Submitted by Snoqualmie Tribal Council
The Snoqualmie Indian Tribe has called this area home since time immemorial. We are not a large tribe, but we are a close-knit community united by cultural values that our ancestors have passed down for thousands of years.
Our ancestors taught us the importance of being good neighbors, and looking out for all who call this area home. We are proud stewards of the land and water we all share, but we also value our role in today’s modern economy.
In 2008, several years after the federal government re-recognized our tribe as a sovereign nation, we opened the Snoqualmie Casino. Today the casino is the Snoqualmie Valley’s largest employer, providing jobs for more than 1,100 people (94 percent of whom are non-natives). We operate our casino with area vendors who’ve benefitted from more than $6.6 million in local business over just the past year. And we welcome thousands of visitors from around the world who come for gaming, entertainment and good food.
But our cultural values extend far beyond our role as an employer. We believe we have a responsibility to share our resources—especially with our neighbors in need. We proudly support local food drives. We gladly pitched in to serve the community of Oso recover after the devastating landslide in 2014. And we help underwrite operational costs of nonprofits providing critical services to the community such as the Snoqualmie YMCA as part of our commitment to our home.
The Snoqualmie Indian Tribe also places tremendous value on arts, science, culture and preservation. Our elected government makes careful decisions about work worth investing in. Since 2010, our tribe has donated more than $5 million to hundreds of nonprofit organizations in Washington State.
It’s our small way of giving back to our community, just as our ancestors have done.
We of course face challenges, too. We will always oppose irresponsible development. We will never tolerate racial and cultural discrimination, which has no place in our world. We will always strive to improve our government-to-government relationships with the city of Snoqualmie, King County, the state of Washington and the United States of America. And we will always ask our neighbors to respect the land and water and resources given to us by our creator—while welcoming the millions of people from around the world who want to enjoy and experience Snoqualmie Falls.
As always, we invite all people to visit Snoqualmie and to learn more about the work of our Tribe. We have been here since time immemorial and we look forward to being neighbors for generations to come.
