NH Indian Commission heads for floor debate

March 8, 2010 - PRLog -- The NH House floor debate on HB1610 has now been scheduled for March 10, 2010.

While a new expanded gambling proposal may be gaining some traction at the State House, the anti-gaming movement in New Hampshire are targeting HB1610 fearing it could lead to Indian Gaming in New Hampshire.

"HB1610 has nothing to do with Indian gaming. It will do nothing to grant special privileges of any sort to any Indian resident in New Hampshire," stated Sherry Gould, from the Coalition in Support of HB 1610.

Supporters will gather on the steps of the State House at 9:00.

Before You Vote - Did You Know?

The original inhabitants of New Hampshire were the Pennacook and Abenaki Indians who, though they were not acknowledged to survive, still live among us today.

•          NH House Bill 1610 will establish a NH Commission on Native American Affairs. The bill will also recognize American Indian residents as a minority population in the state of New Hampshire. It does nothing to acknowledge any tribe or tribal groups in New Hampshire. It encourages the pursuit of federal funding to benefit Indian residents in New Hampshire in collaboration with state departments.

•          Native Americans are the only minority governed by unique federal laws impacting their daily lives. The New Hampshire Commission on Native American Affairs will aid state agencies and Indians to resolve any questions that arise.

•          HB 1610 will NOT allow Indian gaming.  It stands in complete isolation from the 1988 Indian Gaming Regulatory Act and all its complex federal compliance requirements that are not addressed in this bill.

•          Only nine states nationwide, including New Hampshire, do not have a Commission on Native American Affairs; Rhode Island is the only other New England state that does not have one.

•          About 1 % of New Hampshire's population, a little over 10,000 residents report Indian ancestry. Many of these residents are enrolled members of federally recognized Tribes located in other states.

•          The average yearly income of Native American Indian families in the US is $31,799, which is the second lowest of any ethnicity in the country (2000).  The average poverty rate of Native Americans is 25.9%.

•          There are several distinct Indian groups in New Hampshire; each group has a Speaker or Chief that represents them. No single Chief speaks for all groups. The majority of Native American Residents in NH are not associated with any of these groups. The New Hampshire Native American Inter-Tribal Council is the oldest group which has always been located in New Hampshire and has continually served all Native American individuals and groups in the state.

The Coalition in Support of HB 1610

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