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Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Yahoo
Native American tribes pledge to ‘push hard' on casino plans near Boise
The Shoshone-Paiute Tribes have long wanted their own gaming operation. After all, they're the only tribe in Idaho without one. That dream is now a step closer to fruition. In the grassy plains halfway between Boise and Mountain Home, the Sho-Pai held a ceremony Thursday to bless the land where they plan to build their first resort and casino. The parcel straddles the Ada and Elmore county lines near Interstate 84 about two miles south of the exit for the Boise Stage Stop on Orchard Access Road. The site is part of the Sho-Pai's homelands, an area their ancestors were forcibly removed from over a century ago when Europeans colonized the West and corralled them into the remote Duck Valley Reservation on the Idaho-Nevada border. Life at Duck Valley is full of challenges, according to Brian Mason, chairman of the Sho-Pai Tribal Business Council. 'We still have some tribal members living in homes without floors or running water,' Mason said. 'We struggle with high unemployment, we don't have access to adequate medical care and we can't attract enough qualified teachers. Tribal gaming can give us the resources we need to solve these problems.' Under white canopy tents at the end of a long, dusty dirt road, hundreds gathered to commemorate the momentous occasion. Tribal leaders, wearing feathered headdresses and other cultural garb, led prayers, sang traditional songs and performed in drum circles. Cars and trucks traveling along the highway passed by quietly in the distant background. It was a homecoming of sorts. 'This is our ancestral land, our land that our people walked on before,' Mason said at the start of the ceremony. 'We're returning with a gaming operation.' It wouldn't be possible without the support of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe in northern Idaho. The tribe bought the more than 500-acre property in April to give to the Sho-Pai for the project. The Coeur d'Alene Tribe, whose council members traveled to southern Idaho for the blessing event, promised to share their expertise with the Sho-Pai to get the casino through permitting and development processes. Once the resort is up and running, the Coeur d'Alene Tribe plans to manage it, at least until the Sho-Pai learn the ropes. 'This is not a handout,' said Chief J. Allan, chairman of the Coeur d'Alene Tribal Council, during the ceremony. 'This is two nations working together. We're going to push hard. We've got to get it approved. We'll camp in D.C. if we have to.' Ysabel Bilbao, a spokesperson for the Sho-Pai, said the two tribal groups are working on submitting a fee-to-trust land acquisition application to the U.S. Department of Interior by late summer. 'We still have a road ahead of us, but it is a lot shorter,' Bilbao said. The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act requires that land used for gaming be held in trust, a process where the Interior Department acquires the title to the land and holds it for the benefit of the tribe. Loosened restrictions have allowed tribes to build casinos further afield from their reservations. The Sho-Pai don't have a casino on their reservation or elsewhere, but have been working on plans for a gaming project in the Mountain Home area since the 1990s. Their proposed resort and casino about 20 miles southeast of Boise is estimated to generate tens of millions of dollars a year for Idaho's economy and create thousands of well-paying jobs, according to the tribes. It would draw patrons from over 780,000 people who live in Ada and Canyon counties and nearly 30,000 who live in Elmore County. It would also attract travelers along the route between Boise and Mountain Home. The tribes envision the latest gaming machines, luxury hotel rooms, a spa, entertainment center and fine dining restaurants. The Sho-Pai pledge to give 5% of the casino's gaming revenues to local schools and education programs. 'It's going to give us a revenue stream so we can take care of our people back home,' Mason said. 'This is for our youth. They're our future leaders. And for our elders that are out there, we apologize for it taking so long.' Another casino? Even closer to Boise? Here is what's planned Want to buy a unique Idaho property? You could shoot your shot with a gun range Micron announces plans for a second memory-manufacturing plant in Boise
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Shoshone-Paiute Tribes announces plans for casino between Boise, Mountain Home
The rendering above shows plans for the Shoshone Pauite Tribes' casino. The planned casino will sit near the border of Ada and Elmore counties in southwest Idaho. (Courtesy of the Shoshone-Pauite Tribes) The Shoshone-Paiute Tribes are developing their first resort and casino along Interstate 84 halfway between Boise and Mountain Home. For decades, the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes were the only tribe in Idaho without revenue. But the proposed resort and casino is estimated to generate tens of millions of dollars annually for Idaho's economy and create thousands of regional jobs. The Shoshone-Paiute Tribes also plan to share 5% of their net gaming revenues to support local schools and education programs. Shoshone-Paiute Chairman Brian Mason said in a press release he dreams of a future where tribal members have the resources, education, health care and employment opportunities they need to sustain their families and preserve their culture. 'Today, we have no meaningful economic opportunities and our community is facing some heavy challenges because of it,' Mason said. 'We want to solve our own problems and provide for our people. Tribal gaming will allow us to make these dreams into a reality.' The tribes are partnering with the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, who has successfully run gaming operations in North Idaho for more than 30 years. The Coeur d'Alene Tribe is providing a large upfront investment to help with the permitting and development process, and once it is built, the Tribe will enter into a management contract with the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes to help sustain the casino. Coeur d'Alene Chairman Chief Allan said the tribe is honored to help its 'brothers and sisters' secure the same benefits they have experienced from gaming. 'When I was growing up, many tribal members lived in poverty and could not find jobs,' Allan said in the press release. 'Today, we have a state-of-the-art medical center, ample employment for tribal members and can financially support every tribal member who wants to earn a college degree. None of this would be possible without tribal gaming.' Tribal gaming already contributes more than $1.4 billion of annual economic activity to the state, over $47 million in annual tax revenue and it sustains 12,500 Idaho jobs, according to a press release from the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes. The Duck Valley Indian Reservation spans about 450 square miles in the southwest corner of Idaho, half split into parts of Nevada. The tribes, according to the press release, face high rates of suicide and unemployment, and given its isolated location in the high desert, the Shoshone-Paiute community struggles to provide emergency services to its members. Medical emergencies require lifesaving air transportation to Boise, which takes at least 45 minutes. A typical 911 call can take two hours to be answered because there are no tribal law enforcement officers exclusively dedicated to serving Duck Valley. Education funding is another major issue, and the school cannot attract enough certified teachers because of limited housing and other resources in the area, according to the press release 'The challenges we face daily are not insurmountable. We simply need resources to invest in long-term solutions for our people,' Mason said. 'Gaming will give us the tools we need to strengthen our community, grow our infrastructure and provide more opportunities to our youth for generations to come.' The planned location is where the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes used to live, hunt and care for the natural resources. The planned casino will include gaming machines, luxury hotel rooms, a spa, entertainment center and fine dining options. To build this project on tribal land outside of the reservation, the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes will follow the established process set out by the U.S. Department of the Interior and plan to submit their initial application later this year. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Two Idaho tribes plan resort and casino near Boise. Here's why
A Native American tribal group with ancestral ties to the Treasure Valley plans to build its first and only casino near Boise. The Shoshone-Paiute Tribes, based at the Duck Valley Reservation on the Idaho-Nevada state line, said in a news release Wednesday that it's partnering with the Coeur d'Alene Tribe in North Idaho to develop and manage the casino. It would be located about 15 miles southeast of Boise. Natalie Podgorski, a spokesperson for the Sho-Pai, told the Idaho Statesman by phone that the Coeur d'Alene Tribe last week bought 561 acres of land, situated in both Ada and Elmore counties, to give to the Sho-Pai for the project. The property is about two miles south of the exit for the Boise Stage Stop on Orchard Access Road. About 40 acres would be used for the casino, she said. The proposed resort and casino is estimated to generate tens of millions of dollars a year for Idaho's economy and create thousands of well-paying jobs, according to the release. It would draw patrons from the more than 780,000 people who live in Ada and Canyon counties, in addition to the nearly 30,000 who live in Elmore County. It would also attract travelers along the route between Boise and Mountain Home. 'Today, we have no meaningful economic opportunities and our community is facing some heavy challenges because of it,' Sho-Pai Chairman Brian Mason said in the release. 'We want to solve our own problems and provide for our people. Tribal gaming will allow us to make these dreams into a reality.' The Coeur d'Alene Tribe will pay for the permitting and construction, according to Podgorski. She said the tribes don't yet have an estimate for how much the project will cost. Once the casino is built, the Sho-Pai would own it and the Coeur d'Alene Tribe would manage it. 'Because this will be the Sho-Pai's first and only casino, they don't have the experience yet,' Podgorski said. 'But the Coeur d'Alene Tribe has been operating gaming in Idaho for more than 30 years. I think the ultimate hope is to empower the Sho-Pai people throughout this project so that eventually, someday, they might fully manage the operation on their own.' Coeur d'Alene Tribe Chairman Chief Allan said in the release that his tribe has experienced the 'transformative power of gaming' and wants to help the Sho-Pai achieve the same. 'When I was growing up, many tribal members lived in poverty and could not find jobs,' Allan said. 'Today, we have a state-of-the-art medical center, ample employment for tribal members and can financially support every tribal member who wants to earn a college degree. None of this would be possible without tribal gaming.' The Sho-Pai don't have a casino on their remote reservation in Southwest Idaho but have been working on plans for a gaming project in the Mountain Home area since the 1990s. Last year, those plans put the Sho-Pai at odds with the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, based at the Fort Hall Reservation near Pocatello, who bought land in Elmore County to develop a $311 million gaming enterprise. It would be the Sho-Ban tribes' fourth casino; two are on the reservation and one is in nearby Pocatello. The Sho-Pai urged Gov. Brad Little and the Biden administration to reject the Sho-Bans' proposal, arguing that the Sho-Pai has greater ancestral ties to the territory. Fort Hall is about 180 miles from Mountain Home. Mountain Home, about 90 miles away, is one of the closest sizable cities to the Duck Valley Reservation. The Sho-Pai go to the city to buy goods and services and, for over 40 years, tribal members have been born at a hospital in Mountain Home and elders have had funeral arrangements and embalmings in the Elmore County seat. Mason, the Sho-Pai chairman, told the Statesman last year that while his tribes generally support the economic endeavors of its sister tribes, the Sho-Bans' proposal was 'a bridge too far.' He said the project would relegate his people to continued poverty. The Sho-Pai have about 2,300 members. The Sho-Ban did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday. Members of the Duck Valley Reservation face high rates of suicide and unemployment, and the community struggles to provide emergency services or adequate education because of its location, according to the release. 'The challenges we face daily are not insurmountable,' Mason said. 'We simply need resources to invest in long-term solutions for our people. Gaming will give us the tools we need to strengthen our community, grow our infrastructure and provide more opportunities to our youth for generations to come.' Podgorski, the Sho-Pai spokesperson, said the casino project includes plans for workforce housing. The casino would be about two-hour drive from the reservation, and she said it'd be unrealistic for tribal members who might work at the casino to commute every day. The Sho-Pai and the Coeur d'Alene Tribe are now working on getting the land into a trust. Then, they'll need to get approval from the Interior Department. The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, which provides a framework for gaming on Indian land, requires that land used for gaming under the act be held in trust, a process where Interior acquires the title to the land and holds it for the benefit of the tribe. Loosened restrictions have allowed tribes to build casinos on land further afield from their reservations. If the tribes' application is approved, it would then go to Little's desk for his blessing. Little's office did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday. Idaho has Native American casinos in Lewiston, Pocatello, Kamiah, and south of Coeur d'Alene, and on the Fort Hall Reservation. In Jackpot, south of Twin Falls and the Nevada border, is a nontribal casino that includes table games. The casinos in Idaho offer video gaming and bingo, not table games like blackjack, craps and poker. A casino 45 minutes from Boise? A decision nears as tribes spar over whose it should be $13 billion in Idaho gold. A mineral critical to U.S. defense. And fresh fears for salmon 'We survived': Idaho tribes gather in Boise to commemorate ancestral homelands
