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Morongo Chief: Time For Tribes To Expand Beyond Casinos, Tobacco

SAN DIEGO (CBS/AP) — The head of the Morongo Band of Mission Indians said on Tuesday it's time for tribal leaders to consider alternative sources of revenue for their economies beyond gambling and tobacco.

Chairman Robert Martin of the Morongo Band of Mission Indians made his comments at a convention of tribal government leaders and entrepreneurs in Las Vegas.

The Morongo Band of Mission Indians, also considered part of the Cahuilla nation, operates the Morongo Casino Resort and Spa in Cabazon, Calif., one of the largest Indian casinos in the United States.

In addition to the casino, the tribe also owns a 36-hole golf course and other businesses.

President Robert Porter of the Seneca Nation of Indians lent support to Martin's comments, saying tribes should work with the United States government to try to get more freedom over their land and money.

(TM and © Copyright 2010 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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