On January 10, the U.S. Department of the Interior issued a final decision, approving the development of a proposed casino by the Coquille Indian Tribe in Medford, Oregon, after a lengthy approval process that spanned nearly 13 years. This decision follows a controversial environmental review of the 2.42-acre site, and it marks a significant victory for the Coquille Tribe, which has been advocating for this project since it first applied in 2012.
Brenda Meade, the Chair of the Coquille Tribe, expressed her satisfaction with the decision, stating, “Today the Biden Administration sent a clear message: it stands with Indian Country and intends to honor its commitments to tribal sovereignty.” She also criticized the extended delay in the environmental review process, calling it a “weaponization of the federal National Environmental Policy Act process” used against the tribe for asserting its rights.
The Coquille Tribe is seeking to establish a 30,000-square-foot casino in Medford, which would be located just off Interstate 5, a prime location to attract a large number of visitors and gamblers. The tribe has been operating The Mill Casino on their reservation in North Bend, but the Medford location would allow them to tap into a much larger market. However, the project has raised significant opposition, especially among other Oregon tribes and state officials.
The tribe had initially faced rejection from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) under the Trump administration in 2020, but the approval came under the Biden administration, which revived the Coquille Tribe’s application. The approval also comes amidst ongoing debates regarding Oregon’s gambling market. Although eight of the state’s nine federally recognized tribes currently operate casinos, Oregon has generally maintained a policy of one casino per tribe, a policy that has been contested by some tribes, including the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, which hopes to open a second casino in Salem.
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek, along with U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, and U.S. Representative Cliff Bentz, all opposed the Medford casino project, citing concerns about expanding tribal casinos in Oregon. Wyden, in particular, called the decision “reckless” and warned that it would escalate gambling in Oregon without an end in sight, potentially harming the economic interests of all tribes in the state.
The Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, along with two Northern California tribes, has filed a legal challenge to block the project. They argue that the Coquille Tribe does not have ancestral ties to the Medford area, a point contested by the Coquille Tribe. Carla Keene, Chair of the Cow Creek Tribe, emphasized that allowing this project to proceed would be harmful to other tribes and undermine efforts to restore tribal sovereignty.
Despite the opposition, Meade expressed pride in the decision, noting that many tribal leaders, including past chiefs and elders, had passed away without seeing this project come to fruition. She hopes the approval will serve as a precedent for the federal government to honor its commitments to tribes moving forward.