Indian Gaming

Abstract

This article discusses Indian gaming issues from the perspectives of “traditional” Lakota and Dakota people through the lens of cultural sovereignty. The author reviews the sociopolitical background of gambling on Indian reservations, compares mainstream and Indian gaming, observes historical locations of tribal sovereignty, identifies traditional views through direct interviews, and illustrates economic development and social change issues, all considered through the lens of modernity. Findings include positive effects in each of these social realms, comparatively few and quite small negative results, and internal conflicts arising from fast-acting shifts in social location for many Indian nations and tribes.