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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 1997)
4i WiMtmmrtHiinm (twW(stimi& r,1?p New compact will benefit Tribe and Oregon communities As we reported in the last issue of Smoke Signals, last month Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber and Council Chair Kathryn Harrison signed a landmark agreement regarding gaming at Spirit Mountain Casino. Under this historic com pact, the Tribe agreed to contribute six percent of Casino iLubrniuisiten! revenues to be used for community projects and programs in 1 1 northwest Oregon counties. In return, the Tribe re ceives protection for current gaming and the opportunity to expand with additional games like craps, roulette, and pai gow poker. The Casino also plans to offer Let It Ride and the Big 6 Wheel. The Casino will continue to offer black jack, which provides additional security for all of the re lated jobs at Spirit Mountain. Under this new compact, the Tribe has agreed to limit itself to one Casino in Oregon. There are several aspects to this agreement which makes it beneficial for the Tribe. First, the agreement itself is his toric and cements the positive relationship formed between Gov. Kitzhaber and the Grand Ronde Tribe. The agree ment also recognizes the sovereign status of the Tribe and the role the Tribe's sovereignty plays in its relationship with the state. Finally, the agreement recognizes the important fact that Spirit Mountain helps the Tribe achieve its goal of self-sufficiency. It is important to understand that the agreement is recog nized on both sides as not a tax upon the Tribe or its profits, but a voluntary contribution by the Tribe to support chari table programs in our own communities. The Spirit Moun tain Community Fund will help support programs and projects related to education, health, public safety, prob lem gaming, the arts and culture, the environment, and his toric preservation. There will be an eight-member board responsible for reviewing applications. The board will con sist of three Tribal Council members, one Spirit Mountain Casino representative, one Governor appointed represen tative, and three elected officials approved by both the Tribal Council and the Governor. Grant applications for commu nity projects are available through Beth Sorenson, Public Relations Manager at Spirit Mountain Casino. "This is a good business decision," said Bnice Thomas, Spirit Mountain President. "It protects the economic ben efits the Tribe receives from Spirit Mountain and also builds positive public opinion for future economic development opportunities for the Tribe."
