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Coeur d'Alene Tribe
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| Coeur d'Alene Tribe | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | Benewah and Kootenai Counties, Idaho |
| Type: | Federally Recognized Tribe |
| Top official: | James Allan, Chairman |
| Website: | Official website |
The Coeur d'Alene Tribe is a federally recognized Native American tribe. The Coeur d'Alene tribal reservation is located in northern Idaho along the western border with Washington in Benewah and Kootenai Counties. The reservation is approximately 345,000 acres with a population of roughly 1,251, according to the 2000 U.S. Census Bureau.[1]
History
The Coeur d'Alene—French for "heart of the awl," referring to the tribe's acute trading skills—in their native language are called the Schitsu'umsh, which means "the ones that were found here."[2][3] The original four million acre territory occupied by the tribe extended from the southern end of Lake Pend Oreille in northern Idaho and ran along the Bitterroot Range in Montana in the east to the Palouse and North Fork of the Clearwater Rivers in Southern Idaho to Steptoe Butte and up to just east of Spokane Falls, Washington, in the west.[2]
In the 1770s the tribe succumbed to a smallpox epidemic, which reduced the population from 5,000 to 500 in 1854. This smaller population were subjected to repeated raids by neighboring tribes, the Blackfeet and Crow.[2] In 1806, Lewis and Clark, on their return trip, encountered the Coeur d'Alene and noted seeing 120 lodges along the shores of Lake Coeur d'Alene. In 1809, a trading post was established by David Thompson, who traded guns and other goods for furs. By the 1840s, Jesuit missionaries began to appear and built settlements. In the 1860s, gold was discovered which prompted further westward expansion by Anglo-Americans. In 1858, Lieutenant Colonel Edward Steptoe led 150 troops and 50 Nez Perce scouts through Coeur d'Alene tribal territory. The Coeur d'Alene outnumbered Steptoe's detachment and allowed Steptoe and his men to go free after an encounter, but made the Lieutenant Colonel's men leave behind their arms. After their victory, the Coeur d'Alene were attacked by Colonel George Wright at the Battles of Four Lakes and of Spokane Prairie, which was followed by a scorched earth policy, the killing of 900 Coeur d'Alene horses, the destruction of food supply, and the hanging of Yakima, Palus and Coeur d'Alene tribal chiefs.[2]
Between 1873 and 1889, a series of executive orders created a reservation for the Coeur d'Alene, and in 1909 the reservation and privately held lands by tribal members were diminished.[2] The tribe has a land buy-back program, which allows the tribe to consolidate "fractional land interests across Indian Country."[4]
Native American governance
Lands designated as federally recognized tribal reservations are considered sovereign nations, and as such are governed by tribal councils. Tribal councils oversee the management of the natural resources, and the health and the education of those people living on the reservation. The council also manages law enforcement, economic development, cultural and social functions.[1]
Federal Indian Law is defined by four key issues:
- Tribes are independent and have a right to self-govern[1]
- Tribal independence is subject to the acts of Congress, who may modify or regulate tribal status[1]
- Only the federal government is authorized to regulate and monitor tribes, not local governments[1]
- The federal government is obligated and has the responsibility to protect tribes and their property[5]
Tribal government
Generally, tribal councils are elected, with each person serving a set number of years. While the council may pass laws and ordinances governing the tribe, such acts are subject to review by the Secretary of the Interior. Tribal councils are often headed up by an appointed or elected chairman or governor, whose job it is to oversee the council.[1]
The Coeur d'Alene Tribe governing body is divided into boards, commissions, committees and departments, each overseeing a specific aspect of the tribes governance. There are eight tribal boards, including the Charitable Gaming, Credit, Development Corporation, Election, Employment Rights Ordinance (TERO), Health Authority, Lake and River, and Tribal School Boards.[6]
The tribe has three commissions, the Housing Board, Tax and Trail Commissions. The Housing Board consists of five members with three-year terms. The Tax Commission has three members and meets as business demands. The three-member Trail Commission meets as needed with the State of Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation; three additional members are appointed to the commission from the state.[7]
There are seven tribal committees, which include the Culture, Enrollment, Higher Education, Law and Order, Natural Resources, Public Works Committees, and the Tribal Stop Violence Against Indian Women Advisory Committee.[8]
The tribe consists of 21 departments, which help in the overall function of the tribe. The departments overlap with some of the boards, commissions and committees. The departments include the following:[9]
- Culture
- ECLC (Early Childhood Learning Center)
- Education
- Employment
- Enrollment
- Facilities
- Finance
- Gaming
- Information Technology
- Justice Department
- Lake Management
- Legislative Affairs
- Natural Resources
- Public Affairs
- Public Notices
- Public Works
- Social Services
- TERO (Tribal Employment Rights Office)
- Tribally Owned Enterprises
- Tribal Law Enforcement
- Veterans Programs
Economic impact
Tribes are permitted to participate in economic development in a corporate form and "create perpetual membership corporations encompassing all tribal members."[1] Committing tribal income and entering into leases must be approved by the Secretary of the Interior.[1] The Coeur d'Alene tribal government itself employs about 1000 people. Tribal enterprises include the Benewah Automotive Center, the Benewah Market, and an Ace Hardware store.[10]
The Coeur d'Alene Tribe is the second largest employer in Benewah and Kootenai Counties. The tribe has two primary areas of economic development, agriculture and gaming. According to the Coeur d'Alene Tribe website, the tribe has a 6,000 acre farm that produces wheat, barley, peas, lentils and canola. However, in addition to the reservation's 6,000 acre farm, there is 150,000 acres in privately owned farms and 30,000 acres of farm land dedicated to turf farming. The tribe also practices selective cutting logging on 180,000 acres of forest land.[11]
In 1988, the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act was passed by the 100th Congress, which stipulated that regulated gambling was permissible on tribal lands, provided that the state had some form of legalized gambling.[12] The act led to an increase in tribal casinos, which also led to other ventures, such as resorts, hotels and golf courses. The Coeur d'Alene Tribe operates the Coeur d'Alene Casino, Resort, and Hotel in Worley, Idaho. The casino is overseen by the Coeur d'Alene Gaming Department, which consists of eight core members.[13] The Casino employs around 500 people and generates about $20 million in profit each year. The money is returned to tribe for funding tribal programs and economic development.[10]
In 2001, across Idaho, tribal gaming contributions to the state's economy were $84 million in wages and earnings, $250 million in sales, $11 million in property and sales taxes.[1] In total contributions, including gaming, tribes contributed $159 million in wages and earnings, $478 million in sales, $17 million in property and sales taxes, and $6 million in state income tax payments. The tribes generated 7,400 jobs, 4,500 in gaming.[1]
The Coeur d'Alene tribe also operates the Benewah Medical Center, which opened in 1998. The center is a $5 million, 43,000 square foot facility that serves around 10,000 patients. The tribe also has a $5 million school, which built in 1997.[10]
Lobbying, politics and initiatives
In September 2015, the Coeur d'Alene Tribe instituted a bounty for pike fishing on the southern portion of Lake Coeur d’Alene. The announcement surprised the North Idaho Pike Association, who had been working with the tribe on a pike study. The study, which also included the aid of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, was attempting to discover the main source of cutthroat trout predators in the lake. The bounty is applicable only to portions of the lake that are under tribal jurisdiction, but because the lake also borders land under the state's jurisdiction, which has been contested by the tribe, the bounty program will impact the entire lake. The bounty is $5 a fish, with some marked as high as $500.[14]
In December 2015, the Idaho Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe in a case against Idaho Governor Butch Otter (R). The Idaho State Legislature passed a measure earlier in 2015, banning instant horse race betting machines, but Otter vetoed the bill. The tribe argued that the governor's veto had not fallen within the legal five-day time frame and the Sate Supreme Court agreed with the tribe. However, the state attorney general's office levied a counter claim that the tribe had failed to appeal within the 14-day time frame. The court rejected the state's claim based on the fact that the tribe had not filed an official appeal and therefore the term limits did not apply. The state was forced to pay the tribe $57,000 in legal fees.[15] The debate stems from the tribe's opposition to the legalization of the horse betting machines. The tribe's lobbyist, Bill Roden, presented legislature in January 2015, that sought to repeal 2013 legislation that had made the machines legal. The Senate State Affairs Committee unanimously endorsed the tribe's legislation and agreed to present it to the legislature, who subsequently passed the bill.[16] The bill's passage prompted the governor to veto it, which resulted in the Supreme Court's involvement.
The debate between the governor and the Coeur d'Alene Tribe is part of another contentious issue concerning the creation of a gaming commission. The governor's office stated that "[t]he governor’s made it very clear in his veto message and his op-ed piece, he does support a gaming commission."[17] Helo Hancock, the tribe's legislative liaison, responded by stating that "[w]e already have a racing commission, and we already have a lottery commission. It just doesn't seem like there is a need to create another regulatory body."
Leadership
The following was a list of the Coeur d'Alene Tribal Council and leadership as of December 2015:[18]
- Chief James Allan, Chairman
- Don Sczenski, Secretary and Treasurer
- Charlotte Nilson
- Ernie Stensgar, Vice Chairman
- Margaret SiJohn
- Cynthia Williams
- Alfred Nomee
- Helo Hancock, Legislative Director
- Heather Keen, Public Relations
Media
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Coeur d'Alene Tribe Idaho. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- U.S. Department of the Interior
- Idaho Supreme Court
- Idaho Governor
- Butch Otter
- Attorney General of Idaho
External links
- Coeur d'Alene Tribe
- Coeur d'Alene Casino, Resort, and Hotel
- National Indian Gaming Commission
- Department of the Interior, Tribal Nations
- Bureau of Indian Affairs
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 University of Idaho, "Indian Tribes in Idaho," accessed December 23, 2015
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 University of Washington Libraries, "Digital Collection: Coeur d'Alene," accessed January 5, 2016
- ↑ Coeur d'Alene Tribe, "Culture: Overview," accessed January 5, 2016
- ↑ Coeur d'Alene, "Coeur d'Alene Tribe Land Buy-Back Program," accessed January 5, 2015
- ↑ Department of the Interior, "Native American Nations," accessed November 3, 2015
- ↑ Coeur d'Alene Tribe, "Coeur d'Alene Tribal Boards," accessed December 23, 2015
- ↑ Coeur d'Alene Tribe, "Coeur d'Alene Tribal Commissions," accessed December 23, 2015
- ↑ Coeur d'Alene Tribe, "Coeur d'Alene Tribal Committees," accessed December 23, 2015
- ↑ Coeur d'Alene Tribe, "Coeur d'Alene Tribal Departments," accessed December 23, 2015
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Coeur d'Alene Tribe, "Overview," accessed December 23, 2015
- ↑ Coeur d'Alene Tribe, "Reservation," accessed December 23, 2015
- ↑ National Indian Gaming Commission, "Indian Gaming Regulatory Act," accessed November 3, 2015
- ↑ Coeur d'Alene Tribe, "Coeur d'Alene Gaming Department," accessed December 23, 2015
- ↑ Coeur d’Alene Press, "Tribe's pike bounty program raises concerns," September 25, 2015
- ↑ Spokane Public Radio, "Idaho Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Coeur d'Alene Tribe," December 3, 2015
- ↑ Fox Business News, "Coeur d'Alene Tribe seeks to stop instant horse racing in Idaho," January 23, 2015
- ↑ The Spokesman-Review, "Otter's office says it has no legislation in works on instant racing; tribes say they think it's over," December 8, 2015
- ↑ Coeur d'Alene Tribe, "Tribal Council," accessed December 22, 2015
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