Formal agreements made by the Cowlitz tribe

Since the Cowlitz Tribe has never had a presence in Clark County, it has done everything possible to attach itself to local institutions in order to strengthen the appearance of a long local history. One of the ways it has tried to accomplish this is through formal agreements.

Tribes and casino developers often use formal agreements negotiated with governmental agencies as a leveraging tool. Indian tribes are sovereign nations and not subject to many local ordinances. Because this causes concern among local jurisdictions, tribes seeking to develop lands often negotiate agreements that make concessions to local laws. When the documents are sent to federal decision-makers, the casino developers claim that their existence demonstrates project support and tacit approval.

Unfortunately, that often is not the way the co-signers intend for these documents to be read. What follows is a list of local agreements negotiated by the Cowlitz casino developers:

Clark County
The Clark County Commission signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Cowlitz Tribe on March 2, 2004. Washington state courts have been considering a challenge to the MOU’s validity for the past two and a half years. The resolution to approve the MOU includes a disclaimer stating that it should not be considered evidence of the county's support for the casino. A supplemental MOU includes several points that had been left out of the full MOU document.

For more information, see CARS’ MOU Fact Sheet.

La Center
Despite heavy pressure in February 2006, the City of La Center refused to sign a Memorandum of Understanding proposed by the Cowlitz Tribe and its attorneys. In July, the city’s counteroffer requesting more money received a chilly reception. To date, no MOU has been signed.

Ridgefield School District
The Ridgefield School District signed an MOU with the Cowlitz Tribe on May 25, 2004, that primarily addresses the tribe’s commitment to paying school impact fees to the county if the tribe builds housing within the RSD service area.

Clark College
Clark College in Vancouver signed a strategic alliance agreement under which the college will provide skills development for occupations such as casino managers, computer specialists, security guards and fitness trainers, as well as training in customer service, leadership and supervision. The agreement also calls for the development of related degree programs.

Southwest Washington Convention and Visitors Bureau
The Cowlitz Tribe agreed to pay the current Tourism Promotion Area fee of $2 for each bed occupied at its proposed casino-resort and in turn would receive the same marketing benefits as other Clark County hotels.

Mohegan Tribe
The Cowlitz Tribe has formed a partnership with Connecticut's Mohegan Tribe to develop and manage the proposed Cowlitz casino. The Mohegan Tribe owns and operates the Mohegan Sun, the second-largest casino in the country, located in Uncasville, Conn.

Note: You can learn more about the partnership by reading the 2005 Mohegan Sun annual report beginning at note 15.