said. “There will be others.”

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