COMING SOON
A System Built by Tribal Members
A memoir of tribal leadership and Indian gaming
About the book
In 1988, the same year Congress passed the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, I came home to Hannahville. What followed was nearly 40 years inside tribal government and Indian gaming: the casino and bingo board, tribal council, Michigan’s gaming compact, and the housing authority.
A System Built by Tribal Members is my record of how gaming changed our community, how decisions moved away from the members who built the system, and what that cost.
What you’ll learn
- How Indian gaming reshaped tribal government
- How control drifts from members to administrators, quietly and on paper
- How credential rules replaced tribal preference in hiring
- What it takes to serve on a tribal board and protect the community
- What future leaders need to watch for
Who it’s for
Tribal members, board and committee members, people working in Indian gaming, Native students, historians and policy researchers, and anyone who wants to know what really happens behind tribal decisions.
“The system was built by tribal members. But somewhere along the way, the system drifted away from them.”
“Paper walls are invisible until you run into them.”
“Institutional drift doesn’t happen loudly. It happens quietly, procedurally, and permanently.”
About the author
Leroy Roger Wandahsega Jr. is a Potawatomi leader, tribal governance advisor, and founder of Potawatomi Life. He has spent more than three decades in tribal housing, gaming, compliance, and community advocacy.
Questions
When does it come out?
No date yet. Sign up below and you’ll hear first.
Is it based on real events?
Yes. It’s a memoir drawn from lived experience and documents.
Can my department, school, or tribe order copies?
Yes. Contact us about group orders.
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