I am a Cherokee, but live in CA. They have gaming in OK, and I recently asked where the money goes. Most tribes in CA give some profits to tribal members, if there is no actual reservation, and sometimes even if there is. I was shocked and appalled to find out the Cherokee, who have no reservation, have made a huge conglomeration that oversees/decides/purchases/etc. all the gaming, and most of the money goes to this ‘company’(?). I don’t know what it’s called. Almost none actually goes toward the good of the tribal members. They claim it benefits them, the city, county, state, etc. only in the form of jobs, helping community in different ways, etc. We have 3 disabled family members who will never ever be helped by any of this. Due to no reservation, the members live all over country. We do not get to decide, vote, or have any input in where the money goes, how it’s used, what to do with it, or even whether or not to invest, and into what. No input. No help. As if it doesn’t exist for us.

Is there any legal ground for us, to vote on any of this, or to see some help from the profits in some form?

I recently asked an attorney’s office specializing in Indian Gaming, if they were interested. They took it to conference, passed it around to other Indian Gaming attorney’s groups, and after weeks of review, I heard only that in order for them to take on such a case would be a conflict of interest, and they wished me luck in my pursuit for answers.

I heard from others that our only rights are who we vote to elect in the tribal gov’t, but they don’t run the money…a conglomeration with appointed/hired employees (with huge salaries and benefit packages) does.

What do you know about this? Do tribal members have any rights where the money goes? Do we have a right to see a benefit in some form(s)? How do we exercise these rights, or how are they afforded us, if there is no reservation? Or don’t even live in same state?