San Manuel Band of Mission Indians

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San Manuel Band of Mission Indians
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General Overview

• The 200-member tribe.
• The bingo hall opened in 1986 and the casino
  opened in 1994, with an expansion in Jan. 28
• The tribe spent nearly 300 million on the
  330,000-square-foot expansion that added 45 table
  games and maxed out at 2,000 slot machines under
  its compact with the state.
• The tribe's reservation is situated in the in the
  foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains, just
  north of the city of Highland and spans about 740
  acres.
• The tribe is also known as "Serrano," a Spanish
  name that literally means "mountaineer."
• Employs 1,500 people and is one of the largest
  businesses in the area of the state that is known
  as the "Inland Empire".

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Indian gaming as new buffalo

• a source of economic and social survival to
  todays tribes.
• The National Gaming Impact Study Commission has
  stated that no economic development other than
  gaming has been found.
• California has 108 federally recognized tribes,
  with 54 applying for federal recognition. But 50
  tribes have casinos producing net profits of 6
  Billion.

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Impact of Gaming

• The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, owners of
  the Spirit Mountain Casino in Oregon, was able to
  buy back more than 9,000 acres of original
  reservation land from profits form its casino.
• Since 2000, when California voters granted Native
  American tribes the exclusive right to offer Las
  Vegas-style gambling, each of the 153 members of
  the Santa Ynez band has received more than 1
  million in casino income.

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Federal Regulation

• Tribes not obligated under federal and state law
  to give directly to the surrounding local
  community to mitigate any casino impact, it is
  legally obligated to contribute to both the
  Revenue Sharing Trust Fund and the Special
  Distribution Trust Fund.
• The Revenue Sharing Trust Fund states that each
  tribe in CA that does not hold a gaming compact,
  and so does not engage in casino activites, is to
  receive 1.1 million per year.
• The Special Distribution Trust Fund, requires all
  tribes with casinos to contribute a percentage of
  their annual income to a fund to be distributed
  by the state for gambling related compensation
  such as offset governmental agencies costs
  relating to fire, police, sewage, roads and other
  related services.
• According to IGRA, a significant amount of gaming
  revenues, 70 percent, must be reinvested in
  community infrastructure and support.

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2004 National Indian Gaming Association Economic
Impact Study.
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(No Transcript)
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Downside of Indian Gaming

• Gambling revenue has not trickled down to most
  Native Americans. Of the roughly 45,000 enrolled
  members of the state's recognized tribes, more
  than 6,000 belong to two tribes, the Hoopa Valley
  and Yurok in Northern California. Hoopa Valley,
  which struggles with 40 unemployment, has fewer
  than 350 machines- Indian Country Today
• Only 2-3 of tribes with casinos are highly
  successful.

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Political Power

• ''Ten years ago, when they went to Sacramento,
  legislators wouldn't even see them. Now
  legislators fly down to the reservations and beg
  to be seen. It's the money. And money talks,
  clearly.' San Manuel Representative
• The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, is the
  fourth- largest tribal donor in the country to
  federal candidates and parties, giving 211,000
  in 2003.
• San Manuel help fund 30 Million dollar for
  Proposition 90 Initiative (The new compacts would
  run for 99 years allowing unshackled growth of
  gambling on tribal lands and give the tribes
  absolute freedom from competition from non-Indian
  casino interests. The tribes, in exchange, would
  start paying the state's standard corporate tax
  rate, currently 8.84 percent, on net winnings).
• Indian gaming interests gave 65 percent to
  Democrats in the last two years, compared to 79
  percent in the 2000 election cycle- Center for
  Responsive Politics.

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• Todays California Indian Political Power, stems
  from Pala Compact.
• The dissenting tribal governments formed a
  coalition and decided to appeal to California
  voters in a statewide initiative for more
  favorable and respectful compact terms. Many
  California Indian tribes did not believe that
  Governor Wilson's administration would ever
  negotiate an acceptable compact.
• Surveys showed that about 65 percent of the
  California general public had favorable opinions
  of Indian gaming, and the tribes hoped to use
  their positive image to gain approval of a much
  more satisfactory compact with the state.

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Public Image

• Philanthropy gifts of 5.5 million. In addition,
  the San Manuel Band has already given millions of
  dollars to support local programs including
  California State University at San Bernardino,
  the San Bernardino Fire Department and the
  Lighthouse for the Blind, to name a few.
• Between 1999 and 2002, Indian contributions
  exceeded 42 million dollars.

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Greed

• 1990s, there were 4 full blood Native people and
  146 mixed blood San Manuel members.
• 2000s, there were 25 full blood and 80 mixed
  blood San Manuel members. 2004 NIGA Economic
  Impact report
• Its simplistic to attribute membership disputes
  exclusively to casino-fueled greed. Some tribes
  may be legitimately trying to define their
  historical heritage. Others are playing out old
  family feuds or settling ancient scores.

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Citation

• Carole Goldberg and Duane Champagne. Ramona
  Redeeme The Rise of Indian Political Power.
  http//muse.jhu.edu/journals/wicazo_sa_review/v017
  /17.1goldberg.html.
• Oklahoma Indian Times. San Manuel Political
  Contributions. Oct 27, 2004. http//proquest.umi.c
  om/pqdlink?index24did773182651SrchMode1sid3
  Fmt3VInstPRODVTypePQDRQT309VNamePQDTS1
  117494281clientId1568
• Tribune. Political Contributions. October 20.
  3004. http//proquest.umi.com/pqdlink?did75564097
  1sid3Fmt3clientId1568RQT309VNamePQD
• Smith, Eve Darian. New Capitallists Law,
  Politics, and Identity Surrounding Casino Gaming
  on Native American Land. Dec 2002.
• National Indian Gaming Study. 2004.
  http//www.indiangaming.org/NIGA_econ_impact_2004.
  pdf
• JONATHAN B. TAYLOR and JOSEPH P. KALT. American
  Indians on ReservationsA Databook of
  Socioeconomic Change Between the 1990 and 2000
  Censuses. http//www.indiangaming.org/info/pr/data
  book/Databook-HPAIED_Gaming_Study.pdf