All That Glitters . . . The Rise of American Indian Tribes in State Political Behavior

Abstract

Within the last twenty years legalized gambling on American Indian reservations has become a major source of economic development for many tribes and nations. What is not well known is that a concomitant level of political power has manifested itself as Native Americans seek to preserve their recent economic gains. As a result of this development, Indian tribes and nations have engaged in a form of venue shopping that moves the political conflict over gaming from the courtroom to the statehouse. Recent evidence shows that when defending their gaming activities, American Indian tribes are behaving less like nations in a dispute with states in a federal context and more like organized interests seeking to influence state policy makers. Catalyzed by the substantial economic gains at stake in gaming, tribes are seeking access to non-Indian political institutions, such as state governments, as never before. Increasingly, tribal leaders are adopting interest-group behavior and employing sophisticated political strategies to gain access to the very institutions (state legislatures) that ultimately decide gaming issues. A recent multimillion-dollar lobbying scandal involving at least six Indian tribes from across the country highlights the stakes and importance of political influence for tribes. Several tribes, including the Tigua Indians of Texas, utilized Washington lobbyists to facilitate millions in tribal donations to important members of Congress. According to the investigation few of the donations reached their intended target.1 It appears tribes are having more success at the state level.