Intergovernmental Relations and Native American Gaming

Abstract

Models of intergovernmental relations (IGR) are consistently built around the triumvirate of national, state, and local governments. Lacking in various conceptualizations is due consideration for the hundreds of tribal governments found scattered throughout the United States. Although the status of Indians in the U.S. federal system has always been something of an enigma, the emergence of Indian gaming, and its associated high economic and political stakes, suggests it is time to incorporate tribal governments into the IGR framework. This article takes a step in this theoretical direction by examining how Indian gaming reflects the many distinctive features that define the meaning of IGR. Specifically, this article looks at the Indian gaming experience of one state—New Mexico—as a case study to illustrate the legal, human, and policy elements of what might be viewed as representing the emergence of a new intergovernmental partner.