Zuniga: Economic Development for Native Nevada
In Economic Development for Native Nevada: How Indian Gaming Can Further Tribal Self-Determination, author Makai Zuniga (Nevada Law) examines the historical and ongoing economic barriers faced by Nevada’s Indigenous tribes and proposes strategies for rural tribes to enter the gaming market despite restrictive regulations.
Before offering suggestions for economic development, Zuniga provides a brief history of the Indigenous tribes of Nevada, who have lived in Nevada for 15,000 years. Today there are twenty federally recognized tribes in Nevada. The impact of colonialism and dispossession has resulted in high rates of poverty, domestic violence, and mortality. Although tribes are sovereign nations, their powers of self-governance are constrained by federal oversight. Unlike other state and local governments, tribes lack broad tax bases and must rely on commercial enterprises to fund essential services.
According to Zuniga, urban tribes in Nevada have found greater economic opportunities due to proximity to population centers, but rural tribes in northern Nevada face significant disadvantages. Although the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 permitted some gaming on tribal lands, it required state-tribal compacts for casino-style operations. In Nevada, this resulted in fears that Indian gaming might compete with the commercial casino industry. This led to restrictive compacts and complex regulations which created additional barriers for tribal gaming. Despite these challenges, Zuniga outlines strategies for rural tribes in Nevada to operate within the confines of existing compacts while building a possible foundation for future growth. Zuniga advocates for proven business models, like one already successful in Nevada, and encourages intertribal partnerships for rural communities with limited markets.
The author’s suggestions aim to provide a reasonable starting point for rural tribal development. Zuniga emphasizes an underlying “Seven Generations” principle rooted in Indigenous tradition which encourages action to provide benefit for generations to come. Starting with feasible gaming ventures could eventually generate revenue to repurchase ancestral lands, negotiate land swaps with federal agencies, and invest in reservation infrastructure, as well as provide a groundwork for sustainable self-determination and economic independence.
