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Census: Wisconsin Indian Poverty Dropped During Casino Era

"Census findings on wealth and poverty for Wisconsin happen to be emerging three weeks before Minnesota's. But they should provide something of a preview and help to settle a bitterly debated issue in the late 1990s: Are Indian casinos worth the trouble?

"…`Gaming has been the 'new buffalo' for American Indians,' said Ada Deer, director of the American Indian Studies program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

"Folks who live near the reservations say they can readily see the difference.

"…The figures don't mean that Indian affluence now equals that of whites. Menominee County, home to the Menominee Reservation, started -- and ended -- the decade in 72nd place for median household income among Wisconsin's 72 counties.

"During the decade, however, Menominee County's median income doubled, putting it in first place for the rate at which its residents grew wealthier. And tribal officials say their casino revenues are modest compared to some.

"…Virtually all of the Wisconsin counties with the fastest growth in income either have a casino or border on a county that has one.

"…Experts agree that determining the exact effect of casinos is tricky business, partly because other factors are influencing rising incomes, rising levels of education and other indicators of prosperity in northern Wisconsin counties…"

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