Kingsley and others said they believe more people in Wisconsin wanted to identify themselves as American Indian because economic opportunities created by the casinos and other enterprises helped raise Indians' profile. Some, they believe, also might be declaring their American Indian ancestry, so they can share in the wealth generated by gaming. All these years, we were held back by society, by people who didn't want us around. A lot of people used to be ashamed to be Native American. That has changed.
People can afford to buy their own homes.
It is in stark contrast to life on the reservation in the pre-gaming era, a time when there were few employment opportunities, and many lived in substandard housing or trailers, some officials said. Years ago, there were no jobs. And now there's plenty of jobs at the casino and the golf course and the new clinic and so forth. There's a lot of jobs for the people. So consequently, they're moving back, and they're building homes.