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Media Myths |
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Misrepresentation #6
Myth: "Wealthy Indian gaming tribes suddenly are pouring millions of dollars into political campaigns at both state and federal levels. They’re also influencing gaming and other policies affecting Native Americans by handing out large sums to influential lobbying firms." Reality: Tribes have the right to participate in the political process. American Indians were denied the right to vote from 1776 to 1924 and during this period, Tribes ceded millions of acres of land to build this Nation. In return, the federal Government guaranteed Tribes that it would preserve tribal authority over Indian lands and promote economic development in tribal communities. Without the right to vote tribal governments had no delegate to Congress. As a result, Tribes had no voice to resist the federal policies of the 1800’s, including Allotment and Assimilation, which took millions lives of hundreds of millions of acres of Indian lands. This policy authorized the government to take Indian children from their parents, and place them in boarding schools where they were forbidden to speak their language or practice their religion. Tribes now have a voice. Native Americans were granted U.S. citizenship in 1924, and now vote in federal elections. And Tribes now participate in political process through contributions to federal campaigns, as does every other entity and person in this Nation. Like very other entity, Indian Tribes comply with the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as well as the Campaign Reform Act of 2002. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, who web site is located at www.opensecrets.org, Indian gaming – as an industry – contributed $19 million to federal campaigns during the 2001-02 election cycle. Compare this figure to national contributions of $1.2 billion. By contrast, the entertainment industry spent over $46 million on campaign contributions. AOL-TIME Warner along spend $1.3 million to lobby against federal restrictions to prevent sex and violence on television. |
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