The Coeur d’Alene Tribe celebrates a quarter-century of renewal
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Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort and Hotel!
Cheers to continued success.
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INSIDE 4 THE JOURNEY 6 TRIBAL HISTORY 8 TIMELINE 9 TRIBAL COUNCIL I0 ECONOMIC IMPACT I0 EDUCATION I I COEUR VALUES I2 NATURE I4 CULTURAL TOURISM I6 DINING I8 CIRCLING RAVEN I9 THE SPA 20 GAMING 2I ACCOMMODATIONS 23 25 TH ANNIVERSARY
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Hearts Full of Hope Dear Friends, Neighbors and Patrons:
A celebration is in order. I write to you as the Chief Executive Officer of the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort, and I’m proud to be the third Coeur d’Alene Tribal member with the honor to hold this position. Wholeheartedly, I am inviting you to share in our 25th Anniversary, and to experience all we have to offer as a resort, and as a motivated, creative and progressive tribe. Since opening day on March 23, 1993, we have striven to achieve our current selfsufficiency, to firmly establish a growing, diverse and sustainable economy on the Coeur d’Alene Reservation, including the positive impacts that have spread to North Idaho and Eastern Washington. Yes, we made promises, not only keeping each and every Francis SiJohn one, but succeeding beyond even our own expectations. As I reflect on the vision of the visionaries who created this success, I am deeply proud of our tribe. However, we are far from finished. There is much more to this vision and the challenging goals we have yet to pursue. As so many of you know, we began as a small bingo operation — not even full-time. We have evolved into a magnificent destination resort, including a world-class golf course, 300-room hotel, a spa unsurpassed in its beauty and amenities, six dining venues, top-shelf entertainers and, of course, a gaming operation that has produced a number of million-dollar winners. In the pages to come, you will see our whole story, and how we’ve grown from those first 96 employees, some of whom are still with us here today. Here 25 years later, we have had an employment count as high as 1,200, and our economic impact on the region has reached well over $300 million annually, supporting some 3,800 jobs beyond the Coeur d’Alene Reservation. We succeed with your support, and we pay it back. To date, more than $33 million, our 5 percent commitment from profits, has gone to schools and educational institutions, just one of the many promises we’ve kept. Enjoy the articles and our story. Celebrate with us. Abject poverty is long gone here, and our tribal members see the future with eyes wide open and hearts full of hope. I know this well. I’m one of them.
Lim lemtsh (Thank You!) Francis SiJohn CEO, Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort 25TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
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We Dream as We Go
Coeur d’Alene Tribal Elder Patient Gertrude
BY ROBERT S. BOSTWICK
T
his all began on a wheat field, and not much of one at that. The soil was heavy with clay, covered by seasonal wetlands with thorny wild roses sprouting up all around. But these 80 acres of wheat, nestled near the intersection of THE JOURNEY highways U.S. 95 and Idaho 58, was to be the place where the Coeur d’Alene Tribe would spin that wheat straw into gold. And it’s no fairy tale. The Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort has evolved over these 25 years into a stunning destination resort, with its 300 rooms, seven dining areas, 1,400 gaming machines, bingo, some 100,000 square feet of gaming space and the world-class Circling Raven Golf Club among its amenities. Those who visit see the results, and they Robert S. Bostwick has worked in public relations for the the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort and the Coeur d’Alene Tribe since the early-1990s.
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come from all over the world. Those who were here before see a powerful vision realized. They see their children and grandchildren looking hopefully toward the future. They feel their ancestors looking down at them, approving and proud.
BINGO
Those 80 acres were just enough when the original building, housing bingo, opened for business in March of 1993, offering seating for about 1,000 players. There were a few offices, one meeting room, a small cantina and a lobby. That’s it. To build it, the tribe borrowed $2.9 million from an economic development fund at the Bureau of Indian Affairs — a fund that doesn’t even exist anymore. David Matheson, a tribal member, former councilman and chairman, University of Washington graduate with a Master’s degree in Business Administration, was the brains behind the boom. Over the preceding four years, he
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had served President George H.W. Bush as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior/Bureau of Indian Affairs. He knew all the ins and outs of Indian gaming, and how to start it with bingo. “I like to tell the story,” says Matheson. “I got all kinds of advice from very smart and successful people in the region. They all said the same thing: ‘Don’t build it way down there, build it as far north as you can get.’ Of course, the three rules of business are ‘location, location, location.’ We had none of the three.” What the tribe also did not have were jobs, opportunities and scholarship dollars. But what the tribe did have was vision. It had commitment. It had unwavering leadership. The Tribal Council at the time included Al Garrick, Dominick Curley, Margaret Jose, Lawrence Aripa, Henry SiJohn and Norma Peone. Ernie Stensgar was the Tribal Chairman. Only Jose, Peone and Stensgar are still living. Their backsides at the time, and no one else’s, were on the line. But their tribe was enduring
abject poverty — its unemployment rate hovering around 70 percent. “Oh, we preferred the money issues to the poverty, so we never hesitated to take the risk,” recalls Jose, who served on council six years, her eyes lighting up at the memories. “It sure was exciting, and yes, we did have concerns, but everyone came together then. Everybody had a ‘can-do’ spirit, and so much support from all the tribal families was wonderful to see.” Leaders in Idaho state government were not so pleased. In July of 1992, the tribe notified then-Governor Cecil Andrus that it would seek negotiations for a gaming compact, a process required by the U.S. Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. But in those days it was a process often held up by states dragging their feet. Andrus didn’t drag his feet. Instead, he called the legislature into special session, the first one in decades, to take the first step — to write an amendment to the state constitution that would ban all casino type (Class I) games. That November, the amendment passed as Proposition One, and it came via a whopping 59 percent majority. Then the compact was negotiated in a reasonably timely manner. Bingo was protected already by federal law, as was Class II gaming. The compact allowed for the Tribe to do any type of Class I gaming allowed in the state — horse racing, mule racing, dog racing (now banned), sports betting and lottery. Yes, lottery.
SUCCESS
With or without dice, the Coeur d'Alene Tribe was on a roll. Then came a few machines, mostly in the lobby, then a few more. Revenue was flowing modestly. Expansion was needed. Remember that $2.9 million loan? The 15year note was paid off in three years, and the “mortgage burning” ceremony included in a
Coeur d’Alene Chief Morris Antelope
were taking notice. Expansions had included a hotel, pool and restaurants, and fur was flying at the state capitol in Boise. The tribe decided to take their message to the people. With success growing and glowing, it still took another vote, this time of the citizens, to seal the deal with Idaho for good. The tribe successfully petitioned to put their proposition
We’ve done great things as a tribe and as individual tribal members. Our promises have been made and kept. bingo promotion. Other such “burnings” would follow. But the tribe still faced challenges, as lawmakers, governors and anti-gaming interests
on the ballot in 2002, asking the people of Idaho to confirm the legitimacy of lotterystyle machines. A statewide campaign was launched, and it passed, carrying a conservative,
Republican and considerably Mormon state by, guess what? Again, 59 percent. Idahoans appreciated that the tribe had erased that 70 percent unemployment rate. The Tribe today is at full employment, with more jobs, in fact, than it has Indians to fill them.
MORE TO COME?
Today the Coeur d’Alene Tribe can boast full employment. It can boast a more diverse and a sustainable reservation economy, supporting some 1,800 jobs at the tribe’s enterprises and government programs. It can boast health care not just for tribal members, but at a new medical center that serves the non-Indian public as well. It can boast about a half-billion dollars in new construction over these 25 years, some, but far from all, at the casino resort. With a degree in Urban Regional Planning and Development and Master’s in Planning Administration from Eastern Washington CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE 25TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
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“WE DREAM AS WE GO,” CONTINUED University, Francis SiJohn took over as CEO of the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort in 2016. He is also a tribal member and former tribal council vice chairman. “We’ve done great things as a tribe and as individual tribal members,” SiJohn beams. “Our promises have been made and kept. In fact, we’ve gone far beyond the expectations of 25 years ago, or even 10 years ago. And there’s more to come.” Current Tribal Chairman Chief Allan currently holds the reins in Plummer, maintaining the same firm commitment he saw growing up. “We continue to create opportunities, jobs, education, health care and more,” Allan says. “So many benefit from all this, tribal or otherwise. We have clearly shown that as the tribe benefits, so does the region.” And the tribe can rely, if not rest, on its self-sufficiency. Just as importantly, it has established economic sustainability. Vision is ever present. Ideas will continue to grow, as will the resort. “We began all this to create jobs, end poverty here and create dollars for education, for programs and for Tribal members to have the same opportunities we see elsewhere,” says SiJohn. “I don’t think we’re going to be complacent. We have the capacity to do more, so I think the time will come to expand again.” From that wheat field and the clay beneath, dreams came true. Hopes became reality. Success took over from abject poverty. It’s been 25 years, and it ain’t over. “We dream as we go,” says SiJohn. “We dream as we go.”
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TOP: Coeur d’Alene Tribal Elder Marian Staten with her mother Lucy Finley. LOWER LEFT: The Coeur d’Alene Wildshoe family in their 1916 Allis Chalmers. The car was given to Philip Wildshoe by his mother, who used her crop income to buy it. LOWER RIGHT: Mildred Bailey, a Coeur d'Alene Tribal member, and one of the top singers of the jazz era.
The Discovered Ones
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he history of a people is inextricably bound to their language. The words they use to describe their environment, their beliefs, their routines and themselves offer insight into the forces that have shaped their way of life and their identity. For the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, this is as true as ever. They call themselves Schitsu’umsh. The discovered ones. Those who are found here. “One meaning is that other people discovered us living here, where we had always been,” says tribal historian Quanah Matheson. “At the same time, there’s a spiritual meaning: Creator gathered up his children and put us on this land.” It wasn’t until the French Canadian fur traders of the Hudson Bay Company and the North West Company ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE INLANDER
“discovered” the Schitsu’umsh around the end of 18th century that the French name Coeur d'Alene, or heart of an awl, was applied to them. “They called us the pointed hearts because they couldn’t get one over on us,” TRIBAL HISTORY Matheson laughs. “We were savvy and always won on the business deals. We were known as being a little fierce, a little ornery, very businesslike.” Yet the history of the Coeur d’Alenes begins long before their contact with early white traders. The land that the explorers regarded as wilderness — roughly 3.5 million acres centered around today’s Idaho Panhandle — had been home to the Tribe for more than 10,000 years, according to archaeological evidence, though oral
The Coeur d’Alene Tribal Joseph family, with father Wakai and mother Hapshna; their daughter Margaret (lower right) is Laura Stensgar’s grandmother.
history traces the origins much further back. “The elders always told us that we’ve been here since time immemorial. We hunted ancient beasts. We took a highly respectful stance toward living with nature. We followed our seasonal calendar. We knew when to get roots when they were ready, knew when to fish, when to hunt, when to gather,” Matheson says. They knew intimately their land’s forests, its camas prairie, its waterways, its mountains. It was around the time that fur traders arrived that the great chief Circling Raven, who legend says lived for 150 years and ruled the tribe between 1660 and 1760, issued his famous prophecy: During times of hardship, men with crossed sticks and long black robes will come to the people. This foretold the two forces that would shape the Coeur d’Alenes’ history: illness and religion. Between 1777 and 1842, an estimated 90 percent of the tribe was killed by smallpox and other foreign diseases against which Native Americans had no immunity. The tribe’s numbers dwindled to around 500. Then came missionaries like Father DeSmet and other Jesuit priests, who converted all but a handful of the remaining members to Roman Catholicism. As a result, the Coeur d’Alenes began to concentrate around church and school buildings and became Palouse-area farmers. But this way of life didn’t last long. The discovery of precious metals in the region accelerated the migration of Euro-American settlers in the 1860s. The United States government began taking CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
Congratulations, Coeur d’Alene Casino, on your 25th year. As one of the early pioneers of tribal gaming, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe helped blaze a trail for hundreds of tribes seeking a better life now, and for generations to come. The Kalispel Tribe congratulates you on your accomplishments.
kalispeltribe.com
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“THE DISCOVERED ONES,” CONTINUED increasing steps to suppress and confine Native Americans. In 1873, an executive order by President Ulysses S. Grant established the Coeur d’Alene Reservation — just 600,000 of what once was millions of acres of ancestral land. The Dawes Act of 1887 later forced the Coeur d’Alenes to become individual as opposed to collective landowners. Subsequent federal acts shrank the size of the reservation even further to just 345,000 acres, much of which was considered undesirable for white settlement. What followed was more than a century of challenge and further hardship. “When you think about what can be done to a people to break them, that’s what was done to the Coeur d’Alene people,” says Matheson. “They destroyed our culture, our language, our heritage, our landbase. They took everything away. But the tribe was very resilient.” The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 was one government initiative that did work in Native Americans’ favor. Within four years, the Coeur d’Alenes had successfully negotiated a gaming compact with the State of Idaho. That led to the creation of a tiny bingo hall opening in
THE COEUR D’ALENE RESERVATION
March of 1993 — 25 years ago this Sandpoint month. Aboriginal All these Territory years and several 1873 expansions later, Reservation the Coeur d’Alene MONTANA Casino Resort is Spokane testament to what Thompson Falls Cataldo a proud, resilient and businessPlummer savvy people can St. Regis build when given the chance. Today IDAHO the luxury hotel offers 300 rooms, Present Colfax and the casino Reservation Moscow features more than WASHINGTON 1,400 gaming Source: Coeur d'Alene Tribe GIS-SK, gisinfo@cdatribe-nsn.gov machines across 100,000 square are reconnecting with their ancient Salish feet of space. The Circling Raven Golf Course language, rediscovering what it means to be The is a premier golfing destination. The tribe has grown to around 2,500 members, many of whom Discovered Ones. “Our language is based upon our land,” says now have the solid, self-sufficient economic Matheson. “Our language can be traced back to foundation their elders were denied. one place, and that’s here.” Importantly, more and more Coeur d’Alenes
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TIMELINE
1988
The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act passes Congress, infringing on tribal sovereignty, but also allowing tribes to create gaming operations.
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1991-92
In accordance with those new federal laws, a gaming compact is negotiated and finalized between the Coeur d’Alene Tribe and the State of Idaho, allowing gaming to start on tribal lands.
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1993
Coeur d’Alene Tribal Bingo opens for business on March 23 — 25 years ago this month.
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1997
The first Julyamsh is organized by the Coeur d’Alene Tribe and held in Post Falls, open to tribes from across the United States and Canada. After 17 years, the event takes a hiatus, coming back in 2016 bigger than ever, now at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds.
1998
The complex’s first fullservice restaurant, the Chinook Steakhouse, opens to diners. Today there are six unique dining areas available.
2002
The Coeur d’Alene Tribe wins a spot on the statewide ballot for an initiative to allow gaming machines at their growing operation. The measure passes with 59 percent of the public vote.
A Model of Self-Determination
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unctioning much like a city council but with the oversight of a state government, the Coeur d’Alene Tribal Council is responsible for making the important policy and legislative decisions that affect the tribe. The Council consists of seven members, each of whom are elected to three-year terms. They meet weekly to deliberate and vote on resolutions. Like many things throughout the Coeur d’Alene people’s history, the Council was a hard-won gain. First formed in 1947 to align with the self-government provisions of the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, it was formalized two years later under a written constitution after fraught negotiations with the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs. TRIBAL COUNCIL Joe Garry, son of the tribe’s last traditional chief, Ignace Garry, served as the council’s first elected president. Joe would go on to make history as the first Native American elected to the Idaho state legislature, serving in both the Idaho House and Senate in the years that followed. Joe went on to become a hero to tribes across the United States, as he became president of the National Congress of American Indians in 1953. As Congress worked to dissolve tribal governments and liquidate tribal lands — a battle waged on many fronts via a series of federal laws from the 1940s to the 1960s known as “termination” — the man who organized the opposition was a Coeur d’Alene born in a tipi, Joe Garry. History is still being made today. Now in her second term on the council, Margaret SiJohn, hotel director for the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort, is seeing more young tribal members pursue postgraduate degrees and then return to become involved in tribal civic life and politics. She says the makeup of the current council is reflective of that. “We on the council are all different ages, and we all have different views,” SiJohn says, “but we’re open to discuss how we feel and where we come from. Even if we
2003
In August, the Circling Raven Golf Course fills its first tee times, and remains listed today among the nation’s Top 100 public golf courses.
2004
The Coeur d’Alene Casino becomes a proper resort, as the tribe adds 200 rooms to accommodate overnight guests.
2011
disagree, we’re willing to compromise with one another and make a decision that we all feel is best for the Tribe.” Together, by continuing to protect the sovereignty of the tribe and identify more paths to self-sufficiency, they are helping to guide this ancient people into a promising new era. “Past leaders put in their time and their life experience to get us here,” SiJohn adds. “Their focus on getting the younger generations educated and aware of what’s happening outside the reservation has really helped put us where we are now.”
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The Coeur d’Alene Tribal Council: (top left to right) Treasurer Don Sczenski, Chris Luke; (bottom left to right) Chairman Chief Allan, Leta Campbell, Charlotte Nilson, Margaret SiJohn, Vice Chairman Ernie Stensgar.
The Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort expands again, with the Spa Tower, adding 100 more hotel rooms, the new Chinook Steakhouse and a 15,000-square-foot spa.
2017
The Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort launches its Cultural Tourism program, inviting visitors to learn even more about the tribal stories, traditions and values of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe.
2018
The Coeur d’Alene Tribe celebrates the Casino’s 25th birthday, with hundreds of new jobs created and contributions to local educational efforts topping $33 million. The entire Inland Northwest is invited to join the party!
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A Boom on the Palouse
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harles “Chuck” Matheson recalls a time when the total number of job opportunities on the Coeur d’Alene Reservation was in the double digits. When he graduated from high school in 1977, he eventually took a job with the Tribal Police. “At that time, on our wall in the police department, we had a list of all the tribal employees and their phone extensions,” ECONOMIC IMPACT he says. “One day, I counted everybody on there, and I think there were about 50, and maybe only two or three that were paid out of tribal funds. The rest would have been funded through grant money or
training programs.” As limited as those opportunities were, they actually represented an improvement. When Matheson was later elected to the Tribal Council, he became close to Ernie Stensgar, who had been a young adult on the reservation during the ’50s. Stensgar related stories about the dire poverty on the reservation at a time when America was experiencing a postwar economic boom. “If they weren’t allowed to go out and get some deer or elk, they would have just starved. There was nothing else — no money, no work,” Matheson says. In 1993, the year the Coeur d’Alene Tribal Bingo opened, unemployment on the reservation
Funding the Future
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ducation fosters an appreciation for the world around us and opens doors to success and personal fulfillment that would otherwise remain closed. The Coeur d’Alene Tribe has long recognized this and held EDUCATION education as one of its core values. That’s one of the reasons why, when tribal leaders were negotiating the gaming compact
donating more than $33 million to schools, universities and education-related activities across the Inland Northwest. Each year organizations throughout the region are encouraged to submit a funding application for review by the grant committee. The tribe’s commitment to education is evident in other areas, too. For example, its Marimn Health Wellness Center holds classes on nutrition and fitness that are
is almost unquantifiable. Regardless of whether they are tribal members, all employees have the opportunity to take part in a free program to prepare for and take the GED; they can also have their college tuition and books covered. Many employees have achieved four-year and master’s degrees via the program. All this emphasis on education, coupled with the strong economic foundation the casino provides,
with the State of Idaho in 1992, they insisted on voluntarily allocating 5 percent of the casino’s net annual revenue to educational initiatives. Since then, the tribe has made good on that commitment,
available to tribal and non-tribal members alike. The center’s annual budget exceeds $20 million, largely funded by gaming revenue, yet its positive impact on the health and well-being of the area’s population
has paid huge dividends. Nearly 400 tribal members are currently in its “education pipeline,” which accounts for every student in the early Head Start program up to and including PhD programs.
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still hovered above 70 percent. Young, educated tribal members who wanted careers felt confined to two options: either leave the reservation behind or stay and face an uncertain existence. The casino changed that. Despite its humble beginnings, it quickly put the Tribe on an entrepreneurial path to self-sufficiency. “It started out almost like a tent. But it had some machines and it had bingo, and little by little it grew,” recalls Yvette Matt. In a story that parallels many tribal members, Matt grew up off the reservation but returned when she saw the chance to put her degrees in business and marketing to good use. Today she serves as the casino’s marketing director. “I truly have watched this place go from smaller to a little bigger, to bigger, to even bigger. We’ve had five expansions.” “It’s been nonstop growth,” adds Matheson. “Now, instead of 96 positions and just a small handful of them paid through tribal funds, we have around 600 in the tribal government and around 850 currently employed by the casino.” The total number of jobs created by the tribe is estimated to be close to 4,400, making it the second-largest employer in Kootenai County and the largest in Benewah County. The casino’s economic impact is far wider than in-house employment. When the facility expanded with an additional 100 hotel rooms and a spa in 2011, it was a $75 million boon for local contractors, consultants and laborers. A 2014 study by the University of Idaho found that the Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s combined economic and government operations have a $330 million impact on the regional economy every year. “You can see how the reservation and the employment rate have changed because of the casino,” says Matt. “The casino is a testament to believing in your tribe and believing in your ability to make things better.”
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25-year employees of the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort: (left to right) Laura Stensgar, Candi Abraham, Jesse Hodgson, Marian Staten (seated) and Ray LaSarte (not pictured).
Part of the Family
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rancis SiJohn is telling a story: As Casino CEO, he likes to walk the floor, talking with guests and employees. One day he recognized a frequent guest. They chatted about each other’s lives, and SiJohn asked the man if there was anything he could do for him. COEUR VALUES “Yes,” said the man, explaining his concern. Together they walked over to where the issue originated and resolved it. As SiJohn departed, he invited the man and his wife to come for dinner. A new employee accompanying SiJohn was curious about what he’d just seen. “Number one, they’re coming into our house,” answered SiJohn. “And number two, they are guests of ours… but they’re also our friends.” Tribal hospitality, says SiJohn, is ingrained into Coeur d’Alene culture, and it carries over to employees, he says, who should feel “as important as every guest who walks in the door.”
for Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort. Hodgson and Stensgar are two of only a handful of people whose dateof-hire anniversary date-of-hire to the casino’s anniversary; the others include Candyce Abraham, Ray LaSarte and Marian Staten. Today the casino employs around 850 people, which climbs to 1,100 in peak season. Many have been on the team for many years. And many more have siblings, parents, cousins and friends who also work at the casino Dee Dee Morris has 17 years at the casino. A tribal elder who has served as ambassador and hostess and worked the floor, Morris has two daughters, a son and a grandchild working there. Often stationed at the Info Booth along Skycatcher, Morris can answer any question you have — dining, events, spa specials, gaming. And if you ask her for directions, she’d rather just take you there so she knows you got there. “You want to take care of customers,
and you want to make sure they have a good visit and that they’ll come back to you,” says SiJohn. Creating a welcoming environment for guests is a vital business strategy in more competitive markets, adds SiJohn, but it’s also an extension of the business savvy first documented by French traders who called his ancestors “Coeur d’Alene.” He credits past tribal councils, tribal members, the employees and the community for working together to create and sustain the casino, which in turn has been a tool for educational opportunities, economic growth and sustainability, better health care and infrastructure in the community. It’s hard to predict what the next 25 years will hold, says SiJohn. Coeur d’Alene people have suffered, he says, but they’ve persevered and even prospered because they adapted while holding traditions sacred. “Be a good human being,” says SiJohn, and “look for the best in each other.”
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That’s how Jesse Hodgson feels. “From day one, it’s always been a family,” says Hodgson, who started at the bingo hall in 1993 and now manages Video Gaming Services. Spending a lot of time together, especially through all the holidays, says Hodgson, connects you with others. “You have regulars come in,” she says, “and they’re part of your family, too.” Laura Stensgar remembers opening day at the bingo hall like it was yesterday. “There was great anticipation in the air,” she says, “a sense of something great to come, and we were part of it.” Stensgar stood among friends and family that cold and snowy day. “Then we assumed our positions, broke the ribbon and the crowd came in, we knew it was a new beginning.” Stensgar started as Economic Development Planner for the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, involved in planning the transition into gaming; she now serves as Director of Public Affairs/Cultural Tourism 25TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
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A Land Apart
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NATURE
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visit to the Coeur d’Alene Reservation is a trip into the natural world — to that place where the pine forests meet the rolling hills of Palouse farmlands, and where rugged foothills encircle and drop down to the shores of the lake that bears their tribal name. For at least 10,000 years, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe has called the lands centering on modern-day North Idaho home. The Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort blends the excitement of the entertainment complex with the profound beauty and quiet of its surroundings. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience, with nature all around you. Wildlife is abundant, including elk, deer, moose and an occasional black bear. In fact, Circling Raven Golf Club was delayed from opening early last year due to damage on two greens by migrating elk. A proud member of the Audubon International Sanctuary System, Circling Raven is home to two nesting bald eagles, George and Gracie. One or both can commonly be seen perched atop an old cottonwood tree, enjoying a commanding view of the first and 10th tees. The seasonal changes are features that also mark these lands, from the golden browns of the late-summer harvest, to the green hills and flooded wetlands of the spring, to the serene whiteness of winter. Any time of year, your experience will change, offering a peek into the world the Coeur d’Alenes have lived in for millennia.
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25TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
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Come One, Come All
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ince the earliest times, stories reflect that Native Americans have held many types of gatherings — private and public, men- or women-only, with varied types of dancing. Yet the modern powwow follows a generally accepted format dating to the 1800s. From the first Grand Entry to the horse parade to the final Head Woman’s dance, powwow is all about family, celebration, culture and tradition, as age-old customs and beliefs are honored and strengthened through dance, drumming, prayer and shared time together. “It’s a place we can enjoy our gifts,” says Quanah Matheson, the Coeur d’Alene JULYAMSH Tribe’s Cultural Affairs Director, whose eyes soften as he reminisces about seeing his father at powwows, as well as seeing his own children dance today. In 1997, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe invited all — both other tribes and the community at large — to attend the inaugural Julyamsh powwow at the Post Falls Greyhound Park. Recently, after a two-year break, Julyamsh reemerged in 2016 at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds and was attended by 20,000 people, including 800 dancers and 60 drum groups, says Matheson. Most people come to powwow with families, says Yvette Matt, Marketing Director, so Julyamsh organizers added campers’ night for special events, like namegiving ceremonies, as well as a campers’ breakfast. Powwows are about social interaction, adds Matheson. That includes amongst family and one’s own tribe, with tribes across the United States and even Canada, and with non-tribal members of the community. “My absolute hope,” says Matheson, “is that we can celebrate together.”
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Julyamsh 2018 will be held July 20-22 at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds. Everyone is welcome to attend!
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CULTURAL TOURISM
Sharing Stories
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haring is a way of life for the Coeur d’Alene people. As stewards of the environment, including the reservation’s 344,900 acres and the lower Lake Coeur d’Alene basin, they have spearheaded efforts to restore and preserve precious waterways after decades of industrial dumping by others. Early in the development of their gaming plans, the Coeur d’Alenes committed to sharing profits with the educational community, again to widespread benefit. And Marimn Health Wellness Center (formerly Benewah Medical Center) benefits native and nonnative communities throughout Idaho, as well as Washington and Montana. Throughout the tribe’s history, they have also shared their culture, hardly to their benefit during the colonial encounter, yet they have been steadfast in expressing and preserving their language, stories and
important events such as Winter Blessing and Julyamsh Powwow. For example, the year following the annual powwow’s transition to a new location — from the Greyhound Park in Post Falls to the Kootenai County Fairgrounds in Coeur d’Alene — the casino hosted their “Cultural Experience,” with gifts of salmon and
When we have these events, we try to educate people: ‘This is who we are.’
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huckleberries to all comers. “When we have these events, we try to educate people: ‘This is who we are,’” says Quanah Matheson, Cultural Affairs Director for the Casino. Matheson’s role, according to one of numerous cultural presentations he’s shared with the region’s many civic, educational
ABOVE: The Coeur d’Alenes Cultural Tourism program visits the Cataldo Mission and learns more about the role of bison in tribal history. LEFT: Miss Coeur d’Alene Kyra Antone (left) and Little Miss Coeur d’Alene Olivia Pakootas at Julyamsh. and other institutions, is as “trainer, educator, outreach, greeter, cultural specialist, entertainer, dancer, singer and cultural tourism specialist.” He’s also responsible for the Chatq’ele’ Interpretive Center inside Heyburn State Park, which they co-manage with the state of Idaho. He works to ensure that Coeur d’Alene heritage is included in “planning, architecture, business philosophy and presentation.” In mid-summer of 2017, the Casino took its first steps in implementing its Cultural Tourism program, which has been in development for more than three years. They offered four packages for adventure-minded, culturally curious visitors, including to a nearby bison ranch and a guided trip to Cataldo Mission’s landmark exhibition, “Sacred Encounters: Father De Smet & the Indians of the Rocky Mountain West.” Additional programs involving the Mission are slated for development, while current efforts involve promoting the inherent beauty of their tribal lands. The Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes, for example, extends through 14.5 miles of reservation land, across the breathtaking 3,100-foot Chatcolet Bridge trestle towards Harrison, en route to trail’s end in Mullan. A partnership with Union Pacific Railroad, and both the state and federal governments, the Coeur d’Alene portion of the trail features educational mile markers, such as Hn’ya’pqi’nn, Coeur d’Alene for “gathering place” at the trail’s origin in Plummer. “We are on our home lands,” says Francis SiJohn, Chief Executive Officer of the Casino. As the 25th anniversary approaches, he has been thinking about the future, too, and expects cultural tourism will continue to be important. Planning for the coming season has begun, says Matheson, who hopes to see more tribal members involved in the process, especially sharing stories through storytelling and dance. It’s always a balance, says Matheson, wanting to share culture, making it enjoyable for all, while preserving and promoting Coeur d’Alene culture, yet being respectful of the history and traditions of the Schitsu’umsh.
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WE’RE PROUD TO SUPPORT THE COEUR D’ALENE CASINO
Congratulations on your 25th Anniversary Year!
OBSESSED with the game playags.com
25TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
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So Many Options
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hen it opened in 1993, the Coeur d’Alene Bingo Hall was able to offer little more than sandwiches to hungry players. Today there are seven unique dining areas available, including the High Mountain Buffet, which initially opened as a steakhouse and was the first restaurant created specifically for the new casino in 1998. Susan Brunelle, who started 19 years ago as a baker, remembers the rollout of all the casino’s restaurants spanning DINING three remodels. The job has been great for her, says Brunelle, who lives nearby and whose kids have also worked at the casino. “I do feel part of the community,” she says. Brunelle is one of about 250 employees who
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care for guests’ food and beverage needs, serving visitors and fellow employees alike. Although each restaurant has its own kitchen, some dining services, including baking, are centralized, providing all from-scratch desserts, bread and baked goods for hotel room service, bus tours (they provide cookies Executive Chef Steven Walk to the passengers), special events, and both quick-serve and sit-down dining. Quick-serve spots include Jackpot Java and
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Creamer, or the Huckleberry Deli in the Spa Tower wing for a breakfast sandwich, burger or sweet treat like salted caramel stuffed pretzel. Casual sit-down meals can be had at the Sweetgrass Café or Red Tail Bar & Grill, where the skewers are a favorite. Guests can partake of food and beverage at the Nighthawk Lounge, which features a unique 360-degree bar and free, live entertainment Thursdays through Sundays. Chinook Steak, Pasta and Spirits features several locally sourced ingredients, says Executive Chef Steven Walk. They use local produce, NW Cattle Company beef and huckleberry honey from Shaver Farms, he says, as well as about 1,200 pounds of salmon per month, which they get from the Nisqually Tribe in Washington. In addition, says Walk, “This upcoming summer we are working with the tribal farm [Susan Brunelle’s son, Jeremiah, works there] to produce more of a steady supply of vegetables to use.” Warmer weather has diners looking outdoors, including for special events. When the golf course is open, so is Twisted Earth Grill for light fare inside the Circling Raven Pro Shop. Nearby is the Stensgar Pavilion — built in 2009 and named in honor of then-Tribal Chairman and current Vice-Chair, Ernie Stensgar. The Pavilion offers an ideal spot for large gatherings with floor-to-ceiling windows and a large patio for panoramic views of the Palouse. For even larger gatherings, at 15,000 square feet each, the Chinook Meadow offers a beautiful outdoor experience, while the Event Center can accommodate the largest of crowds in any weather. Of course, if events involve food, the casino’s food service team provides catering, as well. “Golf tournaments, corporate events, weddings,” notes chef Walk, “all of our spaces are great for any type of event.”
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Congratulations to our family and friends in the
Coeur d’Alene Tribe. We can’t wait to see what you accomplish in the coming years. We of the Spokane Tribe of Indians congratulate the Coeur d’Alene Tribe.
You brought a dream to life 25 years ago with the opening of your beautiful Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel…and the dreams have grown ever since.
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Scenes of Circling Raven: Hole No. 17 (main picture), No. 16 (upper left) and No. 8 (above center).
Legendary Links
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ircling Raven Golf Course is a special place to so many, and not just the golfers and writers — including for Golfweek, GOLF Magazine, Men’s Health, The Golf Insider — who have raved about the course. It was the landscape itself that inspired veteran course designer Gene Bates’ vision for Circling Raven, CIRCLING RAVEN which opened in 2003. It covers 620 acres, roughly four times larger than the average course. More than half the course is native grasses, while wetlands comprise 162 acres. Thirty-six acres of existing conifer trees were incorporated into the design, as well. For example, No. 12 is a Par 5 with magnificent pine trees in the center of play so you have to choose left or right, says Tom Davidson, Circling Raven’s Golf Director.
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Davidson has difficulty choosing his favorite spot on the golf course. No. 15, he says, is “very picturesque” — cut out of Ponderosa forest with the green sitting down the hill a ways, and mountains in the background. Not only does each hole have its own character and unique landscape feature, each hole has a name. No. 8, a Par 4 facing southeast with a view of where the Coeur d’Alene mountains converge with the St. Joe National Forest at the south end of Lake Coeur d’Alene, says Davidson, is called mqhwwqin, or Snow on the Mountain. The course name honors Circling Raven, a spiritual leader who was aided by his kinship with Raven and Crow and in 1740 prophesied the arrival of men in “black robes.” (Jesuit missionaries arrived in the 1840s.) Honoring the past, it also serves the future, as the practice course for budding golfers from
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nearby Plummer-Worley School District. Davidson describes the course as challenging, but player-friendly: Players can tee up from five different locations inside the tee-box. Greens fees include a GPS-equipped cart, and access to a 25acre practice area. “Circling Raven is built purposely so that people can go out and experience tranquility and isolation,” says Davidson. “From the back nine, you can’t see another hole from the one you’re playing.” The course is rugged, too, supporting a diverse animal population of elk, deer, moose, black bear, pheasant, quail, grouse, eagle, porcupine, cougar, wolf and coyote. In 2004, the course was recognized by the Audubon International’s Cooperative Sanctuary System for its commitment to the environment, including preserving natural habitat. Weather on the course can be unexpected and powerful, says Davidson, creating a memorable golf experience that has drawn competitors from all over the world, including Scottish golfers who love huge courses, too. “We’ve often said you can experience four seasons in one day.”
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Happy 25th Anniversary! Aruze Gaming congratulates Coeur d'Alene Casino on its 25th Anniversary and wishes many years of success!
A Quiet Escape
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he Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort earns its “Resort” status in so many ways, from golf at Circling Raven to some good old-fashioned pampering at the 15,000-squarefoot spa added during the 2011 expansion. Spa Ssak’wa’q’n, which translates to “water on the head” in the Coeur d’Alene language, is nearly as large as the Event Center, yet unlike the excitement throughout the casino, the spa is tranquil, with a minimalist décor of natural cedar and stone. A staff of 11 offers a wide range of services, all intent on making guests feel as welcome inside the spa as anywhere else at the resort. Have a manicure, pedicure, facial or indulge in a 30- to 120-minute treatment designed to tone and revitalize. Massages include deeptissue and hot stone therapies, sports and prenatal massage, and those encompassing aromatherapy and THE SPA hydrotherapy. Combination packages are available, like the Native Spirit package (one hour each Ssak’wa’q’n massage and facial). Facilities include the sauna, steam bath or three tubs of varying temperatures: Inside tubs, with their meditative décor, are kept at 70 and 95 degrees, while the outside soaking spot puts you right in the middle of nature and is kept at a bracing 104 degrees. Spa services and the resort’s premier Circling Raven Golf Course have worked together to create crossover connections, such as the golfers relief package: 150 minutes of muscle massage, men’s facial and a pedicure for feet that may have just covered a lot ground. Cocooned within the spa, guests may opt to have a light meal from the Red Tail menu in their own private dining room. No need to change out of a comfortable robe and state of relaxation. The outside world can wait.
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www.aruzegaming.com
www.NorthwestSourced.com 25TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
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Way Beyond Bingo
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n 1993, only one game existed — bingo. It offered a lot of winning numbers: 93 people employed, and the Tribe’s $2.7 million 15year loan was paid off in just three years. As more people visited the Tribal Bingo Hall, wanting to play more and stay longer, the hall expanded — dining, lodging, amenities — becoming the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort as we know it today. The numbers are still good. There are six ways to play: There’s Keno GAMING (play from your perch anywhere inside the casino, like the Red Tail Grill), video blackjack and 10 televisions offer simulcast, off-track betting every day. And of course the biggest number to remember is the 5 percent of net proceeds that go to education, which to date totals more than $33 million. “The best thing we have done, and what I want to focus on is the customer experience,” says Oscar Flores, who signed with the Casino in early 2017 to become Director of Video Gaming. In 2017, Flores helped revitalize the 60,000-square-foot gaming floor’s 1,400 machines, including 100 new ones like Buffalo
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Grand, which lets you win up to five ways. The new Tim McGraw machine lets you listen this country star sing, while old-schoolers can roll with the Pac-Man Wild Edition. Customer feedback has been great, says Petra Nielsen, Executive Marketing Director. “Even if they like their old favorites, they always like to see the latest and greatest.” Of course, you can still play bingo at the
machines, while still keeping the games fun for all levels, from a nickel up to $100. The focus on the customer includes increasing opportunities to play and earn rewards through the Coeur Rewards program. Benefits, depending on level of play, include a birthday gift and automatic inclusion in the birthday drawings for your month, and an invitation to participate in monthly gaming promotions like “Young at Heart Mondays,” which rewards members 55-and-older with food and lodging discounts and Extra Play Cash. More play equals more Coeur Rewards points, which can be redeemed for Extra Play Cash, spa services, gift shop and pro shop merchandise, discount on local fuel, bingo buy-ins, food and beverages, rounds of golf at Circling Raven and even hotel stays. Coeur Rewards is free and as easy as signing up with a government-issued photo ID at the rewards booth along the Skycatcher walkway, says Nielsen.
Even if they like their old favorites, they always like to see the latest and greatest. casino, which by spring of last year reported a 40 percent increase in gaming jackpots paid out since the prior year — about $1.5 million. Even before the 25th anniversary, Flores and his team had been working on ways to continue improving the customer experience, including the addition of horseracing video and craps
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Make Yourself at Home
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here’s no mistaking the distinct profile of the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort, which has blossomed from those sturdy roots planted in 1993. The tribe has since added many amenities: conference and event facilities, the golf course, restaurants and a spa. Remodels and expansions have driven the need for overnight accommodations, and although the resulting hotel projects employed different design styles — two expansions in 25 years — they balance each other like the seasons. ACCOMODATIONS The Mountain Lodge Hotel gives off the feeling of a warm fire in late autumn, or a lazy morning in summer, with its lobby of tawnycolored timbers, tumbled stone, brick-red fabrics and wide, welcoming entryway. In 2004, 11 years after creating the bingo hall, the hotel opened with 200 cozy
rooms in several sizes, including executive and VIP suites. In 2011, the second expansion was completed, adding 100 rooms in the Spa Tower, so-named because the ground floor contained a 15,000-square-foot spa. With abundant windows and high ceilings, the Skycatcher walkway and Spa Tower lobby is decorated in the muted tones of winter on the prairie, or perhaps the shifting patterns of light after a spring rain. Hotel rooms in both the Mountain Lodge and Spa Tower welcome guests with the availability of room service, and feature flat-screen televisions with satellite channels, coffeemakers and a room safe. In addition, guests may access free WiFi and valet parking, a fitness center, an ATM and plenty of places in the casino to grab a quick bite or settle in for a longer meal.
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Care from Baby to Baby Boomer.
Receiving care close to home is everyone’s first choice, but there may be a time when you need a specialist that is not available in your community. Kootenai Clinic has over 200 providers throughout North Idaho and Spokane, from family medicine doctors to specialists in cardiology, orthopedics, surgery, and much more. Each is focused on the highest level of care, which means our family of doctors and staff can help your family return to doing the things you love.
Now welcoming new patients. For more information call (208) 625-6767 or visit kh.org/clinic
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Time to Celebrate! To celebrate its 25th birthday, the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort has jam-packed the coming months with events you won’t want to miss.
March 18, 1 pm $50,000 Bingo
25 YEARS TOGETHER
ANNIVERSARY POWWOW
BIRTHDAY CAKE
March 23, 4-6 pm, and 25, 2-4 pm
March 24, Grand Entries at 1 and 7 pm
25 YEARS TOGETHER
March 3, Chinook
March 24, 11 am-8 pm $25,000 Giveaway
ANNIVERSARY BRUNCH
FIREWORKS
Sundays in March
POT OF GOLD March 16 Kiosk Games
25 YEARS TOGETHER
March 17, 7 pm $50,000 Giveaway and a 2018 Chevy Equinox drawing
to
Bountiful
BILL ENGVALL
March 23, 7 and 9 pm
CHRIS LUCAS
Bingo
25 YEARS TOGETHER
DETAILS ON THESE EVENTS AND MORE AT CDACASINO.COM
March 2, 1-9 pm $25,000 Instant Win Hot Seats
from
DE Expo & Event Services (formerly known as Design Events) is proud to have been there with the Coeur d’Alene Tribe from the very beginning in 1993 helping to service their event needs when they first opened the doors to their brand new bingo hall in Worley, ID. Today we are still a part of their everyday mix. Only now it’s for their incredible casino, resort hotel and golf course as they continue to grow and prosper! We want to congratulate the Coeur d’Alene Casino on their 25th anniversary and for all they do for their Tribe and the surrounding communities. We have been so proud to have been a witness as well as a part of it all. Here’s to another 25 years and more!
March 25, 7 pm
MARCH BASKETBALL BLOWOUT March 30 Kiosk Games
25 YEARS TOGETHER
March 31 $50,000 Giveaway and a 2018 Chevy Camaro drawing
FELIX CAVALIERE’S THE RASCALLS April 5, 7pm
URBAN COWBOY REUNION April 26, 7 pm Johnny Lee, Mickey Gilley and T.G. Sheppard
de expo&event
208.765.2595
SERVICES
de-expoandevent.com
info@de-expoandevent.com
25TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
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INSPIRING The blossoming of the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort over the past 25 years is one of the great success stories of the Inland Northwest. You bring great entertainment, recreation and culture for all Inlanders to enjoy, and have renewed a part of our community that truly deserved it.
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Congratulations to the Coeur d’Alene Tribe. We’re inspired by your integrity and accomplishments, and we are proud to share the celebration of our own silver anniversary with you.
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