The Spokane Tribe maintains a strong connection with its off-reservation casino site in Washington.
The tribe used the site of the West Plains Mixed-Use Development as a traditional encampment for hundreds of years. There was even a battle with the U.S. Calvary in 1858. “We lived there,” Chairman Rudy Peone told The Spokesman Review of the site, which is less than 30 miles from the current reservation border. Despite the strong ties, the tribe is pursuing the casino under the tough two-part determination provisions of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. That means the governor's support is required, provided that the Bureau of Indian Affairs approves the project. Get the Story: