Why I like them

In the article "20 Annoying Things about 2007," Stephen Pizzo declares that he is sick of "TV ads with American Indians telling me that their casinos are making life better for everyone, not just the ten members of their tribe." Well, I disagree, and I want to explain why.

I think I saw that same ad and I liked it, a lot. Not because I have any "white guilt," but because it is good news for the American Indian community. I'm not Native American - I didn't even meet any Native Americans until I got to college. But I've studied and give a shit about American Indian communities. Furthermore, I know that the American Indian Movement/Fight/Life/Experience is not mine. My role is to listen, understand, and support. Using anything, even casinos, to fund education and development by, for, and of American Indians is good news, period.

In a broader sense, it gives me hope for society. Maybe the improvements there will influence the rest of us, but mostly, it reminds me that some societies, somewhere, are doing something right. Hope is not lost, things can get better. That's what I feel when I see those ads, even if they are ripping us off in casinos. I know, and we all have to realize that American Indians see casinos as a means to more. More development, leading to a real thriving economy.

Also, I hardly expect American Indians to give a damn about white people. Centuries of manipulation, discrimination, and depopulation are hardly forgotten in less than a generation, especially when white people are still so ignorant of American Indians. I am encouraged when I hear Native Americans on radio and tv ads in Wisconsin tell everyone about the possibility and danger of gambling addiction. It means they give a shit, and I feel really good to hear that.