November 24, 2007

What casinos mean to Indians

New book tells history of California's IndiansHere's a telling quote from an unidentified woman of the Pechanga Reservation in Cabazon:

"In the old days, when an Indian went to town, we were treated like trash. We'd be seated at the back of restaurants and had to sit for a long time before anyone would wait on us. Today we're the largest employer in the county, and when I come to a restaurant or a shop the staff jumps to attention. That's what the casino has meant to me."
Correction:  The Pechanga reservation is in Temecula, California. The Cabazon Band of Mission Indians resides in Indio, California. I don't think there's such a town as "Cabazon."

For more on the subject, see The Facts About Indian Gaming--Benefits.


2 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's sad to read an error in a published book of historical information. Pechanga Reservation is near Temecula, Ca. It would be helpful to know if the unidentified woman making the quote is from Pechanga or Cabazon. The photo below the quote is one of the desert tribes and niether Luiseno or Pechanga was mentioned as a tribe in the Inland Empire. We have the largest Indian-owned and successfully operated casino in the Inland Empire.

Rob said...

I made the same point about the Pechangas being in Temecula, not "Cabazon." But it's possible the reporter made the error, not the authors of the book.

The photo is of Luiseño Indians. At least, I presume it is, since it's just outside the entrance of the casino run by the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians.