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On March 9, 2005 a letter to the editor of mine, titled: "Opposed to casinos" was published in Mille Lacs Counties official newspaper, the Mille Lacs Messenger. This letter to the editor is presented below. It includes statements made by Tom Grey in a telephone conversation I had with him. Tom Grey is the Executive Director for the National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling.

Opposed to casinos
I founded and am spearheading the international movement to rename the "Rum" River. But three of the Mdewakanton Dakota communities that own and operate casino gambling businesses have not yet given their support for the effort to change the river's profane name, a name that desecrates their culture and language.

I find this situation appalling. I am trying to influence the Mdewakanton Dakota Indians to reconnect with their ancient traditional culture in their ancient traditional homeland on the headwaters of the so-called "Rum" River, the river they know as Wakan, translated as (Great) Spirit. And in doing so, rectify the injustices that are being committed against them in their ancient Mille Lacs Lake area homeland. I believe that because of their greed for money that they receive from their lucrative casino gambling businesses they therefore are not interested in helping me to rename the Rum River, and in doing so, show due respect for their culture and language.

And I also believe that because of their involvement with the lucrative casino gambling business, they have lost a lot of respect for their culture and language; and that not until they either get their casinos taken away from them or they decide to put an end to their lucrative casino businesses will they give their support for the effort to change the name. Therefore, I have decided to build a coalition to put an end to Indian casinos.

This morning, I spoke on the phone with Tom Grey, the executive director for the National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling. We talked for quite a while. During our conversation he told me that he and his organization understand how Indian casinos are destroying Indian sovereignty.

He said that he would help me to build a coalition that would help educated people about how Indian casinos are destroying Indian culture. And he supports my effort to use the three Mdewakanton Dakota communities' lack of support for the effort to rename the Rum River as an example of how American Indian communities that own and operate casinos are destroying Indian culture.

Tom Grey also told me that he had spoken to Ralph Nader and that he, also, was opposed to Indian casinos and that he understood how corporate greed associated with Indian casinos was hurting Indian sovereignty.

Mr. Grey also told me that he would be making some phone calls to Minnesota organizations opposed to Indian casinos. And he also told me that he travels a lot and that he would meet with me when he arrives in Minnesota.