that proposal. Wenona
Lola
Bangor Daily News, Thursday, April 4, 2002
What
are the real issues about casino?
Being
an American Indian woman, indigenous to Maine, it frightens me to be reminded
that Maine is a predominantly white state. In reality and intellectually, I know
this to be true and it forces me to acknowledge how I have chosen to spend my
time, in my own community and interacting with other Indians of Maine.
On
March 11, the state invited the Penobscot and the Passamaquoddy tribes to the
State House to address the state of Indian tribes of Maine. Which leads me to my
questions of the sincerity of such an invitation. If this “historical” day
was intended to break new ground in the relations of the state and the tribes of
Maine then why were the Micmac and Maliseet excluded? I feel the importance of
such a day at the State House for the Penobscots and the Passamaquoddies was
taken away by the media’s focus on the underlying issue of the possibility of
a casino in Maine. And I, too, have an opinion about that proposal.
I
have read the numerous editorials over this issue of the casino and the one that
speaks for itself is the [letter] in the Bangor Daily News, March 9-10, which
cited studies that have been done over casino gambling in comparison to the
state lottery. Studies have shown that the state lotteries target low-income
people; the majority of revenue that comes from the lottery is from the poorest
people of Maine.
Is
this really an issue of morals when the state willingly takes money from the
poor and then blames the victims for their own low socioeconomic status? In the
March 8 BDN, Angus King expressed his strong opposition to a casino in Maine and
I respect that, but I find his convictions, which are not based in reality,
other than his own, problematic. I could easily agree with Gov. King when he
stated that a casino is just a quick fix for Maine Indians’ poor economical
conditions. I also feel that the notion of instant gratification is an American
value we have become accustomed to.
I
agree there are many things that need to be considered, concerning a proposal
for a casino in Maine. I cannot help but see that the prospect of Maine’s
Indian tribes gaining their own economical control is outweighing any amount of
money the state would receive from such a proposal. Money equals power, power
equals control or the lack thereof; isn’t this the real issue?
Speaking
of values, Gov. King had made further statements that a casino would not fit
with Maine’s image. Could someone please tell me how polluted lakes, rivers
and streams fit with Maine’s image, way of life or values for that matter?
If
King is sincerely concerned with Maine’s image and lifestyle then why hasn’t
he done more to support the tribe’s fight for clean water?
More
important, concerning Maine’s Indians, I have found
Gov.
King’s attitude to be the most disturbing. In the same article about the
proposal of an Indian casino, Gov. King said that Maine’s Indians have the
same opportunities as other Mainers do, to work in local area business and to
earn a living like everyone else in Maine. I cannot even begin to express my
discomfort over the fact that a state official would make such a statement. The
governor’s statement, which is representative of the state of Maine, is at the
very least an uninformed one. I am disheartened and taken aback by the attention
King has given to Maine’s Indian issues. Need I remind Mainers that
environmental issues affect all of us, not just the Indians of Maine?
As
for Gov. King’s statement concerning equal opportunities for Indians in Maine,
this is just evidence of his attempts to distance himself from the real issues
that Maine’s Indians face. I question Gov. King and Maine’s sincerity and
integrity as far as Indian issues are concerned. Doesn’t the governor realize
his statement has only directly contributed to the perpetuation of prejudice
against Indians in Maine?
When
one can deny the existence of inequalities and racism in Maine, then we have
seen white privilege in action. It has been through my education that I have
learned that despite the fact that I have beaten the odds in attaining a
secondary education, I will still have to work twice as hard and will never
completely have equal access to the same opportunities as the white citizens of
Maine. That is the reality of the Indians in Maine.
Wenona Lola lives on Indian Island.