ABSTRACT
One of the most controversial issues in American Indian communities today is gambling. Some have called gaming the "new buffalo," touting it as something that could help to restore American Indians to their former pre-contact status. Studies have begun to be done looking at the economic impact of gaming on Indian communities and their
© 1999 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved. 23
surrounding environments but virtually no studies have looked at the social impact that gaming is having on these communities nor the potential long term impact on cultural traditions. This study is a first step in documenting the impact that the introduction of gaming has had on the residents of one reservation in northern Minnesota. Recommendations for tribal and mainstream policy makers are given.
