Cowlitz Tribe heads back to federal court to defend casino plan

Wednesday, March 6, 2013  

The Cowlitz Tribe of Washington will be in federal court tomorrow to defend its long-delayed plans for a casino.

The tribe gained federal recognition in 2000. Its land-into-trust application for 152 acres was approved in 2010, prompting lawsuits from Clark County and the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde in Oregon.

The main issue is the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Carcieri v. Salazar. The litigation will likely determine whether the Cowlitz were "under federal jurisdiction" in 1934 even though the tribe didn't gain federal status until 2000.

“If the (opponents) prevail, the tribe will remain landless, without any federally protected land base, without the ability to qualify for many reservation-based federal programs, and without any prospects for economic development and a stable revenue stream that other federally recognized tribes have,” attorney Robert D. Luskin wrote in a brief, McClatchy Newspapers reported.

The case is being handled in federal court in Washington, D.C.

Get the Story:
Indian casino case challenges tribe’s access to protected land (McClatchy Newspapers 3/5)

Litigation over Cowlitz Tribe's casino land application drags on (10/17)