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The Menominee Nation continues to struggle economically 50 years after the federal government decided to terminate its status as a recognized tribe and the best option to improve its plight is an off-reservation casino, according to a new report compiled by three UW-Madison researchers.
The study was paid for by the tribe, which is seeking federal approval to turn a
Co-author Dennis Dresang said the researchers went into the study with no preconceived notions and the study was not influenced by the tribe's desire to win approval for an off-reservation casino.
He said because the tribe is not near any population centers, it has few other options besides an off-reservation casino to generate the kind of money needed to address its needs. Dresang said one other option for the tribe could be exploring more ecotourism considering some of the natural resources in the area. But that would also mean turning culturally important areas into a tourist destination, which some Menominee would be hesitant to do.
"They don't want another
According to the report, the tribe was prospering in the 1950s with a successful sawmill and a fully functioning government, a law enforcement agency, infrastructure and schools. Because of that success, the federal government targeted the Menominee for an experiment to end rights and protections based on past treaties and strip the tribe of its federally cognized status. Dresang said the experiment was considered a reward at the time for the Menominee's success, but came to be viewed as a mistake.
There’s also a video summary of the study featuring Professor Dresang, as well as a news release from the La Follette School.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jF8t-zdtyEw
As the federal government continues to review the Menominee’s
Say yes to the
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