Online gambling has been an Indian tradition for thousands of years!

How dare the white man assume he can regulate it!

I think they'll be careful though. The last time the Quebec police raided a Mohawk blocade at Kanesatake/Oka, One cop was killed in all the shooting that followed (no charges were laid) and there followed a 77 day armed standoff involving 2,000 police and 4,500 Canadian soldiers. I think the Quebec police learned a lesson that time, but they may have forgotten by now. In other words: this could be a problem.

As the first poster said, this cannot be considered "traditional" unless they traditionally were allowed to sell gambling licenses in foreighn countries around the world.

OK, their sale of gambling licenses WITHIN THE PROVINCE even on the internet should be fine (because "on the internet" isn't pertinnent: the same thing could be done without the internet).

As to the idea that this is a hornets nest, all they have to do is take the money from the bank. No need to invade. This is one reason why extra-territorial gambling is different from their traditional systems. It requires actions and enables actions that have no "traditional" counterpart. International money transfer. Cross-territory communication. Government intervention (to ensure that ONLY THEY can do this.

The treaties with these people state that within their (European invader specified) reserves, they are pretty much a sovereign nation. This works for the non-Natives when the First Nations are kept poor and needy. Unfortunately, the non-Native governments seems to have a problem with First Nations making the best of their situation, and have over the years repeatedly stepped in to take away whatever it was the Natives found, be it oil, other natural resources or, in this case, gambling.

I think the sovereign nations of north america (US and Canada) should pool their resources and form a fully capable tribal national guard, including air sea and land combat capabilities. this would make the encroaching governments think twice about their actions...

@yeah, right...

your statement couldnt be more accurate..

Surely natives can't do things better than the White Man? They only just found fire?? How are they beating us? They must be cheating. Yeah, that's it. Just like when they bought out Hard Rock Cafe*. Let's take all their money away, just like we did their land, water, buffalo, dignity... that'll show 'em.

(*now owned by the Seminole tribe)

(for the love of God, please nobody tell me that </sarcasm> tags are really necessary here.....!)

... the indigenous people of Hawaii - how come they have no sovereign territory just because Uncle Sam decided to take over ?

And they lecture us about the Falklands !

Which is why you NEVER see a factory, a corporate headquarters, a tech center, a private medical center; BUT you will see Casinos run by the Mob, while all the tribal leaders drive around in hundred thousand dollar Mercedes or Cadillacs SUVs drunk and high.

There's a "tribe" in Southern California (San Manuel Band of Mission Indians) that runs TV ads proclaiming how their Casinos make big bucks that benefits Californians and the other tribes ... meanwhile another tribe near San Diego, didn't apparently SEE any of that benefit from the San Manuel Casino because during the big November Wild Fires, they didn't have enough Indian Firefighters, or enough firetrucks and the homes in the reservation burnt to the ground! Guess what .. the tribe wants the US Federal Government to "give them some MONEY" aid! Hey San Manuel Band of Mission Indians .... SHOW US THE MONEY!!

Mike Crenshaw said..

"Surely natives can't do things better than the White Man? They only just found fire?? How are they beating us? They must be cheating. "

That would be a valid comment if it was a level playing field. But it's not. The only reason gasoline, cigarettes and gambling work well on reserves is the racist practice of having different rules for aboriginals in Canada and all other Canadians. (yeah racist.. just not towards the people you may assume)

It's easy to have a successful business, compared to others, when you don't have the same costs and ground rules as the others.

Why can't non-aboriginals be tax exempt ? Why can't they get some of the $7 Billion in taxes spent yearly on handouts to aboriginals ?

Why can't non-aboriginals destroy their houses and then complain to the government to get new ones ?

Make people pay the same taxes, give people the same services and stop giving handouts... make things truly equal and you create equality.

For the life of me i don't understand why Canadians who have only been in Canada for 1 generation or less has to pay extra taxes for the rest of their lives for historical BS that was caused by British Government prior to Canada being a nation.