Pioneer Editorial: Tribal visit a first step in partnership

The Bemidji Pioneer

White Earth Tribal Chairwoman Erma Vizenor hailed Thursday as “an historic day” as representatives of three northern tribes met with the Minnesota governor on one of their reservations.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s trip was the first time a Minnesota governor visited the White Earth Reservation, and a long time since a Minnesota governor stepped foot on any northern reservation

going back to the 1980s and Gov. Rudy Perpich.

The opportunity presents itself as a positive step which could bring more economic stability to a region of the state that has been plagued by poverty, high unemployment and serious social needs. But the opportunity needs to be viewed on its merits, not as a bargaining chip for something better.

The problem lies with Pawlenty’s desire to capture some of the lucrative gaming business now enjoyed by many of the state’s tribes through agreements made with the state called compacts. The original agreements, negotiated by Perpich, go in perpetuity and have no ending dates. Pawlenty now wants to reopen them, to gain a portion of the proceeds for a state budget that runs red ink for years. He wants 20 percent of the take, which he estimates at $350 million

a figure disputed by the tribes

in return for which the state would guaran-tee gaming exclusivity to the tribes.

White Earth, Red Lake and Leech Lake propose a partnership with the state in operating a casino in the northern Twin Cities, which would give the state’s poorest tribes access to a lucrative market now enjoyed by some of the state’s wealthiest tribes.

Pawlenty, at last week’s meeting, outlined some “concepts” under which such a partnership could take shape, and are now under consideration by the tribes.

But the measure should be viewed as a separate entity from the governor’s revenue-sharing scheme with the other tribes. The northern tribes have legitimate needs, which can be met with a casino proposal, but their plan should not be an either/or proposal for the state and its relationship with the other tribes.

In fact, Pawlenty had much to learn from his visit

in learning about the education, housing and social challenges each tribe faces and how the state can play a role in forging a partnership in problem-solving. But whether dealing with the three poorest tribes, or the three richest tribes, the state must first honor the government-to-government relationship it has will all tribes.

We view Gov. Pawlenty’s visit Thursday as only the first round in such negotiations, which should also include visits to Red Lake and Leech Lake and part of an overall strategy to understand the challenges each unique tribe faces and what the state can offer.