Washington’s Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation have purchased 184 acres of ancestral land in Pasco, near the Tri-Cities region in the southern part of the state and are considering a casino and other economic development of the land.
The tribe currently has casinos in Omak, Coulee Dam and Manson.
Tribal Chairman Rodney Cawston said in a release, “We will consult regularly with Franklin County officials, mayors and city councils in the Tri-Cities of Richland, Pasco and Kennewick and other community leaders as we develop plans.”
The land is located near the confluence of two major highways and is about 160 miles from the tribe’s reservation in Nespelem. This land is part of the historic lands of Palus people as well as the Nez Perce.
The chairman added, “We want any tribal economic development project to benefit the entire area, creating good paying new jobs, increasing tourism, and providing a catalyst for a number of new businesses. I look forward to mutually- beneficial partnerships with Franklin County, the City of Pasco and other governments in this area.”
Cawston noted that the Palus and Nez Perce tribes are common ancestors of the Colville Indians. “Many of our tribal members carry the names of our Palus and Nez Perce ancestors. We also carry on our traditional religion, our ceremonies and the teachings of our ancestors,” he said.
Normally land put into trust by a tribe after 1988 can’t host gaming. One notable exception is land acquired through land claim settlements. The tribe acquired the land in question through the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation Grand Coulee Dam Settlement Act of 1994.
