Once invisible, Muckleshoots are now an economic force
Today, the tribe is an economic powerhouse. Its business dealings have earned the tribe a reputation as being tough and professional.
"It's almost like Muckleshoot, Inc.," said Ed Fleisher, special assistant for tribal and governmental affairs for the Washington State Gambling Commission. "They are tough negotiators, but very fair; you can work things through with them. They are very businesslike."
On Monday, the tribe announced it was buying the property at Emerald Downs, Washington's premier thoroughbred racetrack. Northwest Racing Associates, which manages the 157-acre site, will continue to run the track under its existing lease. The track, the clubhouse and all other buildings on the land are the property of Northwest Racing Associates, but those improvements revert to the tribe upon termination of the lease, according to the tribe's attorney.
The purchase, expected to be completed by January, will not affect the track's operation or taxation of the property. Calling the purchase a good investment, the tribe said it has no immediate plans for the site.
Acquiring the land — once part of the tribe's vast aboriginal holdings — was a major coup and a high-profile purchase for a modest people who still hate to talk about money.
To understand how far the 1,750-member tribe has come, consider the stone chimney left standing at the center of the reservation. Once a part of the largest building — the community center — today, the chimney is a short drive from the 20,000-seat Muckleshoot amphitheater, a controversial $30 million investment that will be one of the largest concert venues in Western Washington when it opens in June.
In all, the tribe has 28 projects planned or under way, enough to employ two full-time project managers. Its work force, at 2,550 strong, outnumbers the tribe, which is now the second-largest employer in South King County, trailing only Boeing.
While the tribe does not publicly disclose its casino revenues, the Muckleshoot casino is understood to be the most profitable in the state.
For such a small tribe, "they have an outsized impact," says Rob McKenna, a Republican on the Metropolitan King County Council.
"They are invariably very professional, and pretty low-key. They are always looking for some way to find a cooperative path. But they are very determined, very strong in representing their interests.
"On the amphitheater, some of us have had real concerns about the environmental impact and felt they needed an environmental-impact statement. They didn't give up; they saw that through."
Bob Roegner, who was mayor of Auburn when the tribe built its bingo hall in 1985, remembers his dealings with the Muckleshoots. "They came to us and said, 'We don't believe we have to follow your land-use laws, or your water and sewer policies or anything else. But how can we set the issue of authority aside and work together and work within your standards?'
"That made it much easier to work through."
Other tribes also have seen that resolve.
Bennie Armstrong, chairman of the Suquamish Tribe in Kitsap County, has butted heads with the Muckleshoots over fishing rights. "They stand their ground. They are shrewd negotiators.
"But I appreciate their success — we acknowledge it and applaud it. I think it's cool they are diversifying. It's great."
Darrell Hillaire, chairman of the Lummi Nation, sees a tribe that has come a long way. "They were much like a lot of the other tribes, Lummi included, that since self-governance and gaming have come to the forefront, have taken control of their own destinies.
"I know they have ruffled some feathers down there, but they are living out their true self-determination. My description of them is they are like an emerging nation. With their economic development they are securing land, and going from economic survival to something more sustainable."
For the Muckleshoots, the changes have come fast. Rhonda Harnden-Cabanas, who runs the tribe's job-training program, remembers having to explain who the Muckleshoots were.
On a trip to Spokane, she said, "... someone said, 'What kind of Indian are you?' "
"Muckleshoot was not even on the map. Well, now who's talking?"
The projects planned or under way on the reservation in Auburn include a new 50,000-square-foot natural-resources building, with tribal administrative offices on the second floor; a new Shaker church; and a new, 81,000-square-foot tribal medical facility, health and wellness center, including optometry, obstetrics-gynecology, health and dental services and a therapy pool.
A new 24-hour child-care center will open soon, serving as many as 300 children a day.
In January, the tribe will give new computers to every tribal household, about 1,400 in all. And it recently decided to give up to $1,000 to every elder — just to take a trip.
The tribe also is training a new generation of professionals, with a full-ride scholarship program, begun in 1998, that this year is putting 130 students through college.
In January, the tribe will launch a revolving loan program, allowing members to borrow up to $200,000 at 3 percent interest to buy a home. Elders without a home can get a house for free. Every household also gets a one-time check for $30,000 toward the purchase of a home, repairs, or to buy down their mortgage.
Tribal leaders who grew up on the reservation are amazed at the changes.
"There was no jobs, no economy, no infrastructure; it was lamps, candles and outhouses. Our people worked in the fields, or as loggers," remembered LeeRoy Courville Sr., a member of the tribal council.
"It's pretty amazing, like a miracle. ... It's nice to finally have what everyone else has."
During a recent tour of the reservation, John Halliday, director of economic development for the tribe, gestured at a tidy suburban development, unremarkable but for this: It belongs to the tribe.
"My generation grew up in public housing," said Halliday, a Muckleshoot tribal member. "We joke about having our Indian cars, and living on government programs. But now the tribe is doing for themselves. People are becoming middle class."
For Gilbert King George, a former chairman of the tribe, the old chimney still standing at the center of the reservation is a reminder both of where the tribe has been and the progress it has made.
"The old people built that with their labor, and it was a beautiful building," King George said.
"Look how far we have come, from the old community hall, the amphitheater, right up to the casino. I'll say it out loud: It's something to be proud of. And I pray that our young people will say it proudly: I'm a Muckleshoot."
Lynda V. Mapes: 206-464-2736 or lmapes@seattletimes.com.