The US Supreme Court has given the Cowlitz Indian tribe the green light to open a gambling establishment near the small Washington town of La Center, located at the state border with neighbouring Oregon. The court declined to hear the appeal of the casino’s opponents and granted the Cowlitz a 152-acre plot so they can establish a reservation.
This decision enables the tribe to go ahead with the plans of opening their 360,000 square-foot ilani Casino Resort. Following the favourable court decision, the Interstate 5 intersection was opened yesterday. What is more, the tribe has spent $32 million on the intersection’s renovation alone so that it can handle the increased traffic once the ilani Casino Resort officially opens doors.
The casino is expected to welcome customers at the end of this month and is located just 40 kilometres north of Oregon’s largest city, Portland. The costs for the project’s completion are estimated at $510 million. The soon-to-open ilani Casino Resort will boast a 100,000 square-foot gaming floor, with 80 traditional games tables and as many as 2,500 slot machines.
The project was initially threatened by an appeal questioning the Indian tribe’s rights of a reservation. Among the project’s opponents were three private landowners, the La Center cardrooms’ management, and the Confederated tribes of the Grande Ronde. The Confederated tribes operate the Spirit Mountain Casino, located south of Portland, and argued that if the Cowlitz’ project is given the green light, they will lose as much as 41% of their revenue.
Opponents of the new casino argued that the Cowlitz Indian tribe had no legal right to claim the 152-acre plot as the federal government erred when the tribe was granted the land back in 2010. After the Supreme Court declined the hearing of the opponents’ appeal, John Bockmier, La Center cardrooms’ representative, expressed his disappointment with the dismissal and stated the La Center’s governance would do its best to ensure its cardrooms remain the premier choice of local residents.
After the lawsuit against the Cowlitz tribe first began, two out of four cardrooms in La Center closed doors. One of them, the New Phoenix Casino, was closed just two weeks ago. Following the appeal’s dismissal, Bockmier commented that while the closure of the New Phoenix Casino was certainly a major let-down, the La Center cardrooms’ management appreciated the wave of support it received from the local community.
Negotiations on the tribe’s rights of claiming the land can be traced back to the mid 19th century. In 1863, the Cowlitz Indians’ territories were offered for public settlement, leaving the tribe without a reservation. It was not until 2002 that US legislators finally recognised the Cowlitz tribe. Over a decade after that, the Interior Department decided to put the territories near the town of La Center into a federal trust so that the tribe can finally establish its reservation.
After the last hurdle that prevented the casino’s opening has been removed, the tribe’s Chairman Bill Iyall took to social media to express the Cowlitz’ delight with the decision of the Supreme Court. Iyall referred to the appeal’s dismissal as a “triumphant moment” for the Cowlitz Indians that puts an end to the tribe’s 160-year long journey back to their lands.
- Author
Daniel Williams
