Tribal Leader Roundtable

Three tribal leaders share how gaming revenues have benefited their tribe and community; goals and initiatives; and legislative/political issues of concern. Here...

Our goal is to generate revenue through gaming enterprises to support tribal growth, create job opportunities, and improve the overall economic well-being of tribal communities. We also plan to support and create educational initiatives, scholarships, and vocational training programs for tribal members.

This year, we were able to award $500,000 in grants through our Coquille Indian Tribe Community Fund to a variety of organizations throughout our five-county service area. We take pride in being able to provide not only for our members, but for Southern Oregon as a whole.

Going back to the early 1980s when we tribes in Oklahoma first developed high stakes bingo operations, we learned quickly that generating our own revenues through profits from enterprises empowered our tribe to address our priorities as we determine.

This month, three tribal leaders discuss the benefits of gaming revenues for their tribe and the surrounding community; goals and initiatives they...

Doreen Blaker, PresidentKeweenaw Bay Indian CommunityOjibwa Casino Marquette – Marquette, MI; Ojibwa Casino Baraga – Baraga, MIojibwacasino.com / kbic-nsn.gov

Anthony Roberts, ChairmanYocha Dehe Wintun NationCache Creek Casino Resort – Brooks, CAcachecreek.com / yochadehe.gov BENEFITS OF GAMING: Tribal gaming has...

Robert H. Smith, ChairmanPala Band of Mission IndiansPala Casino – Pala, CApalacasino.com / palatribe.com BENEFITS OF GAMING: Gaming revenues have...

The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation’s (MPTN) gaming operations generate significant gaming revenue for our tribal government, which provides essential services to our tribal members and extended community.

The Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas has several short and long-term goals. Economic self-sufficiency by reducing dependency on external resources is extremely high on our list of goals.