The resort would be built between Boise and Mountain Home. Tribal leadership says its revenue will help combat poverty and fund essential services for their tribes.
BOISE, Idaho — Straddling the Idaho/Nevada border, the Duck Valley Reservation is home to the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes—the only tribe in Idaho currently without its own gaming operation.
The Shoshone-Paiute Tribes are considered a non-revenue tribe, and lack a steady means of income. Residents on the reservation have few options for employment outside of cattle ranching or working for the tribal government.
The reservation struggles with multiple crises: an ongoing teacher shortage, a deficit of 400 housing units, and a severely limited healthcare system that forces injured residents to endure 45-minute helicopter flights to Boise for treatment. The dire circumstances have weighed heavily on tribal leadership, including Chairman Brian Mason.
“All we need is resources,” Chairman Mason said. “If we had revenue we wouldn’t have families living in houses that didn’t have a floor in the bathroom. If we had revenue we could house teachers that had degrees. If we had revenue we could build a hospital so people don’t die on the way to the hospital.”
Facing resource shortages and a 60% unemployment rate, the tribes are betting on a new solution to help their critical needs: a new resort and casino between Boise and Mountain Home.
The Shoshone-Paiute Resort would be built on the border of Ada and Elmore Counties, near the Boise Stage Stop. The resort’s announcement took place on the eve of the tribe’s 148th birthday.
“It will be a fundamental change to the people for the better if you have revenue to put into education, healthcare and public safety,” Chairman Mason said. “It’s for our kids and our community. These are things we need, basic stuff – and gaming is going to get us there.”
The tribes also announced that 5% of their revenue from the resort and casino would go to support local schools and education programs in Idaho.
To help fund and build the project, the tribes have partnered with the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, which is helping with up-front costs to build the resort.
“Gaming has helped our people by giving us hope,” Coeur d’Alene Tribe Chairman Chief Allan said. “All over this country, gaming has been a means to lift Indian people out of poverty, to give them a chance at that American dream.”
The Shoshone-Piute Tribes are currently in the process of getting their license to operate, which involves getting approval from both the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Idaho Governor’s Office.
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