If there is a cultural problem [on American Indian reservations], it’s the culture of dependency that the federal government and the tribal governments have created. Whether it’s money from Washington to pay for housing or food or fuel costs, or whether it’s annuities coming from gaming endeavors, it has caused more problems than it has solved. And these funds haven’t done much to alleviate the suffering of individual Indians. Except for the wealthiest of the casino owners, most Indians still live in poverty, with little access to good education, health care, or jobs.

The leaders of Indian nations often mean well. They believe that more revenue will fix their schools, their homes, and even their families. But it hasn’t.

The New Trail of Tears, by Naomi Schaefer Riley, p. 179