→ Prop 26 would authorize sports betting at 66 tribal casinos, and 4 horse racetracks in the state.

Before California was established as a state—well before its territory was claimed by the Spanish Empire, and then Mexico, and then the United States—California was home to over a hundred different Indigenous tribes. And they’re still here. Living, breathing, and fighting for their rights, their culture, and their existence.

It’s a tradition when we come together in progressive spaces, and when we introduce where we’re from, that we give name and respect to the region as it was originally known to the people who made their home there. Kumeyaay. Tongva. Ohlone. Miwok. We do this to remind ourselves of the injustice of the stolen land, and all the further injustices that came out of this first theft. And we do this to pay deference and respect to our Indigenous sisters and brothers.

In the spirit of paying respect to the people who make up these diverse tribes, ACCE remains neutral on Prop 26. It is not our right or purview to dictate the destiny of California’s Native Peoples. Rather Native Peoples should have determination over their own destiny, and the option for self-rule and self-regulation. We are clear that Californian tribes are not a monolithic group. Within the tribal community, there exists a diversity of thoughts, feelings, and opinions concerning tribal gambling.

At ACCE, we also acknowledge a diversity of opinion among our own membership as it relates to gambling, casinos, horse race tracks, and the legalization of the betting market. But on this issue, and on this ballot measure, and on this debate, we agree that it should be Native people, and Native voices who are centered, and heard from.