Indian Gaming: The Price of Influence

By Brenda Norrell
Censored News

Indian casino lobbyists and management companies continue to bilk millions, possibly billions, out of Indian Nations. They use the sovereign status of Indian Nations, combined with PR spin, lobbyists and politicians, to enrich non-Indians. 

The national Indian media, largely funded by casinos, is part of the scheme.

Millions of dollars each year go to lobbyists and politicians, while Indian people at home suffer. 

Just drive across the Tohono O'odham Nation and you will see that the revenues from the lucrative Desert Diamond Casino are not going to the O'odham people.

Open Secrets reveals that currently the Chickasaw Nation tops the list for giving dollars to politicians. The Gila River Indian Communtiy tops the list for funding lobbyists in DC with $2.7 million to lobbyists this year. Next is Tohono O'odham Nation with $1.1 million to lobbyists. Both tribes have casinos in the same region of southern Arizona. Tohono O'odham is building another close to Gila River:
http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/indus.php?ind=G6550

Dollars to Lobbyists:

Dollars to Republicans, Democrats and Special Interest groups

Open secrets also reveals that the Oneida Indian Nation in New York gave top dollars to the right wing Patriot Prosperity. The Oneida Indian Nation owns Indian Country Today Media Network.
http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000036389

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The film Casino Jack reveals the crimes of Indian casino lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who extorted millions from Indian Nations in casino scams and exorbitant fees. The film reveals how lobbyists manipulate Congress. It also reveals how Indian Nations pay for influence in Congress and at the White House. It further reveals how Indian Nations fund lobbyists to keep other Indian casinos out of their region. Casino Jack makes one good point: Arizona Sen. John McCain is among those who have financially benefited.

Although the film attempts to make Abramoff appear righteous regardless of his crimes, it does make the point that some of the criminals in DC do go to prison. In the end, the real number of billions going to non-Indians from Indian casinos, is not really known. While some Indian Nations have prospered from Indian gaming, primarily those with small enrollments, others have not.

If you examine the national Indian media, you'll see that these issues are censored. If you examine the dollars from Indian casinos going to non-Indian charities, and to the states, you will see more of the real situation. 

For instance, while the Tohono O'odham Nation was fighting for another casino in the Phoenix area, Desert Diamond Casino donated a new fire truck to one of the wealthiest communities in Phoenix. At the same time, many O'odham at home are living in desperate conditions, lacking safe drinking water, housing, jobs and struggle even to get food due to the lack of transportation and distance to grocery stores.

Open Secrets: Tohono O'odham lobbyists: 

https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000030452

Finally, here's the politicians receiving top dollars for Indian gaming, with Oklahoma and California Congressmen topping the list:
http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/recips.php?cycle=2014&ind=G6550

Listen: Let's Talk Native 'Native American Music Awards'

John Kane

By John Kane, Mohawk
Let's Talk Native

Censored News

Jan Lookingwolf
with
Lifetime Achievement Winner
Jim Boyd

It's all about the NAMMY's which takes place this Friday, November 14th at the Seneca Allegany Casino. Ellen Bello President of the Native American Music Awards joins us at the top and then a parade of NAMMY nominees join the show. Jimmy Wolf and Caren Knight-Pepper are up first. Joanne Shenandoah and Leah Shenandoah join me next.

Great interviews and music sampling run throughout the show. Gareth Laffely follows with alying. Terry Lee Whetstone and Randy McGinnis bring their sound and message to LTN next and followed by the charming Charly Lowry with her great vocals and story. We wrap up with Barry Lee from Red Kroz Bluez Band and John Mcleod. These guys are just a sampling of the great artists to be featured and honored at the Native American Music Awards.http://www.nativeamericanmusicawards.com/. A special thanks to Liz Hill for pulling this show together for "Let's Talk Native..."
great tune and his strong message about bul

http://media.espn1520.com/a/9…/let-s-talk-native11-9-hr2.htm

Coast Salish Nations Sign International Treaty to Protect the Salish Sea

Treaty makes Kinder Morgan Expansion Project illegal in Coast Salish Law

International Treaty to Protect the Salish Sea

COAST SALISH TERRITORY, NORTH VANCOUVER, BC; SEPTEMBER 21, 2014 – Today, First Nations from the lower mainland, Vancouver Island, and Washington State have come together to sign an historic treaty to protect the Salish Sea from tar sands oil and related threats, making the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain Expansion Project illegal under Coast Salish Law.

The treaty prohibits the increased transport of tar sands products through the Salish Sea and specifically makes the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain Expansion Project illegal in Coast Salish Law. The treaty contains a provision in which the signatories agree to take collective action, if necessary, to enforce the protection of the Salish Sea under Coast Salish, Canadian or International Law.

“By signing this treaty, we have agreed to mutually and collectively use all lawful means to stop this project”, said Rueben George, of Tsleil-Waututh Nation Sacred Trust Initiative. “”Kinder Morgan’s expansion project will never get built.””

Read article: http://twnsacredtrust.ca/coast-salish-nations-sign-international-treaty-to-protect-the-salish-sea/

American Indian Movement's stance on Libya: Moments in history

American Indian Movement's stance on Libya: Moments in history 

Think outside the box today, moments in history

Vernon Bellecourt, AIM

In the media's censored files in the United States are the facts that the American Indian Movement, and other Native Americans, maintained a relationship with Libya. For the history books, here are quotes by American Indians and Gaddafi. In the future, history books will be written to include the real agenda of the United States around the world, the role of American Indians, and the American Indian Movement as it took action and expose truth.

By Brenda Norrell
Censored News

American Indian delegations visited Libya and Venezuela

An American Indian delegation was among the first to arrive in Libya to secure goodwill trade negotiations with the country following the lifting of U.S. travel restrictions and trade sanctions in 2005.
The delegation initiated efforts to establish an arts and cultural exchange and open dialogue for international AIDS awareness and treatment.
An American Indian delegation also traveled to Venezuela and urged support from Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
Vernon Bellecourt of the American Indian Movement became ill in Venezuela and soon after passed to the Spirit World.
Vernon Bellecourt was honored for his efforts.

WATCH VIDEO: Listen to the words of Vernon Bellecourt.
"Participants in the Seminar and Award Ceremony upon the occasion of the Country of Libya bestowing upon the American Indian Communities the Gaddafi Prize in Human Rights in the Spring of 1991. Individuals included in the program were: Kwame Toure (A.K.A. Stokely Carmichael) - RIP - the veteran Civil Rights leader in the United States, and a Pan African Revolutionary; Vernon Bellecourt - RIP - of the American Indian Movement and The United Indian Movement: Hans Kochler Ph.D Professor at the University of Austria and Member of the Organization of Progress and Professor Silas Cerqueira of the University of Portugal and Member of the Board of the Gaddafi Prize Committee."

"... While Clyde focused on the home front, Vernon became a leader of AIM's work abroad, meeting with controversial leaders such as Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega, Libya's Moammar Gadhafi and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. As recently as four weeks ago, he was in Venezuela to talk with President Hugo Chavez about his program for providing heating assistance to American Indian tribes."

Read more:
http://www.channer.tv/wednesday.htm,%2003-09-11%20OK%20new.htm



AMERICAN INDIAN MOVEMENT GRAND GOVERNING COUNCIL
MINISTRY FOR INFORMATION
P.O. Box 13521
Minneapolis MN 55414
612/ 721-3914 . fax 612/ 721-7826
Email: aimggc@worldnet.att.net
Web Address: www.aimovement.org

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War in Libya

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March 30, 2011
The American Indian Movement supports the statement A-APRP Statement from the All African Peoples Revolutionary Party (GC) in regard to Libya, and the foundation that leaders, Kwame Ture of the A-APRP, and Vernon Bellecourt of the American Indian Movement solidified in regard to supporting actions against Africa, which includes Libya.

Delegates of the American Indian Movement, and the International Indian Treaty Council visited Libya on several occasions taking part in symposiums organized by Libyan revolutionary committees. In 1986 we participated along with the A-APRP (All African Peoples Revolutionary Party) in traveling to Libya in opposition to President Reagan's travel ban. We are opposed to the military aggression by the United States against a sovereign country. Bombs are indiscriminate, and we have yet to hear the atrocities that these bombs have caused on the civilian population in Libya.

The United States along with partner countries, France, Italy, Germany, and Great Britain do not possess the moral high ground to act as defenders of human rights. This isn’t so much about defending human rights as it is defending economic interests, and strategic interests. President Obama said in his speech on March 28th that the bombing of Libya “prevented a potential massacre.” As victims of violence, U.S. aggression on our lands, chemical warfare, theft of our natural resources at the hands of the colonial U.S. government, we don’t know if the U.S. has really prevented anything in Libya.

The bombing of Libya must stop. Libya and its leader Moammar Ghaddafi or "the Leader" as many people in Libya call him, is a sovereign nation in which the U.S. has no business interfering in, or using its bogus excuse of saving civilians, when the real reason for bombing Libya and trying to kill its leader is to obtain its rich oil rights and revenues, and continue the operations of U.S. and European oil companies in Libya. If we continue on this blind need for high octane energy, we will see more destruction of the earth, and its inhabitants.

Ghaddafi's crime is not of being a ruthless dictator, as the U.S. has successfully convinced the world of, but of openly denouncing imperialism by Europe and the U.S. when he successfully took back his country from a ruthless monarchy in 1969, and kicked out all of the European and U.S. military, and took over his country’s oil resources and revenues. He has never backed down from his hatred of imperialism.

The excuse for starting a war in Iraq was based on lies and media manipulation. Ghaddafi is no more a dictator than George W. Bush. Millions of civilians were killed and murdered during the Iraq invasion, where was the outcry? What about Abu-Graib, water boarding, Guantanamo Bay, the Patriot Act, these acts surly are not acts of a caring democracy who wants to see peace in this world. What we have in the United States is not a democracy but a corporatocracy, the U.S. is not led by the people, but by rich corporations in which its leaders manipulate, pay and buy votes in Congress in order for their companies to pay no taxes and their CEO's to get richer while the middle class is becoming extinct. Why do Americans continue to allow this country to start wars which cost trillions of dollars while domestic jobs are going overseas and our ability to work, stay in our homes and pay for medical insurance becomes impossible, and has made millions of once working middle class people become helpless, homeless and poor?

Russell Means relationship with Libya in US intelligence files. Operation Chaos targeted American Indian Movement:
https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2016/01/operation-chaos-targeted-american.html

The last speech of Mu'ummar Qaddafi

" ... I did all I could to help people Understand the concept of real democracy, where people's committees ran our country. But that was never enough, as some told me, even people who had 10 room homes, new suits and furniture, were never satisfied, as selfish as they were they wanted more. They told Americans and other visitors, that they needed 'democracy' and "freedom" never realizing it was a cut throat system, where the biggest dog eats the rest, but they were enchanted with those words, never realizing that in America, there was no free medicine, no free hospitals, no free housing, no free education and no free food, except when people had to beg or go to long lines to get soup ..." http://www.jamiiforums.com/international-forum/710194-the-last-speech-of-muummar-qaddafi.html