Cultivating new opportunities - Tribal government gaming on the Pechanga reservation

This case study of Indian gaming's genesis and development on the Pechanga Reservation highlights profound changes made possible by a coordinated strategy of nation building and economic development in Indian Country. It also highlights the profound influence of coordinating intertribal political and economic initiatives. Examining one tribe's particular experience with Indian gaming provides insight into the ways federal and state policies actually "play out" at the tribal level. Economic and institutional development at Pechanga has resulted in rapid and profound changes in the quality of life on the reservation. Today, the Pechanga government's gaming and resort revenues have allowed the tribe to effectively eliminate its reliance on other governments and create opportunities that benefit the entire region. The results are a sense of independence and self-determination among Pechanga citizens and productive and mutually supportive relations with surrounding communities where once there was very little positive interaction between the tribe and its neighbors.