Stillaguamish Tribe wants chance to prosper

ARLINGTON -- For centuries, Shirley Munger's Stillaguamish ancestors made their living along the river that bears their tribal name by fishing for salmon, hunting for deer and gathering berries and roots. But in 21st century America, being Indian doesn't necessarily mean living off the land.

The 190-member Stillaguamish Tribe is proving that point by razing its little village of federally subsidized houses north of Arlington to build a casino. Tribe members hope it will bring a measure of affluence not enjoyed since before the white man came and the river ran thick with salmon.

When Munger's family lived upriver in Oso, "we never had to lock our doors. And anyone was welcome to come to our house. Whatever you had for food, you'd offer it to the people that came to you. You'd never dare do that anymore," the 56-year-old elder said.

Times have changed and the old ways have been distorted by unemployment, a high dropout rate, teen pregnancy, alcoholism and drug abuse.

In 1999, the most recent year for which statistics are available, 46 percent of the tribal work force had no job. Of those who were employed, 41 percent earned an income under the federal poverty guidelines. About 42 percent of tribal members older than 17 did not have a high school diploma or GED, according to 1997 statistics. And the high school dropout rate at that time was more than 40 percent.

"It's all the standard stuff that goes with poverty," tribal Executive Director Eddie Goodridge Jr. said.

Thus the idea to cash in on their status as a sovereign Indian nation and build a casino.

Some Stillaguamish, including Munger, have chosen to change their tribal affiliation to the nearby Tulalip Tribes, whose fabulously successful casino has meant a plethora of government services and job opportunities.

Casino dollars will not be a panacea for the Stillaguamish, Goodridge said. But it will help. "Remove poverty from the equation and you don't have as much of that stuff," he said.

If the revenue starts flowing in from their casino as hoped, the tribe will begin developing the 77-acre property for tribal housing, Goodridge said. Site preparation alone, construction of roads and installation of utilities, will cost $2 million to $3 million that the tribe could never hope to obtain without gambling revenue, he said.

And if the casino is lucrative enough, there'll be money to start new business that will mean more jobs for tribal members. And basic services, such as health care and education, will get a badly needed infusion of cash, Goodridge said.

"It (the casino) is not the end-all for the Stillaguamish," Goodridge said. "It's a catalyst. The goal is to buy more land, build houses, create some other businesses and give better services to tribal members."

Using about $5 million of the $36 million the Stillaguamish were loaned by the backers of its casino project, the tribe has moved the roughly 150 people who live in 30 houses now being demolished to make way for the casino. People had their choice of taking a buyout of between $70,000 and $90,000 and finding their own housing or moving into new $215,000 homes purchased by the tribe for their use.

People chose the new tribal home option by a 2-1 margin, Goodridge said. They moved to nearby Snohomish County towns of Arlington, Marysville, Stanwood and Warm Beach.

Some tribal members have been concerned about dispersing the tribe, said Goodridge. But he believes that enhanced tribal programs for youth and elders will be the glue that holds people together.

As much as the casino represents hope for a better future for the tribe, it represents an abomination to some non-Indian neighbors who live in nearby homes on 5-acre estates.

About 465 neighbors who live in the area have formed the "No Dice" committee to "slow down, stop or relocate" a casino in their midst, said neighbor Ken Childress.

"The casino threatens our property values, general safety and our rural way of life," he said.

The neighbors have been working to move the casino to the Smoky Point commercial area, which fronts Interstate 5 in Arlington. That move could benefit the tribe as well -- many more gamblers would be expected there than if the casino is constructed at the village site about three miles from the highway.

But legal impediments could take too long to overcome while the tribe is paying monthly interest on its $36 million loan, Goodridge said. He said the tribe is willing to listen to proposals to move the casino site. But he said the Stillaguamish would need ironclad guarantees on the feasibility of the I-5 site before it would seriously consider abandoning the village site.

P-I reporter Paul Shukovsky can be reached at 206-448-8072 or paulshukovsky@seattlepi.com

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