Recognition Of Independence Tribe’s Priority

The new and re-elected members of the Coeur d’Alene Tribal Council have a collective plate of ambition so heaping, it’s worthy of a small country.

And that’s just what’s at the heart of most of the tribe’s pursuits and lawsuits - the quest to be recognized as an independent nation with control of its own laws, land, economy and destiny.

The new council likely will push for expansion of gaming operations. It also will find out if it can continue to fight for the rights to Lake Coeur d’Alene. And it will keep waging a $1 billion suit to force mining companies to clean up the contaminated Coeur d’Alene River Basin.

The tribe held elections Saturday for three positions on its seven-seat council. Two incumbents, Lawrence Aripa and Norman Campbell, will serve for another three years. Newcomer Charles “Chuck” Matheson, current manager of the tribe’s bingo hall and a former radio music director and announcer, also won a seat.

A measure that would have turned council positions into full-time, paid jobs was defeated. On Monday, the council voted for officers, retaining Ernie Stensgar as chairman.

Matheson wants to expand gaming, obliterate unemployment and push for more tribal talks with the state government and big business.

“Things are looking exceptionally bright for the future of our people,” Matheson said. “For the first time since we’ve been here (on the reservation), we’re staring self-sufficiency in the eye.”

He was talking about the casino and bingo hall, an economic engine that made $8 million last year. Matheson said plans are in the works to add a new boxing arena, restaurant and hotel.

“Our plan is to wipe out unemployment for everyone who wants to work,” he said.

Now, among his problems is sorting the sweet deals from the sour. “As we become more successful, we have more people coming to us with grand ideas on how we should spend our money,” Matheson said.

And then there are the lawsuits.

The tribe awaits a U.S. Supreme Court decision on whether or not it can sue Idaho for control of Lake Coeur d’Alene. The case went before the court in October. A decision is still pending, tribal lawyers say.

The tribe claims that Ulysses S. Grant gave the lake to the tribe in an 1873 executive order. Idaho claims Grant had no authority to cede the lake to the tribe without the approval of Congress. The state also claims that the 11th Amendment prevents the tribe from suing Idaho in the first place.

The philosophy behind the suit meshes with the council’s plans to buy back massive chunks of land within reservation boundaries.

Tribal press secretary Bob Bostwick said the reservation is 345,000 acres strong - but guesses only about 70,000 acres are owned by tribal members.

“The purpose is to establish long-term wealth, to return that land to tribal control,” Bostwick said.

The tribe initially lost the land to homesteaders in the early 1900s.

Last week, the tribe approved deals to buy back 53 pieces of land - one of which was 120 acres.

“And we still have 200 applications on file we haven’t been able to deal with,” said Joanne Peone, tribal land services specialist.

The process requires scrutiny. Some sellers want to gouge the tribe, Matheson said.

“The perception is that we have a ton of money. So as people find out we’re looking at buying land, the price triples.”

In its giant suit against mining companies, the tribe is joined by the U.S. Department of Justice.

According to the tribe’s law firm, that suit still is in the discovery phase. The Coeur d’Alenes filed the suit in 1991, and it was later consolidated with a similar federal suit.

, DataTimes