Dang... have you ever been to a reservation? Poverty everywhere..... then 30 miles away a grand shopping Centers and Middle class $300,000 Homes on what use to be their land.

The amount of cash they are getting is irrelevant to the previous conversation. A NAP was broken, and we are paying.

Now! In my neck of the woods the Indian Reservations are doing pretty dern well.

Indian Res in Washington by the large part are flexing thier muscles. They run no tax tobacco stores, no tax alchohol (which is 50% cheaper than normal stores because of the State sin tax).

In some areas, "traditional" indian land is being given back and ANYTHING that is on it is being torn down or outright given to them.

Then we have the casino's! The indians are doing VERY well on these. Entire tribes are being paid out via a bankroll checks monthy and they still collect the federal money.

In fact it is a VERY big deal in my area if you can claim even a 10% indian as you can tie yourself to a tribe with a casino and start collecting a check from the casino.

well, I'm sorry to say, I'm 1/8th cherokee/northern creek, and I haven't seen a dime.

I have, however, lived out of a van while my mom and dad were missionaries in a few reservations in arizona. and, well, its just what was said before. poverty.

I have also seen the casinos and all, infact have played at a few, but the thing is, 90% of the indians do not benefit from the casinos. in fact, it can be argued that even those who receive some monetary benefit are losing in the long run. I spent a good amount of time at a reservation in NC, and saw what money for nothing gets you. just a bunch of drunk indians who are broke again before the weekend is over. no real jobs, just drinking, which is done enough that it could be a job for some.