The Coquille wanted the Interior Department to take a small parcel of land the tribe had bought in south Medford into trust, essentially making it part of the tribe’s reservation near Coos Bay. That would allow the Coquille to build a Class 2 casino, with bingo and video betting but no blackjack or other Las Vegas-style games.
But in a May 27th letter to tribal chair Brenda Meade, Deputy Assistant Secretary John Tahsuda denied the application. He said the casino’s potential economic benefits were outweighed by strong opposition.
Meade says she’s shocked.
"I’m disgusted with the fact that they’re not upholding their trust responsibility and really the promise made by Congress to have a process to go through," she says.
The decision cuts short what would have been a lengthy public process Meade says would have given the community a chance to learn more about the casino proposal and have a say about it.
The Coquille promoted the casino as an economic engine for Medford, as well as the tribe. But the proposal faced strong opposition from local and state governments and elected officials.
The Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Indians also opposed the project, fearing competition with their own casino in Canyonville, about an hour’s drive north of Medford
Coquille tribal officials say they’re weighing their legal options.
