Power in the Telling: Grand Ronde, Warm Springs, and Intertribal Relations in the Casino Era

by Brook Colley

From 1998 through 2013, the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs sought to develop a casino in Cascade Locks, Oregon. This prompted objections from the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, who already operated a lucrative casino in the region. Brook Colley’s in-depth case study unravels the history of this disagreement and challenges the way conventional media characterizes intertribal casino disputes in terms of corruption and greed. Instead, she locates these conflicts within historical, social, and political contexts of colonization.

Through extensive interviews, Colley brings to the forefront Indigenous perspectives on intertribal conflict related to tribal gaming. She reveals how casino economies affect the relationship between gaming tribes and federal and state governments, and the repercussions for the tribes themselves. Ultimately, Colley’s engaging examination explores strategies for reconciliation and cooperation, emphasizing narratives of resilience and tribal sovereignty.

218 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 1, 2018

Reviews

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Through a case study of Grand Ronde and Warm Springs intertribal relations and conflicts, Colley directly intervenes in the pervasive dominant narrative that tribal casinos are run by greedy, corrupt, competitive Indians “finally getting even” with colonizers. Colley shows that this narrative comes from ongoing colonial structures that control Native representation, which in turn influences how dominant society interprets Native economic development. The book provides historical, environmental, economic, and other contexts for how and why Grand Ronde and Warm Springs pursued developing casinos.

As someone who studies rhetoric, chapter four stood out to me, as it is a discourse analysis of journalism in the Oregonian. Colley deconstructs casino-Indian stereotypes – depictions of Casino-running Tribes as vengeful and greedy – and how these and other images result in broader society questioning the ethics, authenticity, and capability of Tribes. This chapter shows how static representations of Natives can create PR havoc for Tribes and can influence policy and legal outcomes while Tribes are also trying to navigate and negotiate shifting political relationships through election years.

[Sasha Karapetrova · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book thoroughly investigates how federal and state polices of the United States of America continue to create a scarcity of resources for Native American communities. Although the focus of this amazing analysis is on the Grand Ronde and Warm Springs Reservations and the many number of tribes that were forced to those lands of so-called Oregon, this case study can be extrapolated to represent violence of U.S. government agencies towards Native American communities. This is a necessary read for anyone living on Native Land, to understand how they are complicit in upholding the restriction of resources to Native American communities, beyond casinos and federally-recognized tribes. Furthermore, the author interviewed so delicately and respectfully to their own communities and neighboring communities. There is incredibly powerful truth that is told about the role that casinos play to provide resources, a clearly insufficient amount and creates a scarcity/limited access, in this timeless masterpiece.

[Brenden Gallagher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am reading a number of books about Native American casinos as research for a TV pilot I am working on, and "Power in the Telling" is one of the most nuanced and interesting texts I have come across. Colley uses the conflict between two Washington tribes (one has a casino, one wants to build one) to interrogate the state of Native American power dynamics in the 21st century.

Colley looks at a number of power dynamics, including tribe to tribe, tribe to state, tribe to US, tribe to media, tribal government to tribe members, and more, centering interviews of those close to the situation. The results is a nuanced and thought-provoking look at Native American tribal relations in the 21st century.

An excellent read that I'm glad I happened upon.

[Josh Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent (and brave) examination of intertribal conflict over a casino project.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Analysis of the Confederated Tribes of Grande Ronde’s intent to block the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs from developing a casino at Cascade Locks and well as other strong arming history.