The Coquille Tribe owns and operates The Mill Casino in North Bay, Oregon, and is planning to open a Class II facility in Medford, Oregon. Photo from Facebook
The Coquille Tribe continues to face opposition to its proposed Class II gaming facility in Oregon:
It’s a simple question: Should the Coquille Tribe be allowed to build and operate a Class II casino In Medford? The answer is just as simple: no. If you’re reading this, you probably already share that opinion, but your wishes and the wishes of the vast majority of the people in the Rogue Valley are in imminent danger of being ignored. Why shouldn’t the casino be allowed? It’s against the law. The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) says that a tribe cannot game outside its reservation unless it satisfies one of only a few narrow exceptions. The Coquille maintain that language in the Coquille Restoration Act (CRA) provides one such exception. But the authors of the CRA have specifically stated and written that the CRA should not be construed to do so. Katie bar the door. There are nine federally recognized Native American Tribes in Oregon. If the Coquille are allowed to build a casino in Oregon outside of their ancestral lands and in spite of current laws, why shouldn’t all nine tribes be allowed the same? And why limit it to just Oregon tribes? The U.S. government recognizes 566 tribes. Should each one be allowed to build a casino wherever they choose?Read More:
Brian Fraser: Tribal casino should not be allowed in Medford (The Medford Mail Tribune 8/28) Federal Register Notice:
Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Coquille Indian Tribe Fee-to-Trust and Casino Project, City of Medford, Jackson County, Oregon (January 15, 2015)
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