Arizona Tribe May Distribute Largest Per Capita Payment in All History Story-Date: 08:22 a.m. PST Sunday , November 9, 1997 ------------------------------------------------------------ Arizona Tribe May Distribute Largest Per Capita Payment in All History By Karen L. Testerman, Indian Country Today, Rapid City, S.D. Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News SELLS, Ariz.--Nov. 10--Tribal members may receive the largest per capita payment in the history of IRA government -- if a tribal initiative passes the last hurdle. The Tohono O'odham Nation has been working diligently to meet the requirements of Initiative 97-001, which calls for the direct allocation of gaming revenues to individual tribal members and four new programs. Within the initiative is the largest, one time per capita cash distribution ever made by any American Indian government amounting to $41.1 million. The Department of Interior will decide whether this initiative will pass. If passed, 13,558 tribal members over the age of 18 will receive their per capita payment. The tribe will deposit the per capita payments of the 7,000 tribal members under the age of 18 into an account. Tohono O'odham Chairman Edward D. Manuel said the tribe completed the revenue allocation plan and the legislative committees reviewed it. "The legislative council approved the plan. The tribal council passed its resolution. The Department of Interior is the last one to signoff on it," Mr. Manuel said. "Our gaming ordinance is already in place. We're not sure what's going to happen, because this is the biggest per capita payment that was ever done. We are setting aside a reserve for the youth. Minors can't get the money until they turn 18." Mr. Manuel said the tribe must meet the needs of its members and, through public hearings, tribal members identified what was most important: health, housing, education and economic development. "We want to improve our tribal health programs. We want to improve housing for our tribal members," said Mr. Manuel. "We're looking at stimulating our economic development department. "We have a 65 percent unemployment rate on the reservation. We are asking the tribal members what kind of economic development do they want. Factories? Industries? Once identified, the tribe will seek out the land base and technical assistance. "We've already taken action on education. Before our gaming revenues, the Department of Interior was providing funding that sent about 25 students to college. "When the nation was able, it put money in from gaming revenues and 500 students went to college. Right now we have about 700 students attending college. "We're looking at establishing our own college here on the nation. We met with the Pima Tribe and asked if they were willing to go into partnership until we could get established. "They have been working with us. In fact, we went to Washington to lobby to get funds set aside. Hopefully, we will have the funds set aside to start the college by 1998 or 1999." He also said the Education Department required that the Tohono O'odham Nation have its own money for the first year, afterwards the government could subsidize the nation. Comptroller for the nation, Pete Christiansen, is concerned with the initiative. "The total cost of the initiative amounts to $88.1 million, and this will nearly deplete our savings. In addition, there are substantial administrative costs associated with implementing the initiative," said Mr. Christiansen. "Meanwhile, up to a total of $19.1 million may go to the federal government in individual members' income taxes and an indeterminate amount to state governments. "The reduction in our savings means that the nation will not be able to invest in major economic development projects that would have employed hundreds of people." Mr. Manuel said the tribe is well aware of these concerns and are looking at meeting them. "We've already looked at the tax issue. Tribal members living on the reservation won't have to pay taxes. Members elsewhere will have to comply with the tax laws in their areas," said Mr. Manuel. "We have members living in Mexico, and other states. We looked at this very seriously and carefully." ----- Visit Indian Country Today on the World Wide Web at http://www.indiancountry.com/ ----- (c) 1997, Indian Country Today, Rapid City, S.D. Distributed by Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News. ------------------------------------------------------------