The Cowlitz Indian Tribe of Washington, which, in partnership with the Mohegan tribe of Connecticut is building a 0 million casino in La Center, last week revealed that the casino will be called ilani, which is the Cowlitz word for “sing.”
The rising casino will be festooned with a logo of navy blue, gold and white, meant to suggest the salmon, rivers and a canoe. The casino will offer spectacular views of Mount St. Helens and Mount Adams.
The casino is being developed by Salishan-Mohegan LLC for the tribe. The two tribes have worked on the project for more than ten years. The building site is located about 25 miles from Portland, Oregon.
Cowlitz tribal spiritual leader Tanna Engdahl commented, “There is a history and a journey that is represented in this one word, ilani. It is a memory of the songs we sang throughout the centuries in the long journey to this time.”
She added “As a tribe, we have always believed in the power of singing. So we always sing. We sing to celebrate. We sing to give thanks. And we sing to find our tomanawas…our spirit powers. We hope the southwest Washington community and visitors to the area will find their ‘inner Ilani’ upon visiting our beautiful resort.”
Chairman Bill Iyall commented, “We stand on our shoulders of our ancestors to carry this project forward to completion. Our ancestors are here today.”
The tribe is in the midst of a lawsuit where the Bureau of Indian Affairs is defending itself against the charge that it wrongfully approved of putting the 152 acres in La Center into trust for the tribe. The tribe (or rather the federal government) won the first round in federal court, but that decision is now being appealed. A decision the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals is expected this summer.
Opponents claim that putting the land into trust violated the Carcieri v. Salazar decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that said that tribes recognized after 1934 can’t put land into trust. The Cowlitz tribe was recognized in 2000.
The lawsuit is being by a combination of opponents, including Clark County, which contributed a small amount (described as “nominal,” the city of Vancouver, (which has contributed about $187,000 since 2007,and withdrew from the suit in May), with the lion’s share coming from the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde in Oregon, La Center card rooms, including Last Frontier, the Palace and the Phoenix, and Citizens Against Reservation Shopping. The Grand Ronde Tribes operate the Spirit Mountain Casino about 60 miles from Portland, Oregon.
Other opponents fear growing traffic and crime in what is currently a rural area. Officials who support the project note that the casino will not be in a rural area, but adjacent to Interstate 5. They add that the tribe has committed to pay $32 million in road improvements, including a bike path and roundabout.
Other supporters say that the area will benefit from 1,000 new jobs. The 100,000 square foot gaming floor will have 2,500 slot machines, 60 high limit machines 75 gaming tables, and five high limit tables. It will have a 2,500-seat entertainment space capable of hosting nationally known artists and 350-seat entertainment lounge for small shows.
Despite the fact that opponents still haven’t dropped their opposition to the casino, tribal leaders last week told the editorial board of the Columbian that they are seeking to “turn the page.” Cowlitz Chairman John Barnett, added, “Let’s have some meaningful dialogue.”
Project General Manager Kara Fox-LaRose, added, “I think we’re doing a good job mitigating the effects. I think the stigma of a casino … maybe it’s a world of the unknown for some people.”
The tribe broke ground earlier this year. The casino is due to open April of next year.
