WHEREAS, we, the members of the National Congress of American Indians of the United States, invoking the divine blessing of the Creator upon our efforts and purposes, in order to preserve for ourselves and our descendants the inherent sovereign rights of our Indian nations, rights secured under Indian treaties and agreements with the United States, and all other rights and benefits to which we are entitled under the laws and Constitution of the United States to enlighten the public toward a better understanding of the Indian people, to preserve Indian cultural values, and otherwise promote the welfare of the Indian people, do hereby establish and submit the following resolution; and

WHEREAS, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) is the oldest and largest national organization established in 1944 and comprised of representatives of and advocates for national, regional, and local Tribal concerns; and

WHEREAS, the health, safety, welfare, education, economic and employment opportunity, and preservation of cultural and natural resources are primary goals and objectives of NCAI; and,

WHEREAS, H.R. 3125 and S. 692 violate the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution by providing carve-outs for private sector gambling interests, such as horse and dog racing and jai-alai, but at the same time does not provide these exact same carve-outs to legitimate Indian Tribal government gaming; and

WHEREAS, by excluding Tribes from these carve-outs, Tribes will be at a tremendous competitive disadvantage because they will be unable to utilize the Internet to expand player participation like their non-Tribal counterparts, and Tribes will be precluded from fully participating in Internet opportunities and the new economy; and

WHEREAS, H.R. 3125 and S.692 make conducting legal Indian Tribal Class II Bingo over the Internet illegal, even though the IGRA specifically includes the expansion of Class II Bingo participation through the use of technology such as the Internet, and further, IGRA encouraged Tribes to develop these games in its legislative history; and

WHEREAS, H.R. 3125 and S. 692 deliberately take away otherwise legal Class II Bingo from Indian Tribes, but at the same time expand otherwise illegal in-home Internet gambling for non-Indian private gaming interest by allowing gambling on-line that is not currently allowed;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NCAI does hereby oppose H.R. 3125 and S.692 because they mortgage the future of Indian Tribes by disallowing them to participate in the new economy.

The foregoing resolution was adopted at the 2000 Mid-Year Session of the National Congress of American Indians, held at the Centennial Hall in Juneau, Alaska on June 25-28, 2000 with a quorum present.

_____________________________

Susan Masten, President

Juana Majel, Recording Secretary

Adopted by the General Assembly during the 2000 Mid-Year Session of the National Congress of American Indians, held at the Centennial Hall in Juneau, Alaska on June 25-28, 2000.