Spokane Public Schools delays decision on final name for new downtown sports stadium amid tribal concerns

Spokane Public School board members chose Wednesday night to slow approval of a new name for its $35 million downtown stadium, citing a need to talk further with local Indigenous tribes.

The Spokane Public School Board of Directors delayed approval Wednesday at its meeting to name the multisport facility “The North Bank Stadium Presented by the Kalispel Tribe of Indians.” The proposal was brought forward by the Spokane Public Facilities District on behalf of the ownership group of the United Soccer League team that is to play at the facility, which is scheduled to open this fall.

The proposed name was not discussed with the Spokane Tribe of Indians, which considers the property the stadium is built upon to be their ancestral land.

Board members said they wanted to hear from local tribes’ thoughts on the naming before a decision. Superintendent Adam Swinyard said the scheduling of tribal consultations are in process through the Public Facilities District, which the district says is responsible for discussions.

Board member Riley Smith expressed “honest frustration” about the lack of consultation with tribes. The Spokane Public Facilities District Board of Directors approved the proposal in late March.

“We’re discussing this on April 12 and we still haven’t had a consultation,” Smith said.

An agreement with Spokane Public Schools, which put forward the 2018 bond measure that is funding construction of the stadium, requires both entities to approve any naming rights.

The proposal also calls for the field in the stadium to be named either “Northern Quest Field” or “Kalispel Field.”

In a statement before the school board meeting, the chief operations officer of the Kalispel Tribal Economic Authority described partnership talks as “preliminary discussions.”

“We also respect the process all involved entities are undergoing with their valued stakeholders regarding the new stadium,” Phil Haugen, the chief operations officer of the Kalispel Tribal Economic Authority, said in a statement. “Our early discussions have been productive to this point, but regardless of the School Board’s vote tonight, the Kalispel Tribe will continue to do its due diligence in considering a future sponsorship of this kind.”

Earlier Wednesday, the Spokane Tribe asked the Public Facilities District to reconsider its recommendation. Carol Evans, chairwoman of the Spokane Tribal Business Council, told representatives of the district the tribe believed it hadn’t been included in talks before the recommendation was made.

“I feel like the Spokane Tribe was not consulted with,” Evans said. “We have not been consulted with. We’ve been asked to provide input, but we were never asked for consultation.”

Tiger Peone, Spokane Tribal councilman, told the board he hopes the Spokane Tribe will be involved in the consultation process.

“All area schools reside on the ancestral grounds of the Spokane Tribe, and the cultural and historical offerings that we, Spokane Tribe, can deliver and share I feel will only strengthen our relationship,” Peone said.

The stadium is situated just up the falls from the ancestral fishing grounds of the Spokane people, Evans said. She also said that naming the field after the Kalispel’s casino would run counter to guidelines established by Spokane Public Schools for naming the new facility, which is replacing the former Joe Albi Stadium, now demolished, in northwest Spokane.

“The name may not reference industries, products or activities that would violate law or SPS policy if associated with SPS students, including without limitation: alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, vaping, weapons/firearms and gambling,” the guidelines, approved in January by school board members, says.

“A field named ‘Northern Quest Field’ would definitely be impacted by this particular bullet point on the naming,” Evans told members of the Public Facilities District Board.

Spokane Public Schools’ Board President Michael Wiser and board member Melissa Bedford said they were uncomfortable with the Northern Quest name because it could be associated with the casino. Wiser said he did not have an issue with Kalispel Field.

But the naming requirements for the Public Facilities District, which operates Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena, the Podium and the Spokane Convention Center, are different from those approved by the school board, said Marty Dickinson, chairwoman of the facilities district board. Those guidelines only prohibit the word “casino” from appearing in the name of the stadium.

“They are not one-for-one, identical to each other,” Dickinson said of the guidelines.

Dickinson said after the meeting she appreciated the concerns Evans brought, and that the Public Facilities District was trying to be a good facilitator in bringing together the USL ownership group and local stakeholders, including the Spokane tribe, for discussions about the name of the stadium.

“I think it’s extremely appropriate and want to give them an opportunity to continue to be heard,” Dickinson said of the tribe.

Both the school district and Public Facilities District said they wanted “Spokane” to have some presence in the name for the facility. But the facility district said, in their recommendation to the school board, that “North Bank” was an acceptable substitute “as a nod to the importance the North Bank neighborhood plays in the economic development of Spokane.”

School board members Jenny Slagle and Smith said North Bank doesn’t fit the board’s criteria.

“I feel strongly that Spokane needs to be included in the name,” Slagle said.

Smith said North Bank is not well known by most people.

“I would like to see something that actually signifies Spokane like we asked for,” he said.

The item will return to the school board’s agenda after consultation with tribes.

The stadium is also envisioned to honor Joe Albi, the civic leader who pushed for youth sports in the area and for whom old Memorial Stadium was renamed in 1962. Under the proposal forwarded by the Public Facilities District, a Joe Albi Plaza would be installed at the southwest corner of the site, just across from the entrance to the Podium. That plaza would include the statue of Albi that was formerly at the stadium bearing his name, and a plaque honoring his accomplishments. The proposal would also rename part of Dean Avenue, near the stadium, to Joe Albi Way.