Category: Medford

Federal Court Upholds Coquille Indian Tribe’s Medford Land and Gaming Decision

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Coos Bay, OR — A federal judge in Washington, D.C. has ruled in favor of the Coquille Indian Tribe, upholding the U.S. Department of the Interior’s decision to place approximately 2.4 acres in Medford, Oregon into trust for the Tribe and to authorize gaming there. In a memorandum opinion issued today, September 4, 2026, U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta denied the challenge brought by the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, the Karuk Tribe, and the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation, and granted summary judgment to the federal government and to the Coquille Tribe, which had joined the case to defend the decision.

The lawsuit challenged Interior’s January 2025 approval on several grounds, and the court rejected each argument. Central to the ruling was the Coquille Tribe’s Restoration Act of 1989, which restored the Tribe’s federal recognition and authorized the Secretary of the Interior to take land into trust within the Tribe’s five-county service area — Coos, Curry, Douglas, Jackson, and Lane. Because the Medford property sits within that service area, the court agreed the land qualifies as “restored lands” under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, meaning gaming is permitted there.

Chair Brenda Meade stated, “Today a federal judge confirmed what we have always known, that the Coquille Restoration Act allows us to provide for our citizens and rebuild our economy in the five counties identified by Congress. This ruling ensures our sovereignty is stronger than ever.”

Full Press Release – September 4, 2026

Rogue Valley Times – September 4, 2026

KCBY-TV (via MSN) – September 6, 2026

KEZI-TV – September 7, 2026

CDC Gaming Reports – September 7, 2026

US Laws website – September 4, 2026

KOBI-TV – September 9, 2026

Tribal Business News – September 9, 2026

KTVL-TV – September 10, 2026

 

Ko-Kwel Casino celebrates one year in Medford

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One year ago, the Ko-Kwel Casino in Medford opened its doors to the public.

“When you have a casino in your community, you do have an economic engine,” said Michael Laffey, Director of Marketing and Communications for the Coquille Economic Development Corporation. “But at the same time, we have a responsibility to use those resources to help out everybody around us.”…

KOBI-TV Medford – January, 12, 2026

Coquille Tribe Gets Green Light to Build Medford Casino

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The Coquille Indian Tribe recently received federal permission to build a casino off the interstate in Medford, a cap to a rocky 13-year public process.

The Department of the Interior signed a record of decision in the matter Jan. 10, the Oregon Journalism Project reported.

Oregon Business – January 21, 2025

KDRV.com – January 15, 2025

Rogue Valley Times – January 15, 2025

Oregon Public Broadcasting – January 14, 2025

The Oregonian – January 13, 2025

Washington Must Step Up to Protect Sovereignty

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Chair Brenda Meade writes in Newsweek: 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.

 

Newsweek – August 21, 2024

Coquille Chair addresses attacks that undermine Tribal Sovereignty in letter to Oregonian

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…Recently, a handful of tribes in California and Oregon who oppose the Coquille Indian Tribe’s plan to build a new casino in Medford have claimed we are “reservation shopping” and looking to add land to which we are not justified – an unfair and inaccurate accusation. These tribes apparently fear that our proposed casino would disrupt their entrenched monopoly on gaming in the region.

 
 

But with this accusation, they are creating a reckless and baseless precedent for political attacks against hundreds of tribes like ours who have worked to legally rebuild our reservations while carefully following layers of laws and regulations. And it hinders our ability to fund essential services like health care and education through gaming….

 

Oregonian – July 2, 2024

In Oregon, several tribal bids for urban casinos threatens a gambling “arms race.”

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The two Oregon tribes hoping to open the urban casinos — one in Salem, the capital, and the other in Medford, 30 miles north of the California border — say the projects should be viewed as opportunities, hard-earned and long overdue, to finance initiatives to house and heal their members, particularly their elders, while creating jobs for all local residents.

“It’s about self-determination,” said Brenda Meade, chair of the Coquille tribe, whose proposal for a casino in Medford, 170 miles from the tribe’s headquarters, has generated heated opposition. “We will decide what’s best for our people.

Yachats News – July 31, 2024 (From New York Times article)

Medford Casino Plan Moves Ahead, Again

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It’s been nearly four years since the federal government said no to the Coquille Indian Tribe, denying its request to put a casino on land that the tribe owns in South Medford. The denial did not stick, and in spite of some opposition from other regional tribes, the process has resumed.

Earlier this month we spoke with representatives of the City of Medford, which was once opposed to the casino, but now are neutral.

Next up, Judy Farm, CEO of Tribal One, the Coquille tribe’s economic development arm, and Jen Procter Andrews, the vice-chair of the Coquille Tribe join the JX to talk about the project going forward.

Jefferson Public Radio – May 15, 2024