When it comes to design , tribal gaming resorts are blending traditional themes with
Vegas-style glitz
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By Marjorie Preston
In 1977 , Seminole Chief Howard Tommie traveled from Florida to Pittsburgh to learn how churches and VFWs used bingo to raise extra money .
Two years later , when the Seminoles introduced the nation ’ s first high-stakes tribal bingo hall , they kicked off a multibillion-dollar nationwide and global industry that , 40 years on , continues to grow in power and influence . In many cases , tribes that once operated out of roadside trailers and tents are building resorts as big and blingy as anything in Vegas .
Case in point : In March 2018 , Pechanga Resort & Casino completed a $ 300 million expansion that made it the largest Native American resort in Southern California . The Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians added a new 14-story AAA four-diamond hotel tower , 67,000 square feet of event space , a lavish two-story spa , and a 4.5-acre pool complex . Design-wise , nods to tribal culture are implied but not overt ; the history of the band is related in dedicated displays of tribal artifacts and pottery in the casino and hotel , and the landscape , designed by Lifescapes International , is lush with oak trees , considered sacred to the Pechanga community .
Also in 2018 , the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians opened the Four Winds South Bend Casino , the first tribal casino in Indiana . The property ’ s soaring rotunda entryway leads to a 1,800-slot casino , casino center bar , retail corridor , and four F & B outlets ; its contemporary look acknowledges tribal culture through rich stone , tile and wood finishes and geometric ceiling and floor patterns . Most dramatically , the Pokagon , descendants of the Copper Culture of indigenous people , positioned two found “ float copper ” rocks from Michigan ’ s Northern Peninsula at the entrance of the steakhouse . They are well over 11,000 years old and weigh a total of five tons .
Tribal totems in black , white and red are among several overt references to Puyallup culture at the Emerald Queen . Note the salmon-shaped benches and rainfall-inspired chandelier .
An extravagant pool complex is just one of the must-see attractions at Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula , California . Last year , the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Mission Indians completed a $ 300 million expansion of the property .
Out-Stripping the Competition
A remarkable example of Vegas style in the tribal arena is the Puyallup Indians ’ $ 350 million Emerald Queen Casino , now going up on an industrial stretch of Interstate 5 in Tacoma , Washington . The Emerald Queen — which takes its name from the tribe ’ s former riverboat casino — is big and bold enough to stand out in the port city ’ s crowded skyline .
Assertively urban , it also takes many opportunities to pay homage to the tribe ’ s ancestral landscape , which includes Mt . Rainier , Puget Sound , and the Puyallup River that flows between them .
“ The traditional landscape has been highly altered by modern development , but for the tribe , it ’ s still home , and they wanted to express who they are today ,” says Sam Olbekson , director of Native American design for Minnesota-based Cuningham Group Architecture . “ So the question becomes , how do you convey a sense of cultural identity for a modern , sophisticated urban tribe ?”
The answers were found in extended conversations with tribal leaders , artists and community members , who made it clear there was one
42 TRIBAL GOVERNMENT GAMING 2019