The United Nations has analyzed all the data, and in a new report states unequivocally that humans are the primary cause of climate change worldwide.
Compiling four potential scenarios based on varying amounts of greenhouse gas emissions and atmospheric concentrations, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change announced its results and released a draft of its five-year report on the state of the global climate.
“It is extremely likely that human influence has been the dominant cause of the observed warming since the mid-20th century,” said the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which conducted the analysis, in a statement announcing the release of its report, Climate Change 2013: the Physical Science Basis. “The evidence for this has grown, thanks to more and better observations, an improved understanding of the climate system response and improved climate models.”
Among the most alarming findings are that the atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide have increased to levels unprecedented in at least the last 800,000 years, the panel said, with carbon dioxide concentrations up by 40 percent since pre-industrial times—mainly from fossil fuel emissions, as well as from emissions due to changes in net land use. About 30 percent of the carbon dioxide has been absorbed by the oceans, where it contributes to ocean acidification, the panel said.
“Observations of changes in the climate system are based on multiple lines of independent evidence,” said Qin Dahe, Co-Chair of the panel’s main working group. “Our assessment of the science finds that the atmosphere and ocean have warmed, the amount of snow and ice has diminished, the global mean sea level has risen and the concentrations of greenhouse gases have increased.”
Out of four potential scenarios, the panel calculated that by the end of the 21st century, global surface temperatures may very well increase by 1.5 degrees Celsius or even 2 degrees Celsius beyond what they were from 1850 to 1900, said Thomas Stocker, the working group’s other co-chair.
“Heat waves are very likely to occur more frequently and last longer,” Stocker said in the statement. “As the Earth warms, we expect to see currently wet regions receiving more rainfall, and dry regions receiving less, although there will be exceptions.”
Changes in the climate system since 1950 “are unprecedented over decades to millennia,” the statement said, emphasizing that “warming in the climate system is unequivocal” and that “each of the last three decades has been successively warmer at the Earth’s surface than any preceding decade since 1850.”
Not only are these changes taking place, but they are also accelerating, the scientists cautioned.
“As the ocean warms, and glaciers and ice sheets reduce, global mean sea level will continue to rise, but at a faster rate than we have experienced over the past 40 years,” said Co-Chair Qin Dahe.
This is not news to the Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island and beyond, of course. Already numerous indigenous communities face the effects of rising sea levels, melting permafrost and other environmental effects.
Sultan’s Return of the Salmon Celebration begins at noon Saturday at Osprey Park, 801 First St. The event runs to 4 p.m.
There will be a Tulalip tribal welcoming ceremony honoring of Sultan’s namesake, Chief T’seul-ted; riverside salmon viewing tours; Indian tacos; a native flute concert; vendors, children’s activities; watershed education; plains-style drumming and round-dance; horse-drawn covered wagon rides and much more.
Sultan Mayor Carolyn Eslick has proclaimed Sept. 28 as “A Day of Remembrance for Chief T’seul-Ted, and a Day Celebrating the Return of the Salmon.” More info: Contact Craig Young, 425-359-8936.
Live music: Rose Windows, which recently signed with SubPop, performs with The Maldives and Learning Team on Saturday at 8 p.m. The show is at Kroakers, 3021 Rucker, Everett. Richie Rekow, bassist for Rose Windows, attended Everett High School. You can get tickets, for $10, at http://bit.ly/14qAWaC. This is an Everett Music Initative show. Check out what else they have coming up at www.everettmusiciniative.org.
Cats need homes: Anyone who has ever been owned by a cat knows that the creatures can be a bit mysterious. For one thing, why do they dash around the house at top speed at 2 a.m.?
The Everett Animal Shelter is having some fun with the mystery of cats, and hoping to find loving homes for some felines, at the Secret Life of Cats adoption event and garage sale Sunday.
More than 100 cats and kittens will be available for adoption from the Everett Animal Shelter, Purrfect Pals, Homeward Pet, NOAH and PAWS.
“This year we’ve had help from several local groups to really make this a fun event,” said Dee Cordell with the Everett Animal Shelter. “We’ll even have a tarot card reader on hand if you want to find out what’s really going on in your cat’s mind.”
Yes, there will really be tarot card readings for your cat. Your cat doesn’t need to be present. The reader, Bev Bryant, also will do readings for humans.
There will be a garage sale to benefit the Everett shelter’s veterinary clinic. Lunch items will be for sale.
The event is set for 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at the shelter, 333 Smith Island Road, Everett.
CHICAGO – Combined with his own artwork and artifacts from The Field Museum’s collections, hand-selected by Native artist Bunky Echo-Hawk, The Field Museum’s latest exhibition, “Bunky Echo-Hawk: Modern Warrior,” opens on Friday, September 27.
Native Artist Bunky Echo-Hawk heads to Chicago
Echo-Hawk is a member of the Pawnee and Yakama Nation. He and curator Alaka Wali personally selected the Pawnee objects from The Field Museum collections as well as several Yakama and Arapaho objects.
A graduate of the Institute of American Indian Arts, he is a painter, graphic designer, photographer and writer. He is also is a traditional singer and dancer.
Throughout his career, Echo-Hawk has merged traditional values with his lifestyle and art. He has exhibited his work in major exhibitions throughout the United States and internationally in New York City, Chicago, Denver, Santa Fe, and Frankfurt, Germany, among many others.
Highlights of this exhibition include a vibrant portrait of Yoda sporting Native American headdress, basketball sneakers Echo-Hawk designed for Nike, a 100 year old historic Pawnee drum, and skateboards designed by Bunky. The exhibition also includes a Field Museum produced video about Echo-Hawk’s “live art” process.
The exhibition will feature historic objects from The Field Museum’s collections alongside Echo-Hawk’s artwork. Echo-Hawk’s spirited and witty presentation gives visitors a look into The Field Museum’s historic clothing, weaponry and musical instruments from the Pawnee nation. “Bunky Echo-Hawk: Modern Warrior” is a part of the ongoing “Straight from The Field” series of exhibitions.
The exhibition is organized by The Field Museum and co-curator Bunky Echo-Hawk.
This project is made possible by a grant from the US Institute of Museum and Library Services.
WHAT: “Bunky Echo-Hawk: Modern Warrior” Exhibition Opening
WHEN:
Friday, September 27
WHERE:
The Field Museum
1400 South Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, Illinois 60605
Western Sky, a private online payday lender based on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation in South Dakota, suspended its operations in early September after New York’s attorney general filed suit against it for violating state usury laws. This was the latest blow to a company already facing a number of state and federal suits for its allegedly illegal and abusive practices. Finally, the company said it stopped operating to deal with its legal problems. It would be easy to simply say good riddance to Western Sky. But the situation is more complex.
I spent the day with Butch Webb, Western Sky’s owner, and some employees last December. Webb told me Western Sky was the largest private employer on the reservation. In a place where about 50 percent of adult workers are either unemployed or out of the workforce, that means a lot.
Webb offered the promise of hundreds of jobs to tribal members in exchange for peddling online predatory loans to people off the reservation. Western Sky said it never lent money to people at Cheyenne River or in South Dakota. One employee told me it would create too big a backlash if they had to collect these loans from members of the tribe. Webb told me he had “enough problems to deal with.”
Many people on the reservation are very uncomfortable with how this business reflects on them. But when the Tribal Council scrutinized the company, Webb would remind the council how costly it would be to shut him down.
Even though Western Sky did not lend at Cheyenne River, predatory lending plagues people there and on other reservations. Such loans are the only source of credit for many Native Americans and almost all of those lenders are off reservations and not Native-owned. At Cheyenne River, people regularly drive hours to Pierre or Rapid City to take out predatory loans and growing Internet access is making it easier to borrow this way, even on remote reservations.
Even if some of those borrowers could qualify for bank loans, though, there are few banks on reservations and others are not always welcoming to Native Americans.
Storefront and online lenders exploit the harsh reality that people on reservations and throughout the country are hurting, have basic expenses they can’t meet, and don’t necessarily have access to credit. The Pew Center has done some remarkable work on payday lending throughout the country that shows why people borrow and its impact on them.
With the help of local groups, we surveyed almost 400 people on reservations around the country about predatory borrowing, including more than 100 at Cheyenne River. The survey is not a representative sample of reservation populations, but the results point to worrying trends that are consistent with other research.
Most of the people surveyed were the working poor. Almost half had taken out predatory loans—mostly for basic needs, food, or for emergencies, like medical care. Federal sequestration is probably making things worse because of cuts to essential services.
But these loans carry triple- or quadruple-digit interest rates and can easily turn into nightmares. Of those that borrowed, nearly half said they had “some” or a “great deal” of trouble repaying what they owe. More than 70 percent said repayments made it more difficult to meet basic expenses. I have interviewed people who could not meet their basic needs, such as food for their family or medical care for their children because these loans had overwhelmed them.
The major reason these loans exist is inadequate—or nonexistent—regulation by states and the federal government.
Regulating online lenders is crucial, but alone isn’t a panacea, and would not ultimately resolve the complex issues facing Indian country. Furthermore, tribal governments that operate their own online lenders are hostile to regulation, seeing it as a challenge to their sovereignty and an attempt to stifle economic development. They are suing New York to prevent it from regulating.
There is an alternative. Native Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), chartered by the US Treasury Department, have a mandate to provide financial services on reservations. At Cheyenne River and elsewhere, some are trying to offer cheaper and fairer alternatives to predatory loans. They also teach financial literacy because often people don’t know how onerous the terms of their loans are until after they desperately secure the money. Entrepreneurship programs offered by Native CDFIs help people create jobs and businesses that truly serve the community. But Native CDFI’s or others throughout the country have nowhere near the resources to compete with predatory lenders.
A three-pronged policy response is needed to start addressing the problem of predatory lending: one that regulates high-cost lending, improves financial literacy skills, and provides the vulnerable poor with better access to fair, non-exploitative, credit facilities.
Many traditional American Indian governments have significant organizational similarities with contemporary parliamentary governments around the world. A key similarity is that leadership serves only as long as there is supporting political consensus or confidence that the leader or leadership represents the position of the community or nation. Generally, indigenous political leadership serves at the consent and support of the local group, community, or nation.
Leaders, or speakers, express a consensus position among community members. In negotiations or actions, the leader has power to act only if the leader carries out the wishes of the constituent community. Indian nations usually have local, regional, and national leaders, where political processes and sustained leadership depends on consent among tribal members. While an Indian leader has the general consensual support of the community or region they represent, the leader remains in office. When the leader upholds the desired goals and interests of the represented community in political action, community members are supportive of leadership.
If, however, a leader acts against the community consensus, the community withdraws political support. If a leader is in a hereditary leadership position, the hereditary leaders influence is lessened, as community members will follow other leaders who are willing and able to represent tribal needs, interests and desires.
There are multiple historical examples of such leadership patterns in many Indian nations. John Ross, Cherokee Principal Chief from 1828 to 1866, represented the majority of Cherokee citizens, most of whom had traditional economic orientations, while often taking up Christian religion and were committed to the Cherokee constitution and nation. Ross was a slaveholder, Methodist, but at the same time was an avid politician whose support could not completely rely on the minority mixed blood slave owner class. Ross as leader represented the interests of the majority of Cherokee, and if he had not done so they would have removed him from office and elected a more accommodating Principal Chief.
This stone is at John Ross’ grave in Ross Cemetery in Park Hill, Oklahoma. (escapetothesilentcities.blogspot.com)
Another example is the removal of Haudenasaunee Chiefs by clan mothers, if the chief was warned three times he was not properly representing the views of the clan or nation.
In contemporary parliamentary governments when parliament is dissatisfied with the ruling leader and its party, action is taken to remove leadership. If the leader does not have the majority confidence of the parliament, the leader has to call for elections to reconsider new leadership. Most contemporary American Indian constitutional governments have elections that are similar to the U.S. constitution.
Elected officials serve in office for specified terms, whether or not they have the support of the community or nation. As American Indians are within the U.S. sphere of influence, American political models are predominant. Indian leaders, often in Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) governments, can control the government with a majority vote within the tribal council. If the leaders do not represent the interests of the community, tribal members must wait until the next election to remove them from office.
Unlike non-Indian parliamentary governments, which are organized by political parties, American Indian communities still are often organized by confederations of kinship groups, villages, or band localities. The families, clans, and villages are active social and political entities, and continue to observe traditional political processes and recognize and uphold leaders who serve community interests.
Many tribes that rejected adopting U.S. style constitutional governments retain a form of consensus-based political relations built upon traditional kinship and locality arrangements that is usually unique to their nation. Many traditional tribes saw constitutional governments as too inflexible, perhaps because leadership patterns, especially in IRA governments, were not directly responsive to tribal community pressures and interests. Community political consensus was a primary check and balance that communities put on tribal leaders so they served community needs. It is never too late for tribal communities to rethink their constitutional forms and make them more compatible with consensually-based traditional or parliamentary government patterns.
Know your status – and learn about pre-exposure medication
National Gay Men’s HIV Awareness Day, Sept. 27
SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash. – Snohomish County currently ranks third in the state for new HIV cases, following King and Pierce counties. Recent data show that 58 percent of all new HIV cases in Washington State are among men who have sex with other men (MSM).Gay and bisexual men make up less than 10 percent of the population, but account for almost 60 percent of the burden of HIV disease.
In support of National Gay Men’s HIV Awareness Day, the Snohomish Health District will host a free evening of information and testing from 4-7 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 1 in Suite 108 at the Rucker Building, 3020 Rucker Ave., Everett, Wash. The event is directed to gay and bisexual men who are at risk for HIV infection and other sexually transmitted diseases. No appointment needed. The event includes door prizes and light refreshments, and every man screened will receive a financial incentive.
The Health District also will offer free testing to qualified men for Hepatitis C and syphilis, and vaccine for Hepatitis A and B. Both the Hepatitis C and HIV tests are “rapid” antibody tests, requiring only a drop of blood pricked from a finger. Test results will be available within 30 minutes. The tests are anonymous and confidential.
“HIV remains a major health issue for the MSM community,” said David Bayless, Disease Investigation Specialist at Snohomish Health District. “Getting tested to know your status is the first step in managing the disease.”
Information about a new HIV prevention tool will be shared by Michael Louella, outreach coordinator for the AIDS Clinical Trial Unit in Seattle. Pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, is when HIV-negative individuals take a pill to prevent HIV infection. The medicine currently is used to treat HIV, and has now been approved for this treatment by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Food and Drug Administration.Research studies show that PrEP can lower the risk of HIV transmission when used with other prevention measures, such as condoms.
For more information about HIV testing and risk, please call David Bayless, 425.339.5238.
Established in 1959, the Snohomish Health District works for a safer and healthier Snohomish County through disease prevention, health promotion, and protection from environmental threats. Find more information about the Health District at http://www.snohd.org.
The North Dakota Department of Health may flush a neo-Nazi out of a tiny village where he and a group of white supremacists have racist plans to establish an all-white enclave, the first of many across the country, they hope.
On Monday, September 23, one day after 300-plus Indians and non-Indians from all walks of life arrived in Leith, North Dakota, to rally against Craig Cobb and members of the National Socialist Movement (NSM) who invaded the village with the intention of taking over the local government, WDAY News reported that the state health department was planning shut down Cobb’s home because of unsanitary conditions: The home lacks running water, indoor plumbing and a sewer system.
Cobb is a nationally known white supremacist who has been living in Leith for more than a year and has purchased 13 lots, some for as little as $500, including one where he lives. He has been promoting Leith on white supremacist websites as a place where others like him could live, take over the city government and fly Nazi flags.
But the people of Leith want their town back, WDAY reported. Mayor Ryan Schock, the father of three frightened children who witnessed the rally, said events surrounding the neo-Nazi invaders of the town are “very disturbing. It ain’t right. For the last few weeks, they have been monitored very closely. It is very sad what has happened to our little town. To go from a one-horse town to this; it is incredible. We have been here our whole life, and a guy can move in and can take over a whole community. Everyone is on edge. Can’t blame them.”
Protesters carried signs denouncing Nazi ideology as full of hate, but one of the Nazis – Gerald McNeil – said his group was not in Leith to hate, WDAY reported. “We are here to be white, and be proud to be white.” McNeil said.
The health department apparently had notified Cobb earlier about the sanitary violations at his home, because late Monday afternoon, WDAY 6 News learned the state will issue a final letter ordering him out of his house this week because of health concerns.
Cobb says he will use the Civil Rights act to sue the city of Leith and the state of North Dakota, if he is forced from his home.
Chase Iron Eyes, founder of Last Real Indians, said his organization and UnityND, a group that formed in protest to the proposed extremist, neo-Nazi takeover, “are working together to make sure the neo-Nazis do not plant a foothold publicly in North Dakota.” The two organizations organized the caravans that brought protesters to the rally from Bismarck, North Dakota, and Standing Rock Reservation where Iron Eyes resides.
“On Sunday, we hung out there for some hours, remaining vigilant and getting into some conversations with Mr. Cobb and whoever else was there,” Iron Eyes said. Eventually, the Swat Team that was on hand to keep things under control got tired and began to disperse the crowd. “They initiated a command to clear the street so they fanned out across the street and were going to do a sweep and either beat people down or start arresting people who didn’t move out of the street. They were in formation ready to move us all out,” Iron Eyes said. But it wasn’t necessary since everyone dispersed and moved out on their own. The protesters weren’t about to let the Nazis confront the elders, children and women, Iron Eyes said, “That’s the last thing we needed. We were there as peacekeepers.”
A fully armed and outfitted Swat Team was on hand for crowd control, but the crowd was peaceful and had self control. (Courtesy Unedited Media)
But the women were quite actively involved in speeches and sign waving and at one point a group of Lakota grandmothers seized a Nazi flag and held it up for a photo, one woman making a V-for-victory or peace sign with her fingers. Last Real Indians posted the photo on its Facebook page, but Facebook removed it on Wednesday.
There were no instances of physical violence at the rally but it was very contentious and very heated, Iron Eyes said. “We kind of had to restrain our own tribal members. Fortunately, nothing happened. I appreciated the police being there,” Iron Eyes said. If the protesters – mostly Indians – had become entangled in a violent encounter with the neo-Nazis “that would be the tool they’d use to recruit people – ‘look at these scary dark people attacking us!’”
Right now, Last Real Indians and UnityND are monitoring the situation and plan to return at some point. Leith is only 30 miles from the Standing Rock reservation.
Standing up to the Nazis in Leith generated a wave of pride in the Lakota community. In a posting on the Last Real Indians website, John Martin repeated words that Iron Eyes had spoken at the rally, “’The warriors aren’t even here,’” Martin wrote. “Eloquent and profound words ferociously spoken by my Lakota brother Chase Iron Eyes. Wopila tanka Chase and to all the brave men and women of all races who tenaciously stood up in direct opposition to the minions of hate in Leith, North Dakota. You upheld and reaffirmed the Lakota warrior code,” Martin wrote. “The spirit of Crazy Horse lives on and will only continue to expand and grow. What I saw yesterday in Leith was a resurgence of what the Native American Community stands for. Unyielding resistance and steadfast dedication handed down by our ancestors back in the day.”
Tracie Stevens (Tulalip Tribes), who is leaving the chair of the National Indian Gaming Commission after completing a three-year term, talked to Indian Country Today Media Network about the commission’s work and what she anticipates doing after living and working in Washington, D.C.
You were appointed in June 2010, so you’ve been chair a little over three years. That doesn’t seem like a very long time for a federal government appointment. What made you decide to leave?
My term was expiring back in June, and I had to think about whether or not I wanted to continue to serve as chair for one more [three-year] term. But ultimately my decision to leave was a very difficult and really a deeply personal one. I’m a family person—I’m a wife and a mom—and in the end I had to really consider what was best for my family—and specifically, my daughter. She’s going into high school this year, and we decided together as a family that her last four years [in school] should be at home in the Northwest. My [family] has been incredibly supportive over my whole career, with the move to D.C. in particular, and they gave up a lot of things so that I could accept this wonderful opportunity. Now I want to shift my attention back to them.
Six years would be a long time away.
Yeah, especially as an Indian person when you know where your home is; it’s in your blood, and you know where you belong.
When you were appointed you had four goals: to review and improve consultation and relationship building, training and technical assistance, regulations and agency operations. How far along are you in accomplishing each of those goals?
Tracie Stevens, a member of the Tulalip Tribes of Washington (Courtesy National Indian Gaming Commission)
We’ve done exceptionally well, and I say ‘we’ because it’s not something that I did alone. It was certainly a combination of team work, not just with commissioners but with our staff. And a lot of groundwork was already laid by previous commissions.
We revamped our consultation process by adding informal consultations prior to initiating a formal rule-making process, which really speaks to Executive Order 13175. The EO talks about the need to discuss the need for change before you actually make the change. We also needed to look at how we were relating and communicating and cooperating and collaborating with all these other federal, state and tribal entities that are involved with Indian gaming and regulation and its oversight.
Indian law has a very long and complex history, especially under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA), where there are so many divided authorities shared among federal, state and tribal entities, so really working on those relationships across government agencies was important. Technical assistance and training are mandated by IGRA. We’ve revised our curriculum to better fit the needs of the industry, and we actively communicated with tribes so that we can provide technical assistance on a daily basis—for which I can thank our field staff who don’t get the attention and credit they deserve. They really do all the hands-on work to keep tribes in compliance through technical assistance and training.
Our regulatory review was a massive undertaking, and we admitted that up front. A lot of people looked at our initiatives and said, “Holy moly, there’s no way you’re going to get this done!” But we took it more as a challenge than as a limitation. Overall, we reviewed more than 20 regulations, finalized 17 and held more than 50 consultations to achieve that. That went through our consultation process, where we had collaborative discussions with many tribes at the table as well as receiving comments from the public. In the end, this process helped us as a commission with fully informed decisions and rules that will further protect the industry, so that was a great success.
The last initiative was an agency operations review, and that was our effort to look at ourselves as a commission in the mirror and really examine our internal operations so that we could better fulfill our responsibilities and duties under IGRA. It has been the most active and longest initiative that we’ve faced. We examined our internal work-flow processes, our communications internally and externally, assignments procedures and priorities, our own compliance, because as a federal agency we do have to comply with federal statutes and regulations, making sure we provided tools to our staff so they could better perform their job, budgeting, standard operating procedures—all of these sort of management and organizational functions that all organizations, whether a federal agency or a corporation, face. So it was and still continues to be a major priority for us.
I’m really pleased with our achievements. It’s a success that’s shared with tribes and our own staff, and these initiatives won’t end with my departure because we’ve integrated them into our strategic plan that goes through the year 2018.
All of the responses that I’ve read about the one-touch bingo rule are positive—that’s a 180-degree turn from the chaos over Class II bingo when you became chair. Please talk about the process involved in reaching this point. Is it a model for resolving other contentious issues?
Really what prompted us to look at that type of machine and the way it’s played were inquiries from tribal regulators, manufacturers, testing labs asking us to provide some clarity. We examined the previous decision, we looked at previous judicial rulings and IGRA itself, and we concluded that we needed to reinterpret that one particular decision because it better upholds IGRA’s definition of bingo, as well as those previous judicial rulings. And really, it’s our consultation policy that’s a great model for resolving contentious issues. Within our policy there’s opportunity for tribes to bring to our attention matters that they’d like to have addressed.
What were the most and least gratifying aspects of being NIGC chair?
I think the most gratifying has been the relationships—the people I’ve come to know within the agency as well as within the federal family that I can now call my friends. But really the most enjoyable of those connections were with the tribes and their representatives through the consultation process. It’s always great—whether it’s a good exchange or a contentious exchange—to have that discussion. And that may just be a result of my own upbringing as a Tulalip: coming together and resolving issues. My advice to the next chair is: Communicate, communicate, communicate.
I’d say the least gratifying aspect was I’m not really somebody who likes to be out front. I’m more of a behind-the-scenes person, and I knew this job was going to be completely out front, and it’s not the most comfortable place for me. But it was an opportunity that really was an honor. And a friend and colleague pointed out that if you’re not out front, your daughter, your nieces and Native girls aren’t going to see women out front. And they need to know that women in leadership is normal, it’s expected, and it’s achievable.
What are your plans for the future and do they involve Indian gaming?
I made a conscious commitment to Indian country and to serving my own people in one way or another directly or indirectly, so I imagine that’s where I’m headed. How that will materialize I don’t yet know. I guess time will tell. It’ll probably be in the private sector and will probably include Indian gaming along with so many other issues that tribes face.
By Gale Courey Toensing, Indian Country Today Media Network
An increase in Indian gaming revenues in 2012 of almost three percent offers “economic encouragements” for Indian country, according to the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC). The commission released data in late July showing revenues generated by the Indian gaming industry in 2012 totaled $27.9 billion—the third consecutive year of increases in gross gaming revenues (GGR) since the recession began in 2007.
The Indian gaming industry saw its largest gross gaming revenues ever in 2012, Tracie Stevens, NIGC chairwoman said. “The 2012 Indian gaming industry’s gross gaming revenues of $27.9 billion indicate a strong and mature Indian gaming industry. Additionally, gross gaming revenues in 2012 reached its highest level in history, ahead of 2011’s gross gaming revenues by $746 million. For those who judge casino spending as an indicator of increased discretionary spending and economic recovery, 2012 revenues certainly display economic encouragement,” Stevens said in a media conference in late July.
The National Indian Gaming Commission is an independent federal regulatory agency that was established by the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988. It provides training and technical assistance and regulatory oversight to ensure the integrity of more than 420 gaming establishments owned and operated by nearly 240 tribes across 28 states.
The NIGC calculates Indian gaming revenues based on a fiscal year. The 2012 GGR is calculated based on independently audited financial statements received by the NIGC through June 20, 2013. Financial statements are submitted by Indian gaming operations in accordance with the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. Gaming revenues represent the net win from gaming activities, which is the difference between gaming receipts and payouts.
Yvonne Lee, director of finance for NIGC, explained, “First, it is important to note, gross gaming revenue, or GGR, is the amount wagered minus the winnings returned to players. GGR is the figure used to determine what a casino or other gaming operation earns before salaries, compact fees and other expenses are paid—the equivalent of sales, not profit. Gross gaming revenues should in no way be interpreted as profit-margin. These are revenues earned before paying other expenses.”
Last year’s GGR of $27.9 billion was 2.7 percent higher than the 2011 GGR of $27.2 billion. The NIGC data attribute the overall growth of revenues to 66 percent of the Indian gaming operations, which reported an increase in gaming revenues. Of the operations that reported an increase in revenues, approximately 44 percent showed moderate growth of less than 10 percent.
Associate Commissioner Dan Little said a key role in the growth of the Indian gaming industry was the commission’s review and updating of regulations. “Over the past three years our regulatory review has provided much needed reform to meet the needs of the changing industry and provide flexibility and consistency for tribes and tribal regulators,” Little said.
The 2003–2012 Gross Gaming Revenue Trends table shows the revenues trends over the past 10 years. Since 2010, the Indian gaming industry experienced approximately three percent annual growth—reaching its largest GGR this year.
Small and moderate gaming operations make up 56 percent of Indian gaming, the commission said. The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act determines how gaming revenues may be expended. Many Indian tribes use gaming revenues to fund economic development activities on reservations and to provide their citizens with social services, including health services, housing, early education programs and language and cultural preservation activities.
In 2012, 98 Indian gaming operations reported gaming revenues between copy0 million and $25 million, 70 Indian gaming operations reported gaming revenues between $3 million and copy0 million and 69 Indian gaming operations reported gaming revenues less than $3 million. Stevens said these numbers show that most tribal gaming operations are medium-sized or smaller. “The industry is driven by the demographics of each area. Most tribal gaming operations are in rural parts of the country where jobs are greatly needed for both Natives and non-Natives alike,” she said.
The map shown illustrates the seven NIGC regions across the country. All regions showed growth in revenues in 2012, continuing a trend that began in 2011. The largest increase in GGR of 5.1 percent or $233 million occurred within the St. Paul Region, which has 120 gaming operations across nine Great Plains states. The Tulsa Region, which has 64 gaming operations in Kansas and eastern Oklahoma, had the largest percentage increase from 2011—6.6 percent or copy25 million. There is also a chart that shows regional gross gaming revenue trends.
The NIGC calculates the Indian gaming industry’s gross gaming revenues data based on financial statements that are submitted by Indian gaming operations in accordance with the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.
MARYSVILLE — The city is planning its first Marysville Multicultural Fair to celebrate diversity in the Marysville-Tulalip communities and the many cultures who call the area home.
The free event will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 28 in downtown Comeford Park, 514 Delta Ave. There will be music and dance from around the world on stage in the Rotary Pavilion, demonstrations and displays of traditions from other lands, and a food court where ethnic foods will be available for purchase.
The multicultural fair is sponsored by Sea Mar Community Health Centers, HomeStreet Bank, Marysville/North County YMCA, Molina Healthcare and the Marysville Free Methodist Church.
The day’s performances open with the Korean Dancers and Drums. The will be Celtic music from Seattle favorites the BOWI Band, Mariachi Juvenil Voces, American Indian flautist Peter Ali, American Indian S-du-hoo-bsh storyteller Lois Landgrebe, belly dance performances, and Karen Ann Krueger, a former paralympian and inspirational speaker on disabilities.
Some cultural food favorites include Mae Phim Restaurant (Thai), Sampaghita Cuisine (Filipino-American), Rosie’s Frybread (Tulalip/Native American), La Hacienda (Mexican), Craving Cajun Grill, Sons of Italy and others.
The multicultural fair will also have dozens of cultural resource booths, informational displays and hands-on activities for children.
For more information, contact diversity committee staff liaison Doug Buell at 360-363-8086, email dbuell@marysvillewa.gov, or visit the website at http://marysvillewa.gov/multiculturalfair.
