Facts or Myths

Historically, there has been very little written and taught about Native Americans by Native Americans in this country. This vacuum of direct information has often been filled with myth and has been the cause of many misconceptions about Native American history and who Native Americans are today.

Our Facts & Myths section addresses some of the many misconceptions about Native Americans in general, and the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians. It provides factual information about History, Culture, Our People, Tribal Government, and Tribal Economy.

Facts or Myths?

Pechanga History: Fact or Myth?

There are many misconceptions about the history of Indian Country and, more specifically, the history of the Pechanga people. This is due in large part to the inaccurate and somewhat biased historical documentation from which many of us learn our historical references.

Below we share some of the facts about our tribal history and how these facts compare to the myths that many have been led to believe. To learn more, we recommend reading any of the following pieces of literature, some of which have been used as sources for this section of our site:

  • Indian Tribes as Sovereign Governments: A Sourcebook on Federal-Tribal History, Law and Policy (1999) by the American Indian Lawyer Training Program
    • Handbook of the Indians of California (1976) by A.L. Kroeber
    • Tribes, Treaties, & Constitutional Tribulations by Vine Deloria, Jr. and David E. Wilkins
    • American Indian Sovereignty and the U.S. Supreme Court: The Masking of Justice by David E. Wilkins
    • Gold, Greed & Genocide by Pratap Chatterjee for Project Underground, permissions for quotes or citations used on this site granted by the author
    • United States Census, 1900
    • An Act for the Government and Protection of Indians, April 22, 1850 (Chapter 133, Statutes of California, April 22, 1850) transcribed by Russell Imrie
    • Ammendments to An Act for the Government and Protection of Indians (approved 1860) transcribed by Russell Imrie
    • SCAG: Southern California Association of Governments, Cultural Resources DRAFT 2004 Regional T Transportation Plan (RTP) Progam Environmental Impact Report (PEIR), December 2003
    • 18 Unratified Treaties with California Tribes information cited with permission
    • Columbia University Press
    • Native Languages of the Americas:Preserving and promoting American Indian languages
    • Burke Museum of Natural History and Cultural
    • Native Circle
    • The United States Mint
    • Ship of Gold
    • Report 2, from Edward F. Beal, Superintendent of Indian Affairs for California to the Honorable L. Lea, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Washington DC on May 11, 1852

FACT

We, the Pechanga people, have called this land home for more than 10,000 years. Since time immemorial, through periods of plenty, scarcity and adversity, we have governed and cared for ourselves and our lands, ever evolving to meet changing times and conditions.

MYTH

The Tribes original to Temecula Valley no longer exist

FACT

In 1798 Spanish Missionaries founded the Mission of San Luis Rey de Francia, dramatically altering our tribal life, pressing Pechanga people into servitude, slavery and imprisonment. The Roman Catholic Church established ranchos that encompassed the native villages and pressed our people into serving the mission

MYTH

Interactions between the Spanish Missionaries and Payômkawichum "Western People" were intended as beneficial.

FACT

Since before California's statehood, the Pechanga Band of Indians had been recognized by outsiders as "most thrifty and industrious." We maintained our homelands and economic self-sufficiency and this was noted by initial visitors to our lands since their first encounters with us, for instance, a newspaper article dated 1875 noted our work ethic going all the way back to the 1830's. California received statehood on September 9, 1850. By the 1870's a handful of California citizens took legal action under the California Land Claims Act against the Pechanga Band that resulted in the eviction of tribal members from their ancestral homelands and agricultural economic bases.

MYTH

California statehood brought new and more just economic opportunities for Pechanga tribal members.

FACT

During the 1800's, Payômkawichum Tribal leaders were literate and skilled not only in their own language and culture, but were also multi-lingual in English, Spanish and possessed the ability to read and write the English language during a time when the majority of American citizens struggled with basic reading and writing literacy. Despite being literate enough to represent themselves well, Pechanga Tribal leaders faced federal and state legislative barriers resulting in a historical lack of access to legal processes for defining and securing Tribal assets.

MYTH

Pechanga tribal members lack the education and skills to create meaningful and appropriate economic opportunities until recently with gaming.

FACT

Native-developed educational processes tend to work better for Native American people than non-native curricula. Often eager and capable of high scholastic achievements, many Native American people have experienced difficulties at the hands of the nonnative educational process. In Payômkawichum "Western People" history examples of educational barriers were noted by non-native observers as far back as the 1800's.

MYTH

Non-native educational processes have always been beneficial for American Indian people.

FACT

Non-native friends have helped us advocate for the sovereignty and well-being of the Pechanga Band of Indians at times throughout our history. In 1883 noted non-native author, Helen Hunt Jackson, advocated successfully on the part of Pechanga with the federal government. More recently in the 1990's nonnative friends helped us regain our Great Oak and surrounding lands culminating in their restoration in 2003.

MYTH

The Pechanga Band has had to struggle alone without the help of non-native allies.

FACT

One of the treaties with the United States to legally recognize our tribal sovereignty was the Treaty of January 3, 1863, which defined Temecula Valley as part of the lands of the Luiseño and Dieguiño Indian people. Another, the Treaty at the Village of Temecula was one of eighteen treaties made with tribes throughout California in the early 1850's by the United States. Though agreed to by Native and United States representatives, the Treaty was never ratified by the United States Senate.

MYTH

Temecula Valley was never recognized as the Pechanga homelands by any Treaty with the United States.

FACT

State and federal laws or policies are often contradictory when it comes to the well-being of American Indian people. An example is the 1873 decree of ejectment issued by courts of the state of California against the Payômkawichum "Western People" forcing them to leave their homelands, and the subsequent reinstatement of a small portion of the original Pechanga homelands by Presidential Executive Order. Policies toward Pechanga and many other Tribal Nations may be driven by non-native individual, corporate or state special interests, rather than the will of the general public as a whole. Special interests with access to court, legislative or political influence have often created conflict with adherence by the United States federal government to legally binding treaty or other agreements.

MYTH

Federal and state policies toward the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians have always occurred in a logical, fair and cohesive fashion.

FACT

Balanced self-reliance and self-determination and the ability to overcome hardships with creativity and hard work have always been a part of the Pechanga way of life.

MYTH

American Indian people have a dependency on the federal or state government for their well-being because they don't know how to effectively manage their own resources.

FACT

Since the beginning of time our leaders have led our people based on the powers attributed to them from Payômkawichum "Western People". For well over a century our tribal sovereignty has been affirmed by the United States federal government. In 1882, the Executive Order of the President of the United States affirmed the pre-existing sovereignty of the Pechanga Band. Our Tribal sovereignty and the inherent right to self-government existed before the creation of the United States or the state of California and cannot be legislated away.

MYTH

The Pechanga Band of Indians' current form of tribal government is a recent phenomenon.

California Treaties

The Treaty at the Village of Temecula was made by on behalf of the United States with the Pechanga tribe on September 18, 1851. Commissioner O.M. Wozencraft signed the Treaty of Temecula as one of three commissioners appointed under the California Land Claims Act by the President Fillmore of the United States, and authorized and funded by the United States Senate to negotiate treaties on September 50, 1850. The Treaty of Temecula was one of eighteen treaties presented to the U.S. Senate for ratification on July 8, 1852.

After being held in secrecy for over fifty years on the orders of the United States Senate the treaties became available to the public domain in 1905. During the same time period hundreds of thousands of Native American lives in California were lost.

Without the protections provided by ratified treaties, California's Indian Tribes and their peoples were in a legal 'no-man's land.' The federal acknowledgement of a Tribe's legal 'right to exist' was hidden at the instruction of the Senate by ordering the Treaty Made and Concluded at the Village of Temecula, along with 17 others, to be held in secret for 50 years. In the meanwhile, state laws made it possible for all California native people to be legally exterminated, and/or enslaved. The application of state laws regarding land claims, without the clear legal claims to Native homelands that were ordered hidden in the "18 Lost Treaties," made it possible for individuals and businesses to apply for and gain title to Native American lands without having to address issues of Tribal sovereignty and claim. A process such as this resulted in our people, Payomkawichum , Western People, being evicted from our homelands in the 1870's. While our Tribal homelands were restored by Presidential Executive Order in 1882, in California many millions of acres of lands were gained by the state and by individuals and corporations gaining title from the state during the 1850's - 1900's.

"Taken all together, one cannot imagine a more poorly conceived, more inaccurate, less informed: and less democratic process than the making of the 18 treaties in 1851-52 with the California Indians. It was a farce from beginning to end: though apparently the Commissioners: President Fillmore and the members of the United States Senate were quite unaware of that. The alternative is that all of these were simply going through motions in a matter which did not in the slightest degree really concern them. What better evidence of the latter possibility do we require than the fact that the Senate rejected on July 8,1852 the very treaties it had itself authorized and appropriated funds for their negotiation on September 29, 1850 ." -- Robert F. Heizer, Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, Stanford

It may be coincidental that in 1850:

  • California gained statehood gained statehood into the Union in September
  • The US Senate appropriated funds for the negotiations of treaties with the California Tribes in September
  • The President of the United States authorized treaty negotiations with California Tribes
  • The President of the United States authorized the creation of the San Francisco Mint to mint coins for the federal government

It may be coincidental that in the ensuing two years 1850-1852:

  • The state of California created laws to authorize and pay for the extermination of California Indians or to provide for their enslavement
  • The federal government continued to pay for the negotiation of treaties with California Indians that were not yet exterminated or enslaved
  • California land claims laws were created that provided barriers to Native people to file
  • The US Senate refused to ratify treaties affirming the legal standing of California Tribes and ordered the treaties hidden

It may be coincidental that by 1853 and for decades afterward:

  • California Indians had no protections from the federal government resulting from legitimate treaty negotiations
  • The law left to 'protect' California Indians was California state law and California state law provided for their legal extermination, enslavement and/or the 'legal' dispossession of their lands
  • Millions upon millions of dollars of gold was exported from California for ultimate use in federal Mints in Philadelphia and San Francisco

Fifteen of these treaties made were:

  • Treaty at Camp Belt, Signed May 13, 1851, Commissioner George W. Barbour
  • Treaty at Camp Keyes, Signed May 30, 1851, Commissioner George W. Barbour
  • Treaty at Camp Buron, Signed June 3, 1851, Commissioner George W. Barbour
  • Treaty at Camp Persifer F. Smith, Signed June 10, 1851, Commissioner George W. Barbour
  • Treaty at Dent's and Vantine's Crossings, Signed May 28, 1851, Commissioner O.M. Wozencraft
  • Treaty at Camp Union, Signed July 18, 1851, Commissioner O.M. Wozencraft
  • Treaty at Bidwell's Ranch, Signed August 1, 1851, Commissioner O.M. Wozencraft
  • Treaty at Camp Colus, Signed September 8, 1851, Commissioner O.M. Wozencraft
  • treaty at the Village of Temecula, Signed January 5, 1852, Commissioner O.M. Wozencraft
  • Treaty at the Village of Santa Isabel, Signed January 7, 1852, Commissioner O.M. Wozencraft
  • Treaty at Camp Fremont, Signed March 19, 1851, Commissioners Redick McKee, George W. Barbor and O.M. Wozencraft
  • Treaty at Camp Barbour, Signed April 29, 1851, Commissioners Redick McKee, George W. Barbour and O.M. Wozencraft
  • Treaty at Camp Lu-pi-yu-ma, Signed August 20, 1851, Commissioner Redick McKee
  • Treaty at Camp Klamath (Lower Klamath), Signed October 6, 1851, Commissioner Redick McKee
  • Treaty at Camp in Scott's Valley (Upper Klamath), Signed November 4, 1851, Redick McKee

California History: State & Federal Indian Policy

"I regard the other provisions of the treaties, although they be considered novel in their character, as both suitable and appropriate the wants and desires of the Indians. The supply of beef-cattle for present or temporary subsistence being limited, the comparative consention given them for the extinguishment of their title to their lands: be justly considered as trifling in amount..."

In 1849 Gold was discovered in California. In 1850 California obtained statehood. Within the first two years of statehood, California created laws designed to exterminate or enslave the Native peoples within its borders. Native American ownership of the vast majority of 'California' lands was an impediment to the economic benefits the state sought, and individual, corporate or federal interests sought, to obtain from the lands.

During the same time period of 1850-52, the President of the United States authorized a series of treaty negotiations designed to remove Native American occupancy and claim to their California homelands. This series of treaty negotiations was unique in that the treaties negotiated offered far less in 'benefits' to Tribes than any that had been historically offered in previous treaties ratified by the United States and Tribal Nations. Important to our Pechanga history, The Treaty Made and Concluded at the Village of Temecula, on January 7, 1852 was among the treaties negotiated. So few benefits were offered for the relinquishment by California Tribes of vast millions of acres of California's most valuable lands to the United States that it was commented upon and justified in report to the United States Senate in 1852. A primary focus of treaty negotiations was to assure that access to gold exports from California were assured, as excerpts from an 1852 report to the Senate on the treaty negotiations illustrate:
"Admitting, however, that some of these reservations contain gold enough to add a few thousands even, to the many millions taken from the soil, I ask, is it not expedient and politic to permit them (the Tribes) to take them (the reservations)?"

"During the Indian war of last spring, whole mining districts were abandoned, and, although unacquainted with the statistics of the State, I will venture the remark that the exports of gold were less by millions during that period than during the months immediately succeeding. If this was the result of a war with a very few tribes, what may be considered as the effects of a war with the entire Indian population of California" Popular feeling prejudicial to the treaties has been assigned as a reason for their rejection, and cannot the question be properly and naturally asked, will popular feeling point out a substitute, I venture the prediction in this matter, that an entire change in popular feeling will take place, at least among such as regard the Indians as having a right even to a bare and scanty living."

"To those who regard the stipulations of these treaties as novel, I would simply remark, that beef and flour are but substitutes for annuities in money, powder, lead, and guns, and that while the treasury is being drawn upon annually to fulfill the obligations of other treaties, these supplies are to cease after the short term of two or three years."

- EDWARD F. BEAL, Superintendent Indian Affairs for California. Hon. L. Lea, Commissioner of Indian Affairs. Washington City, D.C., May 11, 1852

The US Senate did not ratify the treaties. Negotiated in good faith by Tribes, and at little relative cost by federal negotiators, the US Senate decided instead to order the treaties and the evidence they confirmed of Tribal land rights in California to be hidden in secret for 60 years. The result for California tribal members was that they had little protection from the state of California's legislation and court systems encouraging Native American extermination, slavery, and the dispossession of Native homelands. This continued for all of the late 1800's and well into the 1900's. Conversely, during the late 1800?s tens of millions of dollars worth of gold annually was exported from California, much of it to the east coast of the United States where it was converted into coins by the federal government's Philadelphia Mint. Other coins were minted by authorization of an 1850 Presidential Order at the San Francisco Mint.

Educational Processes

"A Government school has been opened here within the past year, and the scholars have made good progress. We found, however, much unpleasant feeling among the Indians in regard to the teacher of this school, owing to his having a few years before driven off four Indian families from their lands at Pala, and patented the lands to himself. There were also other rumors seriously affecting his moral character, which led us to make the suggestion in regard to the employment of female teachers in these Indian schools. As one of the Indians forcibly said, to set such men as this over schools was like setting the wolf to take care of the lambs."

From: Helen Hunt Jackson, Eyewitness Story; Additional educational source: Intergenerational Trauma and Historical Grief in American Indians: A Review of Conceptualizations from Dr. Maria Yellow Horse Brave Heart, by Melanie Ottenbacher

Native American Adversity in California

Upon the birth of the state of California, one administrative actions was to create a state fund to pay per head or scalp of each Native American person exterminated. The fund paid $1 million for such services at prices said to range from 25 cents per scalp, to $5 per severed head.

Other practices encouraged under California state law included legislation in 1850 An Act for the Governance and Protection of Indians April 22, 1850 and amending legislation in 1860 Amendments to Act of April 1850 (approved 1860) that permitted the trafficking in Native people as slaves. The practice was understated as "authorizing [the white person] to have the care, custody, control and earnings of such [Indian] minor until he or she obtain the age of majority." In the late 1800's, more than 4,000 Native American children were sold into slavery — prices ranged from $60 for a boy, to $200 for a girl.

Spanish Missionaries Found California Missions

Approximately 20 missions were founded by Spanish Missionaries during the late 1700's as it became apparent to Spain that other European interests were also wanting to claim the land now known as California.

The Mission of San Luis Rey de Francia was founded near Temecula in 1798. They began the practice of identifying California's aboriginal peoples by Spanish names, and so we Pechanga people came to be called 'san Luiseño' or 'Luiseño' Indians from this time forward.

Spanish Missions and Political Intent

A 2003 report by the state of California indicates that the primary intent of Spanish Missions and forts was to expand European "ownership" of lands in North America and to protect the presumed "ownership" from encroachment by other Europeans. Spanish Period (1769-1822) "Exploration of California first occurred in 1540 when a land expedition under the command of Hernando de Alarcon traversed inland along the Colorado River. Two years later, Juan Rodriquez Cabrillo was commissioned by the Spanish government to investigate the western shores of the newly acquired territory.

In the following two centuries, little interest was given to California. By the late 18th Century, European political powers created renewed interest in California. Military "explorers" from Great Britain, France and Russia began investigating the resources along the western shores of the entire North American continent. The Spanish government, realizing that settlement by any of these foreign parties north of Mexico could become a threat, decided it was time to establish their own settlements in California.

In 1769, plans were put in place to found a series of forts (presidios) and Catholic missions along the Alta California coast extending as far north as Monterey Bay... Over the course of the next half-century, four presidios, twenty missions and three towns were established. The forts were located at San Diego, Santa Barbara, Monterey and San Francisco. The towns were founded at Los Angeles (1781), San Jose (1777) and Branciforte (1797), near Santa Cruz." — SCAG — Southern California Association of Governments, Cultural Resources DRAFT 2004 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) Progam Environmental Impact Report (PEIR), December 2003

 

Our People: Fact or Myth?

From where we live to how we dress, many people have preconceived notions about Native Americans that are often incorrect. Read below to learn more about our people.

FACT

Subsistence skills and traditional knowledge are very important to our cultural heritage today and in our past. However, in addition to knowing our traditional ways, Pechanga Band tribal members hold a variety of professional positions within and outside of our tribal government and reservation area. Some professions we serve include: Tribal Government Education Law Enforcement Military (Officers and Enlisted) Medical Resource Management Museum Management Resort & Facilities Management Human Resources Management Public Relations Economic Development Legal Environmental Management Casino

MYTH

"Real" Native Americans live by the land, hunting and gathering all day to earn their living.

FACT

Pechanga Tribal members may live on or near our Band's reservation, or may just as easily and appropriately live in surrounding urban communities, across the United States or abroad. Nationally approximately half of tribally enrolled people live on or near reservations and approximately half live off-reservation. In the case of Pechanga approximately 50% of our tribe live on or near the reservation.

MYTH

All Native Americans live on reservations — if you meet a person living in a city or suburb it follows that they couldn't really be Native American.

FACT

Today, Pechanga tribal members excel in many academic areas and our members include doctoral candidates, graduate students, those studying at the bachelor's level, along with those attending technical or other studies. We are proud to be able to provide increased educational opportunities and support to our members. We realize only 40 years ago US Census figures showed that less than 4% of all Native American people graduated from high school. Through the self-reliance and determination of many Indian people — times have changed. And so it is with us at Pechanga.

MYTH

Native American people don't achieve high academic accomplishment.

FACT

Pechanga Tribal members, whether our youth, our adults or our elders (Silver Feathers) contribute volunteer hours to a variety of organizations and causes both within our tribal community and to neighboring efforts, locally, regionally and nationally.

MYTH

Native American people are not very active in community building efforts and are rather passive.

FACT

Tribes with significant gaming revenues often immediately share charitable contributions with nonnative neighboring communities, and others regionally and nationally. Corporate interests in the United States had almost 150 years of development before formalized philanthropy became a part of their civic responsibilities with the advent of the nonprofit sector in the early 1900's. Conversely, Native American business enterprise success had translated into nearly immediate philanthropic support to a variety of community efforts. The most recent data shows that Tribal Nations across the country give over $80 Million in charitable contributions alone. Read more about Pechanga Tribal Impact.

MYTH

Tribes do not contribute anything to the benefit of their neighboring communities.

Pechanga Tribal Culture: Fact or Myth?

FACT

Pechanga Tribal members purchase clothing from stores and dress in generally the same way as their nonnative Southern California neighbors. Traditional Pechanga dress rested on our use of materials provided naturally by the lands we have always inhabited. We used the fibers we created from the natural resources of our land.

MYTH

"Real" Native Americans wear feathers, buckskin and beads.

FACT

Housing for most Tribal members today reflects that of usual neighborhood construction. Traditional Pechanga housing rested on our use of materials provided naturally by the lands we have always inhabited.

MYTH

"Real" Native Americans live in Tipis.

FACT

Our Pechanga homelands, the Great Oak, the Canyon, and all that our lands encompass and provide carry a meaning that goes beyond the physical possession of the land. See info at Traditional Sites.

MYTH

There is no significant difference between the way Native Americans and nonnatives value, use or care for land or resources.

FACT

At Pechanga our musical traditions do not include drums; they include our Rattlemaking and our Bird Songs.

MYTH

All Native Americans pound on drums when they sing their traditional songs.

FACT

The Great Oak of the Pechanga Band and the land that surrounds it (the Ranch) is eligible for inclusion in the United State's National Register of Historic Places. It is a historical treasure maintained for the Pechanga people, and of historical significance to all Americans. Our traditional basketry is sought by many nonnative museums for inclusion in their collections and Pechanga's monitors guide expert archeologists in the treatment of Pechanga artifacts.

MYTH

Pechanga's cultural treasures have little historical importance to those outside the Band.

Tribal Government: Fact or Myth?

Many in our country do not understand that Indian tribal sovereignty is inherent. Below we try to dispel some of the myths surrounding Tribal Government and what it means to be a sovereign nation.

FACT

A review of Federal Grants Notices from April — July 2004 showed that Tribes are ineligible to apply for anywhere from 30% to over 50% of federal grants for which states, municipalities, nonprofits, individuals, businesses or others may apply.

MYTH

Tribal Governments receive an inordinate amount of special grants from the Federal Government.

FACT

Tribal governments bear similar responsibilities as both municipalities and as states, yet often fulfill their obligations without the equal access to revenues from tax-bases, economic investment or revenue sharing from the federal government that municipalities or states enjoy.

MYTH

Tribal governments are not really governmental entities like municipalities or states.

FACT

Tribal governments often serve populations with poverty rates of 25% or more. Health and dental care at many reservations is often not easily available. Urban Indian health services are also often operating with little resources to serve high risk and often impoverished populations for diabetes, cancer, heart disease and other ailments. At Pechanga, since the advent of gaming, the rate of tribal poverty has been reduced. Our tribal members now have access to adequate health benefits.

MYTH

Tribal governments just give 'extra' services to tribal members that they can get at other institutions.

FACT

For well over a century Pechanga tribal sovereignty and the inherent right to self-government that existed before the creation of the United States has been affirmed by the federal government. In 1882, the Executive Order of the President of the United States, restored recognition or our sovereignty over our homelands. We elect our Tribal Chair, Council and other governmental positions in elections held every two years.

MYTH

The Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians current form of government is a recent phenomenon.

FACT

Pechanga tribal government has worked successfully and with bi-partisan support of local, state and federal leaders on a variety of issues. For example, in April 2003, supporters including U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer, U.S. Representatives Mary Bono, Darrell Issa and Dale Kildee, State Senators James L. Brulte and Dennis Hollingsworth and Assembly Member Bill Leonard all took part in the successful effort of the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians to regain more than 700 acres of their homeland now known as the Great Oak Ranch. Tribal leaders serve on many national or regional organizations or committees addressing a variety of issues to benefit both Native and non-native peoples.

MYTH

Pechanga's tribal government has little in common with nonnative neighbors and rarely works within broader alliances.

Tribal Economy: Fact or Myth?

While gaming is a significant revenue stream for some tribes, it is not the only source of revenue being pursued by Pechanga. The information below will share with you our focus on economic diversity and our efforts to use our revenue for the betterment of our people and the community at large.

FACT

There are over 560 federally recognized Tribes in the United States and hundreds of other state recognized Tribes. Nearly half do not have gaming at all. In California, 52 Tribes have gaming out of hundreds in the state.

MYTH

All American Indian Tribes have gaming.

FACT

Indian gaming does help diminish the poverty rate of Native people, often by providing decent work, benefits and community infrastructure. It is not a guarantee of individual wealth. The current national poverty rate among Native American people in the United States is high, with nearly one in four living below the poverty level, according to the 2000 US Census. 13% of tribal nations with gaming represent over 60% of annual gaming revenues nationally, while 130 tribes with gaming earned only 2% of total Indian gaming revenues.

MYTH

All Tribes with gaming are rich, and all their members are rich.

FACT

Tribes are not private businesses, they are governmental businesses. Sovereign Tribal governments, like private states, have the ability to allow gaming operations, such as lotteries, within their borders and to use portions of revenues generated from gaming to help provide essential services to their citizens. Even so, there are differences. For instance, states are never mandated to share revenues with other states. Tribes, however, are often mandated via the compact process to provide portions of revenue to a state's general fund.

MYTH

Tribes operating Casinos are private businesses.

FACT

Tribal members do pay taxes: those who work off-reservation, or outside of direct tribal government, pay the same income, property and sales taxes that any other American citizen pays. Tribal Governments, like individual states, municipalities, and other units of government are not required to pay corporate taxes to each other. However, gaming Tribes in California are required to pay into state-controlled funds that benefit local communities, the state, and non-gaming tribes. Read more about Tribal community contributions on Economic Impact

MYTH

Tribes don't pay taxes and therefore don't contribute to the well-being of their state or surrounding area.

FACT

Pechanga Tribal members may live on or near our Band's reservation, or may just as easily and appropriately live in surrounding urban communities, across the United States or abroad. Nationally approximately half of tribally enrolled people live on or near reservations and approximately half live off-reservation. In the case of Pechanga approximately 50% of our tribe live on or near the reservation.

MYTH

Tribes with gaming don't provide economic benefits to non-natives, or to their neighboring communities.
 

 

b Pueska