"The Spokane Tribe of Indians should have its Spokane, Wash. area lands approved for purposes of Indian gaming. They deserve to be treated no differently than the Kalispel Tribe has been treated and, in fact, may be more deserving in some respects. As chairman of the National Indian Gaming Commission, I supported the Kalispel Tribe’s right to game on its Airway Heights property; I now do the same for the Spokane Tribe.
The Airway Heights property upon which the Spokane Tribe desires to locate its casino has been owned by the tribe for many years and is currently the sight of a convenience store and gas station owned by the tribe. I have no doubt that the land in question would have been approved as a sight for their casino long ago had the Spokane Tribe not been determined to fight for their sovereignty in the federal courts for as long as they did. The lands in question are the ancestral territory of the Spokane Tribe. That they were also ancestral territory of the Kalispel Tribe is of no consequence. Neither may claim exclusivity but both can claim a right to reacquire lands in what was once their territory. If proximity were the standard, the Spokane Tribe would have primacy to claims of ancestral territory and, if previous Indian ownership was the standard, again the Spokane Tribe may have primacy. It is also of no consequence that the Spokane Tribe “has other ways to make money,” as was stated by one opposing public official. Under that standard, so does the Kalispel Tribe, but the Kalispel chose to exercise their rights under the law and engage in gaming. The Spokane Tribe should have no less choice. That the Spokane Tribe’s proposed casino would compete with the Kalispel Casino is also of no legal consequence. That approval of a particular gaming site creates competition with another Indian casino is not a determinative factor." Get the Story: