Cultural vs. Economic Investments of Tribal Casinos in Historical Perspective

This presentation will elaborate how tribal community leaders originally envisioned utilizing gaming revenues to fund cultural investments such as language retention or elders’ programs, and whether they and their fellow community members assigned cultural investments a greater value than economic investments (e.g., infrastructure such as paved roads). Preliminary research suggests that leaders seeking casino or gaming site construction commonly identified cultural investments as an essential element of community development initiatives, and that they could be considered unique from and complementary to economic development initiatives. These and similar acts openly challenged the desires of state officials and national policy makers, who envisioned gaming revenues being utilized almost exclusively for economic development. Why is this line of investigation noteworthy? Notwithstanding the wealth of literature that has been produced in the last two decades confirming improved reservation infrastructure, among other issues, limited time and energy has been directed toward exploring the extent and scope of cultural investments; or elaborating why communities considered economically “poor” persevere (in certain cases) in privileging cultural investments over what outsiders and oftentimes reservation community members would characterize as critical infrastructure projects

First Nations Gaming in Canada: Gauging Past and Ongoing Development

Canada\u27s First Nations gaming industry, now entering its third decade of operations, includes sixteen for-profit casinos operating in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, and Ontario (two charity casinos also operate in Ontario) and eleven Nova Scotia First Nations operating just under six hundred Video Lottery Terminals (VLTs) annually generating approximately one billion dollars gross revenues. Each of these sites was constructed with the goal of generating revenue for economically struggling communities, but in most cases, they quickly became the lightning rod of a complex sovereignty discourse underlined by First Nations claims that they possessed the inherent right to control on-reserve economic development. The greatest complications arose in the early 1990s when the provincial governments in Manitoba and Ontario rebuffed First Nations seeking permission to construct reserve casinos. A convoluted constitutional debate ensued regarding the precise legal responsibility for First Nations. Specifically, first, did the provinces have a legal right to compel First Nations to negotiate formal gambling compacts? and second, could the provinces enter into formal gambling compacts with First Nations? The Canadian courts responded that the provinces were correct in requiring First Nations to negotiate entry into the gambling industry, that the provinces were tasked with providing oversight, and that they could enter into formal compacts with First Nations seeking industry access. Federal officials nevertheless remained uncertain about provincial motives, especially when provincial bureaucrats expressed concern that they would be seen as yielding to race-based rights should casinos be built. The media likewise questioned the suitability of permitting First Nations casino operations. Some First Nations responded by protesting cases (many established what were by provincial standards illegal casinos), while others petitioned the courts to clarify their rights. Others initiated long-term negotiations. Nevertheless, by 1996, First Nations casinos were operating in Saskatchewan (four) and Ontario (one)

First Nations Gaming as a Self-Government Imperative: Ensuring the Health of First Nations Problem Gamblers

At the end of 2008, there were 17 First Nations casinos operating in Canada. Recent statistics confirm that all are money-making enterprises, and that individual First Nations are using the money to improve social programming and augment infrastructure. What has been overlooked to date is local health: specifically, limited funding was set aside in all Province-First Nations gaming agreements to implement problem-gambling treatment programs for on-reserve residents negatively influenced by the introduction of a casino. This is surprising considering that several studies in Canada and the United States have shown Aboriginal people are more likely to become problem gamblers. This paper argues that by situating a casino in a reserve community, the host community establishes an imperative to treat those negatively affected by ease of access to casino gambling games. To do so is an aspect of self-determination, and a responsibility First Nations assume when selecting casinos as mechanisms of economic development.À la fin de 2008, on comptait, au Canada, 17 casinos des Premières Nations. Les dernières statistiques confirment qu’ils sont tous des entreprises lucratives et que chacune de ces Premières Nations utilise l’argent pour améliorer des programmes sociaux et accroître l’infrastructure. Or, on a fait abstraction d’un point jusqu’à présent, à savoir la santé de la population locale. Plus particulièrement, tous les accords sur les jeux de hasard entre les provinces et les Premières Nations n’ont prévu qu’un financement limité pour mettre en oeuvre des programmes de traitement du jeu compulsif à l’intention des résidents des réserves sur lesquels l’implantation d’un casino exerce une influence négative. Un fait étonnant, étant donné que plusieurs études au Canada et aux États-Unis ont montré que les Autochtones sont plus susceptibles de devenir des joueurs compulsifs. Cet article soutient qu’en établissant un casino dans une réserve indienne, la communauté d’accueil se doit de traiter les personnes touchées par la facilité d’accès aux jeux de casino. Agir dans ce sens est un acte d’autodétermination, un acte de responsabilité que les Premières Nations sont appelées à assumer lorsqu’elles choisissent les casinos comme des mécanismes de développement économique

Are Canadian First Nations Casinos Truly ‘A Sure Thing’? Appraising First Nations Casino in Ontario, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, 2006-2010

To date a dearth of data has made it difficult to evaluate the success of First Nations casinos in Canada. This paper remedies the situation by presenting a three-province overview (Ontario, Saskatchewan and Alberta) of existing First Nations gaming models. The goal is to highlight the exigencies of each provincial gaming model and to develop a better understanding of what works best for First Nations leaders interested in expanding current operations, and for those seeking entry into the gaming market

Epistemological Distinctiveness and the Use of "Guided History" Methodology for Writing Native Histories

Writing Native history has traditionally conformed to traditional methodological approaches. This essay argues that inherent differences in the ways Native and non-Native cultures view the past directly impact the production of histories focused on Native populations. With this point in mind, the second half of this essay presents a methodology entitled "Guided History," which not only allows for community input in the production of local histories but also actively promotes this participation

Are Canadian First Nations casinos providing maximum benefits? appraising First Nations Casinos in Ontario, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, 2006-2010

Open access article. Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) appliesTo date a dearth of data has made it difficult to evaluate the success of First Nations casinos in Canada. This paper helps remedy this situation by presenting a three-province overview (Ontario, Saskatchewan and Alberta) of First Nations gaming models. Two key findings are offered that First Nations seeking gaming market entry and provincial officials should genuinely consider. First, while each province has adopted a unique approach to First Nations gaming policy they have each opted to direct substantial revenues out of First Nations communities and into their own treasuries. Second, the evidence suggests that larger gaming properties located nearby a significant market provide more benefits versus smaller properties situated in more isolated areas. The subsequent discussion elaborates each provincial model’s revenue generating power, how the revenue in question is being allocated and its corresponding socio-economic impact, whether increased problem gambling and crime have resulted as predicted, while exploring employment trends to determine whether they have developed as anticipated.Ye

Lethbridge housing needs assessment, spring 2007

[74] p. (in various pagings) : col. ill. ; 28 cm.With municipal population numbers rising, our knowledge and understanding of the existing and anticipated immigration trends of immigration, maintenance of birth and fertility rates and increasing university and college enrolment, it is clear that increased pressure on an already taxed housing for rental and ownership structure will result. Pressure will also come to bear on the social service sector in Lethbridge as increasingly the municipality is forced to deal with like issues. Those who participated in this study indicated that they want to and will work toward improving local community dynamics. Adopting a proactive approach will generate pride and goodwill in their neighbourhoods. The goal: to compliment and enhance community morale. Community based projects that demonstrate the concepts of affordable, available, attainable and accessible housing, embedded within an integrated approach within neighbourhoods offers community members, government officials, and politicians an opportunity to address the rising housing crisis in Lethbridge. Planning is required to improve the existing housing situation. This requires a strong financial foundation, and policy makers need to remain cognizant that city tax dollars will be required to deal with this and related issues. In this study, as many respondents indicated, they see the municipal government adopting a leadership role to assist in improving tenuous housing conditions. The City of Lethbridge must develop municipal policies to ensure the well-being of not only low-income wage-earners but all municipal residents

Housing and aboriginal people in urban centres: a quantitative evaluation

Open access article. Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0) applies.This paper explores the current state of urban Aboriginal housing in Canada, by providing an up-to-date mapping of national urban Aboriginal housing conditions. This paper demonstrates that home ownership helps to reduce the gap between mainstream and Aboriginal rates of core housing need, for Aboriginal renters are substantially worse off than their non-Aboriginal counterparts in terms of core housing need and overcrowding. Métis and Non-Status Indians are also more likely to become homeowners than Status Indians and Inuit. A cyclical process is identified that hinders urban Aboriginal homeownership, and home rental advancement is also discussed. Existing federal housing programs are inadequate to address the housing and homeless issues identified. We highlight the need to establish proactive policies, the goal being to facilitate individual transition into urban centres, thereby helping to ameliorate existing housing disparities.Ye

Homelessness, urban Aboriginal people, and the need for a national enumeration

Open access article. Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0) appliesThe growing rate of urban Aboriginal homelessness is a concern in Canada, yet, to date, no national enumeration of the homeless community has been attempted. Consequently, policies implemented to guarantee vulnerable populations access to housing are being struck in the absence of reliable data. Obtaining good data on the prevalence of this homeless community is one step in improving our collective understanding and response to urban Aboriginal homelessness. According to our calculations, that homelessness is staggering: on any one night, 6.97 percent of the urban Aboriginal population in Canada is homeless, as compared to a national average of .78 percent. This paper highlights the academic and bureaucratic construction of homelessness while urging academics and front-line agencies to align their research agendas in order to help combat the issues that create homelessness in what is a uniquely challenging environment for urban Aboriginal individuals seeking services. The paper concludes with a series of recommendations that will assist in this matter.Ye

Gambling and problem gambling in Canada in 2018: prevalence and changes since 2002

Permission to archive accepted author manuscript. Reuse is restricted to non-commercial and no derivative uses.Objective The purpose of this study was to provide an updated profile of gambling and problem gambling in Canada and to examine how the rates and pattern of participation compare to 2002. Method An assessment of gambling and problem gambling was included in the 2018 Canadian Community Health Survey and administered to 24,982 individuals aged 15 and older. The present analyses selected for adults (18+). Results A total of 66.2% of people reported engaging in some type of gambling in 2018, primarily lottery and/or raffle tickets, the only type in which the majority of Canadians participate. There are some significant inter-provincial differences, with perhaps the most important one being the higher rate of electronic gambling machine (EGM) participation in Manitoba and Saskatchewan The overall pattern of gambling in 2018 is very similar to 2002, although participation is generally much lower in 2018, particularly for EGMs and bingo. Only 0.6% of the population were identified as problem gamblers in 2018, with an additional 2.7% being at-risk gamblers. There is no significant inter-provincial variation in problem gambling rates. The inter-provincial pattern of problem gambling in 2018 is also very similar to what was found in 2002 with the main difference being a 45% decrease in the overall prevalence of problem gambling. Conclusions Gambling and problem gambling have both decreased in Canada from 2002 to 2018, although the provincial patterns are quite similar between the two time periods. Several mechanisms have likely collectively contributed to these declines. Decreases have also been reported in several other western countries in recent years and have occurred despite the expansion of legal gambling opportunities, suggesting a degree of inoculation or adaptation in the population.Ye