The Bureau of
Indian Affairs held the first public hearing on an off-reservation casino sought by the Confederated Tribes of Warm
Springs in Oregon.
According to The Dalles Chronicle, more than 200 people attended the hearing, which was held at the tribe's Kah-Nee-Ta Resort & Casino. Of those who testified, the majority said they favored the project, according to news reports.
The tribe plans to build a $389 million casino at Cascade Locks, which used to be part of Warm Springs treaty territory. The 60-acre gaming site is about 69 miles from the northwestern border of the reservation.
Some local groups, like Cascade Locks No Casino and the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde oppose the project, accusing the Warm Springs Tribes of reservation shopping.
Four more hearings are planned.
Get the Story:Casino hearing draws large crowd (The Dalles Chronicle 3/4)
First Gorge casino hearing attracts mostly supporters (AP 3/5)