foxwood casino

The (re)presentation of the native identity of the Pequot and the Foxwoods casino is very skewed. As a minority in today’s society they have seemed to adapt in an attempt of survival for their once nearly annihilated tribe. The Foxwood Casino’s slogan says it all, “Gaming in its natural state”. This alone shows the conformation of the Pequot to the image today’s society has used to represent the Native Americans today.
Many people look at the design of the casino as the Pequot tribe not sticking up for themselves and backing down as a minority group. I look at the design decisions as a well thought out business plan to turn nothing into something. They use the excitement of their culture and the Hollywood built image to draw in outsiders to be a part of this unique history. In the article it says that this design was not done by accident. They knew exactly what they were doing. Every aspect of the casino was well planned and thought out in long tribal meetings. As a tribe they know and respect their history but choose to use the more upbeat and exciting image created by the majority to help draw in a crowd. People go to casinos in search for a good time. The true history of oppression and suffering does not attract people to have a good time. Their history is not forgotten.
The Pequot keep their history and make it accessible to the outside. They just choose not to throw it at everyone entering the casino. In today’s society Hollywood creates most of the images we see today. The majority has their outlook on the Native Americans as a minority. Their casino certainly doesn’t change their impression but does draw them in to make money while making available their history to the outside that wants to learn. They strategically used the socially accepted, stereotypical image to draw in people from the outside to the little land they have left on their reservation.
As a minority the Native Americans have a prejudice towards them and a predetermined image by the majority. They created one of the world’s largest casinos that doesn’t try to correct this image. I see this as a strategic business move to help invite outsiders in to be a part of the more happy and exciting created image. They leave out their specific culture for themselves and to keep it more rare and unique rather than letting everyone in. They want that for themselves since the whites have taken everything else from them. They want to keep their Pequot culture for their tribe and let the majority have their created image.

Discussion Questions:
1. Do the Pequot leave out their specific tribe culture of the casino design and use the stereotypical image to draw in a specific crowd or keep their culture as one of the few things the whites can’t take from them?
2. Were the Pequot Indians wrong to use the stereotypical image of Native Americans in the design of the Foxwood casino or smart at the business standpoint?