WALTER VICKERS
Tribal status is not just about casinosNEARLY 25 YEARS have passed since our tribe, the Nipmuc Nation, began the arduous process of gaining federal recognition by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Back then I worked at Bay State Abrasives, my family was much younger, and our tribe's bid for federal recognition seemed inevitable, if not imminent.
Now I am retired, and much of my time is spent on my duties as chief of the Nipmuc Nation. My daughters are married, and my wife and I have nine grandchildren and a great-grandchild. Yet there still is no decision from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and a dozen deadlines have come and gone with a decision finally expected today. With official recognition, we will be able to focus on helping our people and neighbors build and sustain better lives. What concerns us is that this bid has somehow become totally about casino gaming. Paying attention to the potential gaming aspect of federal recognition is legitimate. The two casinos in Connecticut are tribe-based, and the attorney general in that state is practically making a public career out of challenging Native American tribes in their recognition efforts because of gaming. While gambling in earlier years had a less savory image, casinos have long since been transformed into entertainment venues with theater, music, and entertainment for entire families. It is somewhat ironic that a Native American casino here is controversial given the fact that legalized gambling last year produced $750 million in local aid to the state's 351 cities and towns thanks to the Massachusetts State Lottery. But the main point is that regardless of what our tribe does upon recognition, it will never be all about gaming. Are we looking at developing a gaming destination resort if we win recognition? Yes, but what happens much more quickly for us is that we become eligible as a tribe for an array of federal programs that are not available to us without recognition. We would have access to agricultural programs, defense contracts, educational grants, and scholarships and housing programs. Recognition is also an affirmation from the US government that our people have rights that were denied to our ancestors. To understand the federal recognition process and the benefits it extends requires a deeper understanding of tribal history and the legacy that Native Americans endured on their own land. Our tribe was no different and in many cases was treated more harshly than other tribes throughout history. Our ancestors were marched from their lands to Deer Island by the Colonialists in the winter of 1675, and internment there led to the deaths of between 500 and 1,000 people. Tens of thousands of acres of our land were summarily stolen from our ancestors, leaving our tribe with 3.5 acres in Grafton (out of the 1.8 million original acres) where we maintain, as best we can, a reservation to host tribal activities, powwows, and the like. When we began the federal recognition process in 1980, there was no such thing as "Indian gaming." It wasn't until eight years later that President Reagan signed legislation that allowed Native American tribes to develop casinos under certain conditions. But to become recognized, a tribe must satisfy seven extremely demanding criteria, beginning with the requirement that the tribe has been identified as an American Indian entity continuously since 1900. The criteria regarding genealogy, community, and government involvement are even more difficult to satisfy, and relatively few tribes succeed. Our road has been long and difficult. While we have had to endure obstructions put in our path by those who don't even live in our state or community, we have been fortunate to have the support of legions of elected officials in Massachusetts. Many of our ancestors have gone over to the other side during this journey, but we are a hopeful people, and we continue to witness the birth of new Nipmucs into our community. Regardless of the federal decision, we know who we are, and we will never be less than that.
Walter Vickers, Chief Natachaman, is chief of the Hassanamisco Nipmuc Nation Tribe. © Copyright 2004 Globe Newspaper Company.
|
