County officials back Kalispel Tribe in suit
Tribe claims its business will be hurt by Spokane Tribe's casino venture
AIRWAY HEIGHTS, Wash. - Spokane County commissioners unanimously approved filing a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of the Interior over its approval of the Spokane Tribe's new $400 million casino complex.
The three commissioners voted Tuesday to pursue the lawsuit to block the casino in the Spokane suburb of Airway Heights.
The Kalispel Tribe has also sued the Interior Department over the new casino that it contends will hurt the Kalispel's existing Northern Quest Casino about two miles away in Airway Heights.
Spokane Tribe chairwoman Carol Evans said Wednesday that construction would continue on the new casino, despite litigation.
"I am saddened by a potential lawsuit," Evans said.
She noted that the Spokane Tribe went through a decade-long process to win federal approval for the off-reservation casino.
Gov. Jay Inslee also approved the project, which Evans said will bring thousands of jobs for the impoverished tribe.
It was only the second time an off-reservation Indian casino has been approved in Washington state. The first was Northern Quest, which has proven to be a successful business for the Kalispels.
The tribe revealed the casino name - Spokane Tribe Casino - on Wednesday and also held a job fair to begin hiring employees.
The Spokane Tribe contends the metropolitan area constitutes its ancestral lands, and it should be allowed to place a casino there even if the Kalispels built their casino first.
The Spokane Tribe's reservation is about 40 miles northwest of the city.
The conflict between the two tribes has been long and divisive among economic and government leaders in the Spokane area.
The new project "will have a devastating impact on Northern Quest, which funds nearly all of the Kalispel Tribe's government operations," said the lawsuit filed in federal court.
Federal law requires the Interior secretary to consider the detrimental impacts of a new casino on nearby Indian tribes, the lawsuit said.
The Spokane Tribe contends the Kalispels are seeking to avoid fair competition.
Inslee has said he wanted to respect the sovereignty and economic development wishes of the Spokane Tribe, while generating millions of dollars for state and local governments.
The new project could take a decade to complete. It will include a casino, hotel, restaurants, convention facilities, bars, tribal cultural center, police and fire stations, spa and retail space.
