Last week, the Valley Record ran a story about the proposed Snoqualmie Tribe reservation and casino near Snoqualmie, and it quoted local officials about the process of how they were informed. I agree, both the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Governor Locke’s office let Valley residents down by not informing us of the comment period. But maybe we all need to step back and take into account a little historical perspective. My intention isn’t to lessen the impact of tribal lands and a possible casino, but to bring up larger issues than traffic to discuss.

The Snoqualmie Tribe is federally recognized, and yes, it has the right to acquire tribal lands. They have been here longer than any other Valley resident. At one time, members had been promised tribal lands near the mouth of the Tolt River in Carnation. They were a key part of the Point Elliott Treaty, which basically allowed Seattle and surrounding areas to grow without interference from the Tribe. The Snoqualmie Tribe provided protection for early settlers in the Seattle region from other, hostile tribes.

With all that said, there is another side, and yes, it also is important. Neighbors of the proposed tribal land will be impacted. To what extent is unknown at this time. Yes, traffic, congestion and other factors should be considered by the Bureau of Indian Affairs before its decision is made. No, the city of Snoqualmie and King County will not have any jurisdictional authority on the tribal lands.

It seems the biggest problem so far has been the process. The Tribe, as our neighbor, should do more to engage the local community on its intentions and possible mitigating strategies. Legislators need to tone down the governmental rhetoric and stop using presumptuous statements such as “a neon casino with huge parking lot,” or, “I’m not aware of very many casinos that are inconspicuous.”

Let’s focus on improving the process and seeing if the community can work with the Tribe to achieve what is good for both sides. The Tribe has the right to acquire land and use it for the reason it sees fit. In talking to tribal chairs, their focus has always been on improving living conditions for their members, and it is reasonable to assume that a casino is one method to achieve that goal. With that in mind, I urge the Tribe and Valley residents to get together in some kind of information-sharing manner and talk through all the issues.