Cowlitz Tribe to end relationship with Mohegan Tribe, ilani casino operator

The Cowlitz Indian Tribe announced Tuesday that it will end its six-year relationship with the Connecticut-based Mohegan Tribe, which oversees operations of its highly profitable ilani casino in Ridgefield.

In a statement on the Cowlitz Indian Tribe’s website, Chairwoman Patty Kinswa-Gaiser said: “After careful consideration, the Cowlitz Tribal Gaming Authority has recommended, and the Cowlitz Tribal Council has approved, a decision to begin a multi-step process of transitioning ilani from an enterprise managed by the Mohegan Tribe to a self-managed enterprise.”

In the statement, Kinswa-Gaiser said tribal leadership has the deepest gratitude to the Mohegan Tribe for its guidance and partnership during the formative years of the casino.

She said the timing of the announcement “provides ample notice for (the Cowlitz Tribe Gaming Authority) to begin a deliberate, professional and multi-step process, evolving ilani from its current fully-managed state, to one where it is assisted with management and, ultimately, to independent self-management.”

The Cowlitz Tribal Council announced last month that it was considering separating from the Mohegan Tribe at the end of its seven-year contract in June 2024, a move that surprised many of the tribe’s members.