Washington Must Step Up To Defend Tribal Sovereignty | Opinion

In the history of Native American tribes, there is a far too common theme—a court will issue a ruling or Congress will pass a law that reasonably protects our people or fairly guarantees our rights. And then as soon as those well-reasoned protections or rights become inconvenient, or political pressure dials up, those promises go out the window.
I’ve seen that with my own tribe, the Coquille, who I have had the honor to serve as chairman since 2012. In fact, it was 70 years ago this month that Congress passed the Western Oregon Termination Act to strip tribes in Western Oregon of our recognition, land, and rights. In 1989, Congress righted this injustice with the passage of the Coquille Restoration Act, restoring our federal recognition and allowing us to rebuild a reservation within five specific Oregon counties. The act envisioned economic development in this region so that we could provide for our members where they historically and currently lived.
Today, however, there is a reluctance to respect this hard-fought legislation—as well as Indian Law more broadly—because wealthier tribes fear that compliance with the law will increase competition for Indian gaming.
For example, a lawful and modest gaming application we filed over a decade ago has sat before the Department of Interior, waiting for a final decision, thanks to the aggressive lobbying by tribes and interests who disagree with Congress’ decades-old decision to include a specific county, Jackson County, within our service area. That wasn’t an issue in 1989, but now that a monopoly on gaming in the region is threatened, our Restoration Act is suddenly controversial. These tribes are using their wealth and political connections—including willing members of Congress—to pressure the Department of Interior into inaction.
This 12-year delay points to a broader issue in Indian Country—those with the biggest pockets and high-profile connections can influence, delay, or derail policies, regardless of how a court rules or how Congress writes the law. For every news story you see about a proposal to add to a reservation or expand a casino, you’ll see dozens more about millions of dollars in legal fees and years of lobbying to navigate bureaucratic hurdles and respond to interest groups who know that, even if the law is against them, the process is not if you can garner influence.
That’s not healthy for the state of tribal politics. Tribal leaders should be spending our time looking at how best to support elder care, education, public safety, language revitalization, and numerous other critical needs—all of which could be funded by revenue from our proposed 2.4 acre gaming facility.
Instead, we’re spending years and scarce resources trying to explain why a presidential administration is required to follow congressionally approved legislation, no matter how many dollars policymakers receive from well-connected figures.
I was grateful to hear that in the Senate’s confirmation hearing for a new deputy secretary of Interior, nominee Shannon Estenoz spoke of the importance of applying governmental rules consistently and processing reviews in a timely fashion. I’d like to see those words translated to action. Congress passes laws that govern how the federal government works on tribal issues, and it should not be left up to politics to determine if that rule of law is followed.
Tribes have fought too hard for their fundamental sovereignty to fall victim to lobbying and political influence. I’d ask that members of Congress weigh history carefully before speaking out against a tribe’s treaties or restoration acts, regardless of how influential a tribe’s opponents may be—and to demonstrate that they truly stand for tribal sovereignty and the rule of law.
Brenda Meade is chairman of the Coquille Indian Tribe in Western Oregon.
The views expressed in this article are the writer’s own.