Addressing the whirlwind of controversy swirling around Coquille‘s bid to set up a casino in Medford, Oregon, Brenda Meade, the spirited chair of the Coquille Indian Tribe, hasn’t let the opposition shy her away. She’s tackling head-on the flurry of criticism and rampant misinformation that rival tribes have propagated. This project, long simmering on the stove, has drawn fierce resistance from several tribes in California and Oregon, levying claims that the Coquille were “reservation shopping” and aiming to grab land sans proper justification.
The Casino Project Should Bolster Local Communities
Painting a picture for OregonLive’s audience, Meade dived into the backstory of the casino initiative. Back in the game-changing year of 2012, the Coquille Tribe put their chips on the table, applying to hold land in trust in Medford, part of their designated service area, for a new rather modest on-reservation casino. Meade emphasized that despite its size, the casino would be a jackpot, allowing the tribe to expand critical services and meet the needs of their citizens, families, and extending a helping hand to the surrounding community.
Zooming into specific details, Meade highlighted that Medford, at the time of tribal restoration, boasted the second-highest concentration of Coquille citizens, justifying the casino’s presence there. She lamented the myriad of hurdles the Coquille had jumped through in their relentless quest for recognition and rights, hurdles born from historical injustices like termination and land dispossession. Meade’s words brimmed with emotional fervor as she decried the ignorance and misinformation that continued to cloud their rightful claims to sovereignty.
“Although some things have improved for us, ignorance still leads to ongoing attacks on our rights and sovereignty.”
Brenda Meade, Coquille Indian Tribe chair
Setting down her cards, Meade called out the baselessness of opposing tribes’ allegations of “off-reservation” gaming and “reservation shopping.” She spotlighted the Coquille Restoration Act, which pen-and-inked a five-county service area for reservation building, a result of federal policies that had scattered the tribe wide and far.
Ongoing Lobbying Could Damage Tribal Sovereignty
Taking another roll of the dice, Meade shed light on how misleading claims by other tribes had snowballed, thanks in no small part to their excessive lobbying efforts—they were playing to protect their iron grip on the gaming market along Oregon’s I-5 corridor. Meade wasn’t pulling any punches, rebutting these claims as baseless, referring back to the trusty Coquille Restoration Act to affirm the tribe’s lawful position to move forward with the casino project.
In an eloquent appeal, Meade urged fellow tribal leaders and advocates of tribal rights to place tribal sovereignty above petty competitive interests. She harked back to a time when the Coquille Tribe had faced competition pressures from a neighboring tribe but chose the high road, opting to support tribal rights over staking exclusive claims. This mutual cooperation yielded benefits for both sides, underscoring that, much like a solid poker hand, collaboration can pave the way to shared prosperity.
“I would be happy to speak with any tribal leader on how to balance concerns about competition in a way that lifts us all while protecting Oregon’s economy and environment.”
Brenda Meade, Coquille Indian Tribe chair
Finishing on an emphatic note, Meade warned that the entrenched backlash could set a dangerous precedent, potentially trapping any tribal restoration in years of paralyzing legal tussles, with millions tossed down the drain on lobbying efforts. Her call for unity and a steadfast respect for sovereignty was a stirring reminder of the ongoing struggle for recognition and self-determination faced by tribal communities.
As the arguments shuffle and the stakes get higher, it’s clear Brenda Meade’s eloquent defense of the Medford casino project is not just about aces in the hole, but fighting for justice, rights, and a brighter future for the Coquille Tribe.
