I am a member of the Mohawk Nation in northern New York state but I reside with my wife, an Oneida, on the Oneida Iroquois Territory east of Syracuse. Both places have had commercial casinos in operation for the past few years that have given our people an opportunity to assess gambling’s benefits and costs.

Traditional Iroquois law expressly prohibits gambling since it is a vice that exploits those at highest financial risk. The opposition to gambling here has been intense and deadly as we have come to blows about whether we should permit this activity to eclipse our land claims and indigenous culture. Those fears have come to pass.

Casino advocates such as Thomas Tureen are doing the people of Maine a grave disservice by refusing to acknowledge the serious problems gambling has brought to many Indian nations; this while he stands to add to his existing wealth by exploiting Indian people by his lucrative “consultant” contracts.

Not only have the Iroquois suffered physical conflict but the pro-casino factions among us have now secured political power with the compliance of New York officials and have actively suppressed our human rights by penalizing those who challenge gambling.

In our area the casinos have made a very few people (most of who are non-Indian) filthy rich while most of our people flirt with poverty. The supposed “benefits” such as housing, jobs and education are doled out, according to one’s political compliance.

Our sad experiences with casino gambling would compel the Iroquois to appeal to the voters of Maine to reject the gaming initiative. Don’t be fooled by Tureen and his cohorts: Gambling will not help Native people. It is just another trick by unscrupulous operatives to strip Native people of what little we have left.

Doug George-Kanentiio

Oneida Castle, N.Y.