Colville Tribes have no right to open a casino in Pasco and ‘they never will’ | Opinion

I write on behalf of the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation (“Yakama Nation”) regarding the article, “Colville put plan into motion for Tri-Cities 1st tribal casino, travel stop,” written by Wendy Culverwell. The actions described in this article are upsetting, given the true history of tribal rights in the Pasco area.

Since time immemorial, the Palouse Tribe of the Yakama Nation has called Pasco home. The Palouse are a named signatory to the Treaty with the Yakamas of June 9, 1855, along with thirteen other Tribes and Bands, who together reserved tribal rights throughout the Pasco area. Today we exercise and honor those rights through habitat restoration efforts, natural resource investments, economic development, and the exercise of hunting, fishing, and gathering rights in Pasco.

The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation does not have a Treaty like we do. Their tribal rights are limited to the Colville Reservation located more than 125 miles away, near Canada. This means that Colville does not have tribal rights in the Pasco area. No federal, state, or tribal government has ever accepted or recognized Colville rights here.

Because Colville’ rights don’t extend to Pasco, this means they do not have the tribal right to open a casino in Pasco, and they never will. Colville has a long history of falsely claiming the rights of other tribes to suit their needs, including the Yakama Nation’s Palouse Tribe. Federal courts have rejected these claims time and time again.

I write this in hopes that this letter will reach the right audience. The Yakama Nation is still here where the Creator put us. Our people are still here, and our lands still have meaning. I ask that officials take the Yakama Nation’s rights into consideration when making agreements and performing consultations with distant tribes. The Yakama Nation has always been part of the Pasco community, and we look forward to strengthening that relationship moving forward.

This story was originally published May 1, 2023 at 12:46 PM.