Coeur d'Alene Casino 30th Anniversary

CONGRATULATIONS TO COEUR D’ALENE CASINO.

The Kalispel Tribe would like to thank Coeur d’Alene Casino for being one of the earliest pioneers in tribal gaming, opening the door to success for so many tribes in need. Congratulations on 30 years in business, and many more milestones to come.

We are Kalispel.

LEARN MORE AT KALISPELTRIBE.COM

Happy Birthday To Us!

This month, we are 30 years old

Things were so different in 1993. The world wide web was in its infancy, and virtually no one understood the revolutionary changes it would bring to business, to people, and to the world. A loaf of bread cost 75 cents, and a gallon of gasoline was $1.17. There was no social media, and the first, rudimentary cellphone debuted that year. Princess Diana, Michael Jackson and the grunge band Nirvana were regularly in the news, and people were flocking to theaters to enjoy the Robin Williams’ movie Mrs. Doubtfire

It’s stunning to think that it has been 30 years since we opened as a modest Bingo Hall that was designed to provide our struggling Coeur d’Alene Tribe and its members with jobs and a source of revenue.

Now we’re among the largest employers in North Idaho, employing roughly 800, and our people have benefited from more jobs, more income, better opportunities, better everything. We’re currently buying back land on our reservation to maintain our land base and provide for our next generations to come. We are a proud, smart sovereign nation that has painstakingly risen from extremely difficult circumstances and is now proactively laying the groundwork for success for current and future generations.

And it’s not just us who have benefited. We’ve donated over $34 million to educational programs and organizations in the region and state. We employ many nontribal members. We work toward the restoration and conservation of our Lake Coeur d’Alene and other area natural resources. We promote and support health care, youth, the arts, and many more things throughout Idaho and Eastern Washington — Make-A-Wish, Meals on Wheels, Coats for Kids and more.

We could not have done any of this without you. We are grateful that you have embraced us since our beginning as a singular bingo entity to now — a premier casino resort destination with amenities that include the world-class Circling Raven Golf Club, two hotel wings, eight dining areas and lounges, merchandise shops, live entertainment and events, an exquisite, enormous 15,000-square-foot spa, and more.

To thank you and celebrate our anniversary together, we have planned many special events, giveaways and activities to ensure that you know how much we appreciate you. Please come visit us soon — and often — and we’ll count our blessings together! Welcome home.

Sincerely,

Laura Penney CEO, Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel

Laura Penney

How It Started; How It’s Going

BY ROBERT S. BOSTWICK

This 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 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 Hotel has evolved over these 30 years into a stunning destination resort, with 300-plus rooms, eight dining areas and lounges, 1,200 gaming machines, bingo, approximately 60,000 square feet of gaming space and the world-class Circling Raven Golf Club among its amenities.

Those who visit see the results, and they come from all over the world. Those who were here 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.

Robert Bostwick has worked in public relations for the Coeur d’Alene Tribe and the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel since the early 1990s.

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

Those 80 acres were just enough when the original building, housing only a bingo hall, opened for business in March 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 tribal councilman and chairman, University of Washington graduate with a Master’s in Business Administration, was the brains behind the boom.

Matheson, who passed away earlier this year, will always be remembered as the architect who led the tribe to where it is today. As the deputy assistant secretary of the Interior for the Bureau of Indian Affairs under President George H.W. Bush, he learned all the ins and outs of Indian Gaming — and how it could all start with bingo.

“I like to tell the story,” Matheson said in 2017. “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, Domnick 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 the Tribal Council for 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 1992, the tribe notified then-

The little bingo hall that started it all (above); and today’s Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel campus, nestled into the North Idaho Palouse.

Gov. 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 required step to write an amendment to the state constitution. That November, the amendment passed as Proposition One, and it came with a whopping 59 percent majority among voters.

Then the compact was negotiated in a reasonably timely manner. Bingo was protected already by federal law, as was Class II gaming. That compact then allowed for the tribe to do any type of Class III gaming allowed in the state — horse racing, mule racing, dog racing (now banned) and lottery. Yes, lottery.

IDAHO ON BOARD

With or without dice, the 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 15-year note was paid off in three years; the “mortgage burning” ceremony was included in a bingo promotion. Other such “burnings” would follow.

But the tribe still faced challenges, as lawmakers, governors and anti-gaming interests 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 its message to the people.

With success growing and glowing, it still took another vote, this time of the citizens of the state, to seal the deal with Idaho for good. The tribe successfully petitioned to put their

proposition on the ballot in 2002, asking the people of Idaho to confirm the legitimacy of lottery-style 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.

“WE’VE GOT TO DO THIS”

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 at a tribe-supported medical center that serves the non-Indian public as well. It can boast about a half-billion dollars in new construction over these 30 years — some, but far from all, at the casino resort.

After serving as marketing director since the very beginning back in 1993, Laura Penney was named CEO in October 2019. Her mind goes back to the early ’90s when she was part of a delegation that toured the Oneida Tribe’s casino in Wisconsin.

“I’ll never forget that day when I got off the plane and just a mile down the road was this amazing resort,” says Penney. “I was just in awe. They had a hotel. They had their own senior housing. They had a wellness center, a fitness center. We toured the tribal housing. It was just amazing what they had and what they were doing

with their gaming dollars. So we came back and were inspired and just said, ‘We’ve got to do this.’”

Now, looking back on how the Coeur d’Alene Tribe has done it, Penney says it all started with the people — the tribe.

“We’ve always considered ourselves as family,” she says. “It was easy to maintain those relationships when we started with 90 employees; we now have roughly 800. We make it a priority to provide the culture and environment of ownership and family.

“It has been an honor to serve my tribe and to work side by side with our employees for these many years,” Penney adds. “We have an amazing team that truly cares for their coworkers and guests.”

Chief J. Allan currently holds the reins in Plummer as chairman of the Tribal Council, 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. As tribal members benefit, so do non-Indians in 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.

“It has been rewarding to help contribute towards the betterment of our tribe and future generations to come,” says Penney. “We are a strong, progressive, smart people and will always strive for selfsufficiency.” 

REMEMBERING DAVID MATHESON

Tribal leader David Matheson passed away on Jan. 10, just before the casino he helped create turned 30.

“Dave has left us a profound legacy,” says Chief J. Allan, chairman of the Coeur d’Alene Tribal Council that Matheson also served on. “He was a true visionary who had the foresight to see the great possibilities for the Tribe and Native Americans. He was the architect behind much of our enterprises, endeavors that have enabled us to thrive as we stride forward in the 21st century.”

“Dave was my mentor — I learned so much from him

about how to treat people, how to be a strong but kind leader,” adds Coeur d’Alene Casino CEO and tribal member Laura Penney. “He is loved dearly and will be missed deeply.”

Matheson once shared his personal philosophy: “The Great Creator promised no one a tomorrow, or an easy time… no one. When the new day comes, greet it with great thankfulness. It is a time not used by anyone. Use it for something good, even great. It’s the one life we have. Leave no dream unfulfilled, and no good deed undone.” 

Over the 30 years the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel has had its doors open, one thing comes up again and again. Guests want to learn more about the stories and traditions of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe.

“If we can share with you our foods, our language, our arts, you can understand who we are and why we are, and how we will always be,” says Yvette Matt, a Coeur d’Alene tribal member and the casino’s marketing director. “That’s how it started, our cultural tourism program.”

CEO Laura Penney has been involved in the casino since before it was open in the early 1990s. “I’ve heard

CULTURAL TOURISM

Sharing the Culture

it said many times, and it’s important to repeat: ‘We’re a tribe with a casino, not a casino with a tribe.’

“The sharing of culture comes from our hearts,” Penney adds.

“There are so many myths and misconceptions — even lies — of what our culture and our history was,” says Matt. “Who better to tell our history than us?”

“A lot of guests are coming from the East Coast, and they’ve never even seen a huckleberry,” says Dee Dee McGowan, who manages cultural tourism, tour bussing and sponsorships for the casino. “People always say this is such a beautiful area. We really roll out that red carpet for them. We are doing it because we love where we live.”

Guests who sign up for cultural tourism events can experience parts of the tribe’s history and present-day culture with traditional workshops making Pendleton moccasins, beaded necklaces and more. Watch cdacasino.com for cultural events as they are announced.

There are also cultural dinners with smoked huckleberry salmon, including storytelling and a cultural exhibition performance with song and drum. You can tour an aviary with eagles, hawks and owls that isn’t open to the general public. There are kayaking, canoeing, hiking, bike and boat tours on and around the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes and Heyburn State Park. You can visit the Old Cataldo Mission, where Coeur d’Alene tribal members met Catholic missionaries. You can hear the songs of legendary jazz singer Mildred Bailey, who was a Coeur d’Alene tribal member. Singer CeCe Cook recreates her music in the Mildred Bailey Room, telling stories of the barriers Bailey overcame. All are part of the growing cultural tourism program the tribe has fostered since 2018.

McGowan says the COVID-19 pandemic led to pent-up demand for vacations outside the normal casino experience people get in places like Las Vegas.

“People want to have an adventure,” says McGowan, “and a unique experience.” 

The 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,

being a little fierce, a little ornery, very businesslike.”

TRADERS AND MISSIONARIES

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 on today’s Idaho Panhandle region — had been home to the Tribe for more than 10,000 years, according to archaeological evidence, though oral history traces the origins much

The Story of the Schitsu’umsh

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 “discovered” the Schitsu’umsh around the end of 18th century that the name Cœur 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,” Matheson laughs. “We were savvy and always won on the business deals. We were known as

30

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

CONTINUED ON

1988

The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act passes Congress, infringing on tribal sovereignty, but also allowing tribes to create gaming operations.

1991-92

Following 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.

1993

The one-building Coeur d’Alene Tribal Bingo Hall opens for business on March 23 — 30 years ago this month.

1998

As the operation grows, the complex’s first full-service restaurant opens to diners. Today there are eight unique dining areas and lounges.

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’Alene’s history: illness and religion. Between 1777 and 1842, 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.

SHRINKING LANDS

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 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 acres 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

2001

The Coeur d’Alene Casino becomes a proper resort by adding a hotel to accommodate overnight guests.

THE COEUR D’ALENE RESERVATION

2002

Spokane

Cataldo

Moscow

Source: Coeur d'Alene Tribe GIS-SK, gisinfo@cdatribe-nsn.gov

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.”

A TURNING POINT

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 modest bingo hall opening in March

2003

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 vote.

In August, the Circling Raven Golf Course fills its first tee times; among many accolades, it’s consistently been named Idaho’s No. 1 public golf course, and holds the current title as of May 2022.

1993 — 30 years ago this month.

All these years and several expansions later, the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel is testament to what a proud, resilient and businesssavvy people can build when given the chance. Importantly, more and more Coeur d’Alenes are reconnecting with their ancient Salish language, rediscovering what it means to be the Discovered Ones.

“Our language is based upon our land,” says Matheson. “Our language can be traced back to one place, and that’s here.” 

2011

The Coeur d’Alene Resort Casino 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 Resort Casino launches its Cultural Tourism program, inviting visitors to learn even more about the tribal stories, traditions and values of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe.

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP

Looking After the Land

Asaying often attached to how Indigenous peoples view the earth is that we did not inherit it from our ancestors; we borrow it from our grandchildren. Similarly, many Native traditions take to heart the so-called seventh generation principle — consider how your actions will affect people seven generations in the future.

Pithy lines are easy. Action is more difficult when mixed with current-day realities and tied up with governmental and political processes.

The Coeur d’Alene Tribe, aided by revenue from gaming and enterprise operations, understands the need for thoughtful stewardship of resources that account for present and future realities.

“We definitely do it all,” says Caj Matheson, the tribe’s director of natural resources. “Whether it’s sitting in a

2019

Laura Penney becomes the Coeur d’Alene Casino’s first female CEO, one of only a handful of female casino CEOs in the nation. Major renovations include stateof-the-art systems for air filtration, sound and lighting in the event center and casino floor.

2020

boardroom or getting our hands dirty [by working on habitat restoration], we’re doing it all.”

Matheson is well versed in walking the fine line between environmental stewardship on the ground and having to navigate complex bureaucracy. The goal: being good stewards of the present reservation and larger aboriginal territory.

As an example of their hard-fought work, Matheson points to Lake Coeur d’Alene, which the tribe had to literally argue for in front of the U.S. Supreme Court to have in its current reservation. The court ruled in 2001 that the tribe had a legal claim to the southern one-third portion of the lake, which the state of Idaho disputed. The original reservation set aside by President Ulysses S. Grant gave the entire lake to the Coeur d’Alene reservation.

2022

Like everyone, the Coeur d’Alene Casino was challenged by COVID-19. It was among the first casino resorts to temporarily close, but after careful planning and quickly applying precautions and protocols over six weeks of closed doors, it was the first casino in America to come back, providing other casinos with a blueprint on how to reopen with safety standards in place.

Coeur d’Alene Casino becomes the first and only casino in the Inland Northwest to offer a video gaming machine testing room, the Discovery Den, where guests try out leading manufacturers’ new machines prior to nationwide launches.

“We say [the lake] has nursed and mothered us, and now it is our turn to care for it. And what we try to do is hold on to that,” Matheson says.

Beyond the lake and the current-day reservation, the tribe promotes habitat restoration for ecologically and culturally important lands and habitat for beaver, trout and salmon. Last year, the tribe stepped in to purchase and preserve 48 acres inside the city of Spokane along Hangman Creek, in the Latah Valley neighborhood.

Matheson says the tribe got involved “at the 11th hour” to save the property, and that the council “didn’t hesitate” to step in and keep it in its natural, undeveloped state.

Preserving the land benefits not only members of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe and their future descendants, but all the people who call the Inland Northwest home — and will for generations to come. 

2023

With roughly 800 jobs created and contributions to state and regional educational and charitable efforts surpassing $34 million, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe celebrates its Casino’s 30th birthday — and the entire Inland Northwest is invited to join the party!

Lake Coeur d’Alene

HEALTH AND EDUCATION

Supporting Health and Education

The Coeur d’Alene Tribe has long held education as one of its core values, as it can open doors to success and personal fulfillment that would otherwise remain closed. Coeur d’Alene Casino CEO Laura Penney says the support of education is one of the most profound changes that have come about over the past 30 years.

“In 1991, the gaming compact was agreed and signed off on between the Coeur d’Alene Tribe and the state of Idaho. I was privileged to be there during the negotiation,” she says. “A pivotal moment was when I saw a tribal leader speak up and tell the state that they want to put 5 percent of the net profits towards education… Many people think that it was stipulated by the state, but this was mandated by our tribal leaders.”

Since then, the tribe has made good on that commitment, donating $33.3 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 the region is evident in supporting health care, as well. For example, its Marimn Health medical and wellness center is more than a health clinic, holding classes on nutrition and fitness that are available to tribal and non-tribal members alike.

In December 2020, Marimn Health’s Coeur Center opened, with 32,000 square feet of indoor health and fitness offerings, from a pool to basketball courts — with sports fields outdoors as well.

“There are many important needs in our community, but none more pressing than preserving and protecting the health and safety of our youth,” said Ernie Stensgar, a councilman of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe who has served in leadership continuously since 1984. “Investing in our youth is an investment in the future of the tribe.”

The August 2019 groundbreaking of the Marimn Health Youth Center, which opened in late 2020 and features basketball courts, outdoor play fields and an indoor waterpark (below).

Tribal Leadership

Most of the key decisions that have guided the exciting developments on the Coeur d’Alene Reservation over the past 30 years started with the Tribal Council.

It’s similar to a city council, with seven elected members who meet every week to deliberate on the business of the day. The chairman, currently Chief J. Allan, leads the council, but only has one vote like the rest.

“We all have different views,” says Margaret SiJohn, who served on the council from 201517 and is currently serving another three-year term. “Even if we disagree, we’re willing to compromise with one another and make a decision that we all feel is best for the tribe.”

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.

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 Legislature, serving in both the Idaho House and Senate in the years that followed. Joe Garry 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.

“Past leaders put in their time and their life experience to get us here,” says SiJohn. “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.”

The council has oversight and funding authority over many tribal enterprises, from police and justice to public works. One important initiative is the Tribal School in DeSmet, which dates all the way back to 1877. Along with teaching the usual K-8 subjects, the Tribal School is reviving the native language among its roughly 100 students.

“There are no fluent speakers of snchitsu’umshtsn,” the school states, “which makes our school’s mission to create new fluent speakers of the Coeur d’Alene language to protect our language from disappearance.” 

Joe Garry

The 2022 Coeur d’Alene Tribal Council: (left to right) Don Sczenski, Margaret SiJohn, Ernie Stensgar, Chief Allan (chairman), CarylDene Swan, the late David Matheson and Gene James.

People Make the Place

As several Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel team members and longtime guests can attest, any enterprise is only as good as its ingredients

Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel team member FRANCIS DAVISON, the casino floor maintenance manager, began work at the casino in 2007. A “proud Coeur d’Alene Tribal member,” Davison says he loves coming to work as doing so, “gives me purpose and drive — I try to get better every day.” Davison adds that coming through the pandemic was stressful, yet also provided some of his most uplifting moments. “We were the first casino to reopen in the world, and all eyes were on us. We were on the front line, along with housekeeping. We came together as a team, and that comes from having strong tribal and casino leaders and taking pride in our work.”

LONGTIME GUESTS

Marketing project and content manager DEB SHAW thought she was just making a pitstop in North Idaho when she started at Coeur d’Alene Casino back in 2008. Having lived in Minnesota, Seattle and Los Angeles, she was biding her time until she found her next inspiration. “But I fell in love with the workplace and area. I didn’t think I’d stay, but I’m glad I did.” Shaw says career growth potential, great people to work with and a creative job that’s never boring combine to make her professional experience fulfilling.

Gift shop manager CANDI ABRAHAM has worked at Coeur d’Alene Casino for 30 years and describes the casino resort staff and her gift shop team as productive, passionate, accountable, reliable and dedicated to the mission. “We’ve had to fight for our place from the beginning, and we stick together,” she says. “We share our revenue with the surrounding communities because that’s the way we learned to be. I am a proud Native American and proud to be Schitsu’umsh, born and raised on this reservation.” 

SUZIE B. and her husband make frequent one- or two-night stays at the casino resort down from their home in Coeur d’Alene. Though her husband doesn’t game, they both value their experiences. “He enjoys the rooms with the nice views, and he loves the live bands on weekends. While he’s doing that, I get to gamble, so it’s really the best of both worlds. And we both love the spa and the restaurants, especially the Chinook Steakhouse. That place is amazing. It’s a really warm, family-like vibe that you don’t get at any other casino.”

DEB L. says he’s been playing bingo at Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel for 30 years. “I love playing bingo, and 30 years ago it was the only place to play. I haven’t stopped going,” says the Worley resident. “The expansions they’ve done have been amazing. It’s really been a blessing for the Coeur d’Alene Tribe and for the entire region because of the jobs it has created and the funds that have gone back to the community.”

STAN H., a retired WSU professor who lives in Spokane Valley, says he’s been going to the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel ever since it was a “tiny stone building with just a bingo hall… It’s been amazing to see the place get bigger and bigger. It’s always nice to go somewhere where you know everyone and everyone knows you. I love the fact that the casino has provided so many jobs and given so much back to the community and to education, especially with me being a former teacher. The tribe is very community-based. I think that’s terrific and wish the rest of the world could be like that.” 

STRONG Women’s Voices

If the Coeur d’Alene Tribe and roughly all its 800 casino-resort team members are a family, then leading that family is a woman with decades of experience fostering empathy.

Laura Penney, CEO of the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel, who took the job in late 2019 and is the first woman in that role, has been with the casino from the very beginning 30 years ago. All that existed then was an idea to open a bingo hall in a rural area on U.S. Route 95 south of Coeur d’Alene.

Penney is not the only woman CEO leading a tribal enterprise, but executive roles have long been male dominated both in and out of Indian Country. What Penney brings is more than experience since the tribe’s venture into gaming. She brings a commitment to helping her tribe and mentoring those around her.

“I’ve had a tumultuous life,” Penney says. “In my distant past, I have survived domestic violence. I have grown a lot. It has motivated me to be independent, to reach my goals; I got my

master’s degree. I am truly here invested in my tribe. What we’re doing is affecting generations to come. My belief in this process has gotten me through all of this. I’m willing to put in the work and the time. It has made me stronger and better.”

Penney’s leadership presence comes with other women in critical roles, including Yvette Matt, Margaret SiJohn, Molly Abrahamson, Dee Smith and CarylDene Swan, among many others.

One person who directly credits Penney’s influence is marketing director Yvette Matt, who’s in the position Penney previously held. Matt has been working with the tribe for 20 years, having grown up off the reservation and thinking she’d only work at the casino

briefly before moving on and out to a larger area with more opportunities.

“Laura has been my mentor the majority of my life,” Matt says of her boss, who she credits with being the reason she has stayed for so long. “[Laura] has empathy and drive and strength. When I came on, I definitely had drive and strength, but I didn’t have empathy. Laura taught me that.”

Beyond the casino’s leadership, the Coeur d’Alenes have another notable womenled initiative: a drum group.

The Rose Creek Singers is an all-women ensemble — a rarity among Native American tribes.

Having such a group isn’t just notable for the tribe, it’s key to advancing and preserving their culture for generations to come.

“I say it’s good medicine,” Penney says. 

Charity is everywhere. Name a topic about which you’re passionate, and there’s likely a nonprofit group working in that area that needs your help. The way people donate to charitable causes is changing. You can now text a number and donate to disaster relief. Many stores partner with nonprofits to ask customers to donate when they buy something.

Guests of the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel can do the same by donating the value of their winnings to a charity. Many people don’t care to cash out the value of their gaming ticket when they consider it a small amount

COEUR CONNECTIONS

less than $1. Collect all those unclaimed values, and you’ll soon have thousands of dollars for a good cause.

That’s the thinking behind the casino’s most recent charitable partnership program, says Dee Dee McGowan, who oversees sponsorships and relationships with community organizations.

The idea started a few years ago with casino team members suggesting it. Rather than throwing away discarded tickets, they thought, could they pool the money and donate to worthy causes?

At first there was a new nonprofit every month that would benefit. Marketing Director Yvette Matt says each month netted about $3,000 in unclaimed money that went to the nonprofits. More recently, they’ve switched to a quarterly distribution to multiple groups, with casino

nominated nonprofits and individual families that need help during the end-of-year holiday season.

“Donations through these partnerships and from the community go directly toward the support of the animals we care for,” says Kristi Soto with the Spokane Humane Society, which received more than $10,000 last year through the casino’s Coeur Connections program. “We are beyond appreciative of their support and those who donated through their giving program and for the love of our community animals.”

McGowan says the connection between all this work is helping the larger Inland Northwest community. For example, Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel is supporting the new Idaho Central Spokane Valley Performing Arts Center, now under construction.

PAYING IT FORWARD

Pay it forward. That’s not just a movie from 2000 with Helen Hunt and Haley Joel Osment. Nor is it just a saying about doing kind acts for other people. At the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel it’s a philosophy that drives the entire operation. While the tribe’s enterprises are an economic boon for itself and its members living on and off the reservation, they also provide a key boost to the North Idaho and Eastern Washington region.

In 1993, when the tribe’s original bingo operation opened, there were fewer than 100 people on staff. Now, 30 years later, that number is roughly 800. The economic spillover from that level of employment has ripple effects beyond the reservation.

“Truly, one of our core values is that we are about giving and helping. We’ve always been taught and encouraged to give back,” says CEO Laura Penney. “The casino would not be here without the community.”

Giving back to the community — the larger regional one that includes Spokane, Coeur d’Alene and the surrounding area — involves that concept of pay it forward.

As the casino-resort operation has grown in the past decades, so has the tribe’s economic impact. Expanding the hotel and adding

a premiere golf course next to the casino boosted tourism. A 2014 University of Idaho study found the tribe’s overall economic impact (including business and government functions) for the region was over $330 million per year.

More recently, the tribe’s push to reopen the casino relatively early in the COVID-19 pandemic led to more people with steady jobs. No staff were laid off during that initial six-week closure, meaning people had guaranteed income in a time when millions of people across the country suddenly had none.

Six weeks after shutting down in March 2020, the tribe reopened the casino with strict safety precautions that required masking inside and temperature checks at the door. It was the first in the country to reopen, setting a standard for how to keep business operations going while implementing health measures.

“I know the importance of generating the revenue from the [gaming] machines for the broader community. We’re responsible. We knew we had to do it in a safe way,” Penney says.

Being the first casino in the country to reopen in 2020 meant the tribe could pay it forward. It did so in the ensuing weeks by launching a money giveaway program with that very title.

While thousands of people in the region were still laid off, with many businesses still closed or seeing significantly fewer customers, the tribe’s Pay It Forward program kicked into full gear. Partnering with radio stations owned by Stephens Media Group to publicize it, staff members went around the region with that pay-it-forward philosophy in mind. People at gas stations received free gas. People in line for coffee got free coffee. People getting lunch or groceries got their food paid in full. In each case, the message was the same: Don’t pay us back; pay it forward down the line.

The tribe spent $20,000 on the program in those first few weeks after the casino reopened.

That was nearly three years ago, a time when the future of jobs and the economy seemed very unclear. What’s clear now is it’s a philosophy — and program — that’s here to stay. In both 2021 and 2022, the Pay It Forward program gave away $31,000 in May.

This May, three years after being the first casino to reopen during a time of great uncertainty, the tribe will continue that program and positively affect the Inland Northwest region — as it has for 30 years. 

University of Idaho found the tribe’s overall economic impact for the region was over $330 million per year.

Where Winners Play

Since starting out back in March of 1993 with a single bingo hall, the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel has continued to grow its gaming offerings and wide range of services. Today it’s a worldclass casino offering 60,000 square feet of gaming, featuring nearly 1,200 video gaming machines, a high limit VIP gaming room, bingo, video blackjack and more. It’s where progressive jackpots accrue rapidly and become life-changing max payouts, including three individual $1 million winners. And 5 percent of net proceeds go to local education initiatives, which to date totals more than $33 million.

Coeur d’Alene is also the only casino in the Inland Northwest with a video gaming testing room, the Discovery Den, which offers guests the chance to try out the latest machines before they go into mass production for other casinos. The Discovery Den sees new arrivals every quarter with a complete refresh featuring the latest technology from the likes of Konami, Everi, Bluberi, AGS, Light & Wonder, Gaming Arts and more.

Another new addition is the high-limit gaming room, Hn Lamqe’ (henlam-ka), which means “bear” in the Coeur d’Alene language. That’s where you can find high-limit gaming machines for Coeur Rewards members in the Ultimate and Executive tiers.

Perhaps the most ambitious renovation to date was completed in 2019

and completely overhauled the gaming and event spaces. The expansion allowed for the current tally of nearly 1,200 machines to fit comfortably; state-of-the-art vibrant lighting, sound and ventilation add to the player experience. And the original mural by the late, great Spokane tribal artist George Flett was restored, creating a fitting focal point.

The Coeur Rewards club has grown in popularity over the years as well. Membership gives you the opportunity to receive special offers, get a discount at the gas station and earn points for dining, hotel stays, spa services, Circling Raven tee times and more. Two of the most popular promotions for club members offer a food and beverage credit and Extra Play Cash. “Young at Heart Mondays” are for members 55 and older, while the Birthday Month Celebration can be redeemed any day of your birthday month. Joining Coeur Rewards is free and easy — just be 18 years or older and bring a valid ID to the players’ club booth.

If you have a question, the casino prides itself in helping top-level players experience the best the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel has to offer. Their friendly team of hosts will make you feel at home as they assist you in your hotel, dining, spa, golf and entertainment arrangements — while you relax and enjoy all the casino and resort have to offer. 

US Foods® is one of America’s great food companies and a leading foodservice distributor, partnering with approximately 250,000 restaurants and foodservice operators to help their businesses succeed. With 25,000 employees and more than 60 locations, US Foods provides its customers with a broad and innovative food offering and a comprehensive suite of e-commerce, technology and business solutions. US Foods is headquartered in Rosemont, Illinois and generates approximately $24 billion in annual revenue.

On thirty amazing years to our friends at the Coeur d’Alene Casino!

Circling Raven

Discerning golfers care about great playing conditions, wonderful course designs, inspiring settings, attentive service and the satisfaction derived from money well spent at places that move them. As Inland Northwest golfers have learned since August 2003 when it opened, Circling Raven Golf Club checks all those boxes and then some.

An amenity of the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel — owned and operated by the Coeur d’Alene Tribe — the course winds through 620 acres of Palouse terrain. That’s a vast amount of land compared to most courses globally — roughly five times larger than the average number of acres used for golf layouts worldwide — and it ensures that the land unfurls naturally. As the Creator intended.

While both the front and the back nines are filled with ingenious holes, the back nine’s holes have earned a special place of reverence among golf aficionados for their pristine surroundings. Woodlands, wetlands and the heaving Palouse terrain are on glorious display with each hole being an oasis unto itself — a veritable golf heaven on Earth.

It’s an ideal, serene place to play the deeply satisfying game amid pristine beauty in the nearperfect environment. Named for a seminal chief who guided the tribe through some of its most

difficult times, Circling Raven has garnered many honors since opening. Some of the award categories include Best Casino Course, America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses, 100 Best Resort Courses, Pro Shop Merchandiser of the Year and No. 1 Course in Idaho.

Constantly re-tuning the operation and golf course is something the tribe and golf club do annually. Adding or amending services and programs that best appeal to players is a core competency. Social events, Advantage Cards for frequent players, competitions and instruction are just some examples. The Circling Raven staff is ideally configured to deliver first-class experiences and has been honored with accolades including PGA of America’s National Patriot Award winner and as a Top 10 best-in-state golf instructor.

The Circling Raven Championship presented by KXLY News 4 is an Epson “Road to the LPGA” Tour event held at the property each of the past two Augusts. It will occur again this summer and features a field of approximately 132 women professional players striving to earn their LPGA memberships while competing for shares of the $225,000 prize purse. These are not just any pro women golfers — the field includes several of the world’s best rising stars, hailing from various continents and dozens of states.

While the golf is scintillating at Circling

Raven, a Gene Bates course design, many Circling Raven guests visit Twisted Earth, the golf club’s popular bar and grill, before and/or after a game on the acclaimed layout. Twisted Earth was Circling Raven’s son, and like the golf course honoring the chief, the eatery has done its namesake proud as well with its scrumptious food and drink options.

Adjacent to Twisted Earth is the clubhouse merchandise shop. A vast array of high-quality goods let players shop for virtually anything they desire — from apparel and footwear to equipment and accessories. The shop is so well curated and managed that the club’s Director of Golf has twice been named national “Merchandiser of the Year” in the Resorts Category by the PGA of America.

Stay-and-play packages are a great way to experience both the golf club and the casino resort hotel. And spring season rates are value-laden in the extreme — a great way to explore the amenity-rich resort for its other amenities, including its enormous and soothing spa, restaurants, expansive casino and Native American cultural tourism activities. 

A Soothing Respite

At 15,000 square feet, Spa Ssakwa’q’n (pronounced sockwah-kin) is significantly larger than the average resort spa.

Located in the Spa Tower wing of the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel, just a 30-minute drive from Coeur d’Alene, it features revitalizing services and soothing areas to relax in before and after treatments. Trained and experienced staff help guests eliminate stress in any of nine different treatment rooms.

With two different quiet lounges offering fruit-infused water, both overlook the co-ed indoor and outdoor soaking tubs. The indoor soaking area has a cold plunge tub (around 70 degrees) and medium temp soaking tub (around 95 degrees). There are two dry saunas in that area as well. One is medium to hot temperature with essential oils of eucalyptus, lavender and peppermint. The other is a hot temperature with essential oils of grapefruit, rosemary and juniper. The outdoor soaking tub is in the heart of the spa. Open every day of the year, its water is 102-104 degrees and is a favorite of spa guests due to the carefully placed jets. Guests especially enjoy the outdoor tub when the snow is falling.

Overlooking the natural indigenous plant walking area, Spa Ssakwa’q’n also has a beautiful Tea Lounge. The natural light, water and stone décor of Spa Ssakwa’q’n creates a calming ambiance throughout. Two facial rooms, six single massage rooms, a couples’ massage suite with soaking tub and a wet room with Vichy shower are adjacent to nine private changing rooms. The spa has one of only two of Vichy treatment rooms in the Inland Northwest.

The Natural Nail Lounge has two manicure and four pedicure stations. Treatments offered include massages, facials, body treatments and nail services with options ranging from 60- to 240-minute full-service spa packages. Additionally, the Spa Boutique store provides an array of elegant items for guests to purchase.

Spa Ssakwa’q’n offers the best spa packages in the Coeur d’Alene area. Whether guests are treating their mind and body to a midweek stress relief or pampering themselves before the big day, there’s a package suited for all tastes. 

Bursting with Flavor

It’s been a long journey over 30 years, from the days in 1993 when hungry visitors to the Coeur d’Alene Bingo Hall could grab a sandwich from the deli counter. Now there are eight places on the casino campus to eat or relax with a drink, featuring local regionally sourced ingredients like bone-in ribeye steaks from the wood-fired grill, new offerings like Asian noodle and rice bowls, and old favorites like their signature nitrogen ice cream dessert for two.

For Kristin Primmer, the food and beverage system administrator and area manager, such success across so many venues is a fast-paced team sport: “Our team members are dedicated, that’s what gets us through.”

And that team extends out to the greater tribe, as culinary traditions are kept alive in the casino kitchens, giving the experience the kind of emotional component that great food can bring.

“The Indian fry bread you can get in the Red Tail Bar and Grill, that has been fun to learn,” says Primmer, who has been with the casino for 12 years. “We have tribal members who come in and have taught our cooks to make sure it’s done correctly.”

When Laura Penney became CEO in 2019, she brought in an old teammate to collaborate. Adam Hegsted traces his connection with the casino back to when their first restaurant opened in 1998. Now he’s working with Executive Chef Tracy Rose and Chef de Cuisine Kristopher Cope on food and service at Chinook.

“We’re all on the same page here,” says Executive Chef Rose, “but it’s good to bounce ideas off another chef — to have a conversation.”

One popular newer dish to come out of the Chinook kitchen is the Hearth Oven Bacon Wrapped Jalapeños appetizer, stuffed with peanut butter (it’s delicious!) and finished with housemade pepper jelly.

So celebrate the Coeur d’Alene Casino’s 30th anniversary with food, drink and tribal hospitality: It may take you the whole year to graze your way through all they have to offer! 

Tasting Menu

CHINOOK

The casino’s flagship restaurant offers an exciting menu of local products, including wild Sockeye salmon and prime beef, all created by chefs Adam Hegsted and our own executive chef Tracy Rose.

RED TAIL BAR AND GRILL

The casino’s busiest restaurant offers a crowd-pleasing menu, big-screen TVs and a patio for warmer months.

LITTLE DRAGON EATERY

The casino’s newest venue offers great rice and noodle bowls, where you pick the protein and the flavors.

TWISTED EARTH GRILL

Located inside the Circling Raven Pro Shop, and open during golf season, offering lots of casual dining options, with a patio offering gorgeous views of the course.

JACKPOT JAVA AND CREAMERY

With customizable options for every taste and dietary need, this is the place for grab-and-go espresso or energy drinks and pastries.

HUCKLEBERRY DELI

Offering a variety of breakfast foods, sandwiches, soups, salads, pizza and snacks, in the Skycatcher Hallway.

NIGHTHAWK LOUNGE

Nightlife happens here with a busy schedule of live music and dancing that both go on into the night.

COEUR CHILL BAR

An extension of Nighthawk Lounge offering slushies, beer, wine and snacks right on the casino floor.

THE WOLF DEN BAR

A newer addition right on the recently renovated gaming floor, featuring deliciously crafted cocktails.

MUST TRY: Northwest Seafood Alfredo, featuring housemade sauce, scallops, shrimp and halibut.

MUST TRY: Indian Taco, with traditional Indian fry bread and housemade buffalo chili.

MUST TRY: Honey Chicken Noodle Bowl, with yakisoba noodles tossed in sesame oil and hand-cut, hand-breaded chicken.

MUST TRY: Twisted Earth Salad, with huckleberries, apples, candied bacon, white cheddar and hazelnuts.

MUST TRY: With nearly 100 syrups and all varieties of milk substitutes, they can make just about anything you order.

MUST TRY: Hamburger with fries, available until closing.

MUST TRY: A rotating selection of beers crafted in the Inland Northwest.

MUST TRY: Frozen huckleberry vodka lemonade in a collector's cup.

MUST TRY: Huckleberry Mule, with huckleberry vodka, housemade huckleberry syrup and ginger beer.

Stay, Play and Win

The Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s leisure and entertainment business enterprise has evolved nonstop for the past 30 years, to the point where it’s hard to compare the small but mighty bingo hall of 1993 with today’s amenity-rich casino and destination resort.

Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel focuses on providing a warm and friendly experience for your stay by providing a premier hotel experience that makes each guest feel right at home. With 300 hotel rooms and two unique hotel options to choose from, you’ll enjoy deluxe amenities and take in picturesque views of the surrounding hillsides from many of the rooms.

The Mountain Lodge accommodations offer a cozy, rustic ambiance with easy access to the indoor pool and hot tub amenities. Amongst the Mountain Lodge side

accommodations, the presidential suite is a hidden gem.

The Spa Tower is the casino resort’s newest hotel addition. It fuses a modern vibe with an elegant, cozy atmosphere that you simply can’t find anywhere else. Many rooms offering expansive views of the beautiful hills beyond. Upgrade your stay with one of several suite options, including the spa suite, where you will enjoy a king-size bed, two televisions, a sitting area, fireplace, plush bathrobes and an elegant bathroom featuring a walk-in shower and jetted bathtub.

Testament to the recreation venue’s popularity is found in its many awards garnered. Named Tribal Destination of the Year and the Silver Distinguished Dozen award, the property also features multiple distinct food and beverage venues and entertainment, including live music, comedy and hands-on tours and experiences

through the casino’s Cultural Tourism Program.

For those looking to celebrate, the hotel also offers a special occasion decoration service. Be it a romantic occasion, birthday or another milestone, team members can help you surprise your guest with personalized decorations to create a memorable experience.

Now’s an ideal time to visit. Choose a relaxing stay and spa, stay and golf, or win big with a spin and win special. Whether you’re traveling with family, friends or looking for a romantic getaway, we have the perfect hotel special for you. See current hotel specials at cdacasino. com, and begin booking your well-deserved getaway. 

Come on Out!

The Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel will be celebrating its 30th anniversary all year. Visit cdacasino.com/events often as we will continue to add exciting shows that are sure to sell out and you don’t want to miss out!

$300,000 Giveaway

Every Friday in March at 7 pm

Play your favorite video gaming machines with your Coeur Rewards card and earn an entry into the drawing for every 500 points earned. You could be one of three lucky winners of $10,000, or one of 30 to win $1,000 each Friday. See cdacasino.com for details.

Tribal Family Night

Friday, March 17 at 7 pm

A night for families to participate in name givings, rejoinings, memorials and an honoring of our passed loved ones.

30th Anniversary Powwow

Saturday, March 18

Grand Entry at 1 pm and 7 pm

Everyone is welcome, and all dancers in regalia will receive $30 during the 7 pm grand entry to celebrate our 30th Anniversary!

30th Anniversary Bingo

Saturday, March 25 at 4 pm

Back where it started: bingo, but with a $60,000 pot. First bonanza blackout wins $10,000; doors open at 1 pm.

Anniversary Cake

Saturday, March 25, 3-5 pm

Everybody gets a slice of birthday cake, free in the Skycatcher Hallway.

$30,000 Extra Play Cash

Saturday, March 25, 4-6 pm

It’s an old-fashioned paper ticket drawing to celebrate the 30th

anniversary. Get your free ticket at the Coeur Rewards booth and put it in the barrel for a chance to be one of 60 winners to get $500 Extra Play Cash. See cdacasino.com for details.

Fireworks Celebration

Saturday, March 25 at 8 pm

In honor of the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel’s 30th birthday, take a stroll out to the parking lot to view the spectacular fireworks display.

House of Fury & King of the Cage

Thursday, April 13 at 7 pm

A full night of action, featuring seven MMA fights and three boxing matches. $50 and up.

An Evening with Lee Brice

Thursday, June 22 at 7 pm

Enjoy a night with country superstar Lee Brice, featuring songs from his latest record, Hey World and the hit single “Soul.” $71 and up.

Jeff Foxworthy

Thursday, July 27 at 7 pm

Laugh the night away with actor, comedian and outdoorsman Jeff Foxworthy, one of the founding members of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour.

King of the Cage

Thursday, September 14 at 7 pm

Come experience some knockouts, submissions and the best martial arts our area offers. $50 and up.

Lee Brice

giant milestone.

MOBILE | CHICAGO | RENO | TULSA | GOODGIANT.COM

A Profile in Persistence

THE HALLMARKS OF TRIBAL LIFE during the decades after settlers came West are well-documented and shameful — poverty, despair, alienation, neglect. By the 1990s, if you told anyone that change could come in just a few decades, few would have believed it. But a few did believe, as the Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s leadership, with persistence and teamwork, lit the path to a brighter future.

AS STORYTELLERS, we’ve been proud to share this remarkable, inspiring journey with our readers. As the top source of information about where to enjoy our local quality of life, we’ve also been confident in directing them to all the great times to be had at the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel.

THE CHANGE IS PROFOUND. Our region’s tribes have deep connections to the land. Their traditions are to be guided by what’s best for the children coming next, not just what’s convenient today. As we navigate tough decisions together, we can learn from their wisdom, and we’re committed to sharing their perspectives with the Inland Northwest.

WHILE THE COEUR D’ALENE TRIBE traces its history back countless generations, the Coeur d’Alene Casino traces its history back to March of 1993. That was 30 years ago, just seven months before we published our first newspaper — a special connection we feel to this day. So here’s a salute to the Coeur d’Alene Casino, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe and everyone who helped make this improbable dream a reality!