An Indian allotment at 1321 North Callow Avenue in Bremerton, Washington, will soon house a smokeshop operated by the Quinault Nation.

Business

Quinault Nation asserts sovereignty over isolated Indian allotment

Monday, May 6, 2019

The Quinault Nation is opening a smoke shop on an isolated Indian allotment in Washington that has been the subject of legal and regulatory disputes.

The Quinault Indian Nation Smoke Shop will be located at 1321 North Callow Avenue in Bremerton. It's expected to open later this year, The Kitsap Sun reports.

"We're excited about the property being revitalized," Mayor Greg Wheeler of Bremerton told the paper. "This will be a much better use for the property than what was here before."

What was there before was a fireworks stand that the city managed to shut down by going to court it Kitsap County. The judge in the case asserted authority to enforce local laws there even though the allotment is held in trust.

"We don't believe they have the jurisdiction to rule on anything," a representative of the family that owns the allotment told The Sun at the time. "Local governments here never have had any say over federal land."

The family at one point was interested in opening a casino on the 0.79-acre property but dropped plans after questions were raised about which tribe has jurisdiction there. Under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, gaming can take place on "Indian lands," such as an allotment, but only by a tribe with "governmental power" over the allotment.

The Quinault Nation, the Samish Nation and the Suquamish Tribe could all have competing claims for jurisdiction. The allotment is otherwise isolated from the reservations of those three tribes.

The Quinault Nation plans to open the smoke shop in a modular building at the allotment, according to bidding documents. The construction contract was valued at $749,999.