We have always been rightfully proud of the successes of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes in developing the economy of Lake County and promoting a healthy tribal identity through those successes.

The ability of the tribes to follow through on their longtime goal and assume ownership of the former Kerr Dam in Polson was one such success.

Nonetheless, we were disheartened to read last week that the tribes have opted to take advantage of the fact that federal law prohibits taxing tribal lands or improvements held in trust by the United States.

That means Lake County and its fellow taxing entities, such as the local school districts, lost a source of almost $1 million in taxes when title to the dam transferred from Northwestern Energy to the tribal corporation known as Energy Keepers.

It is true that the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes are under no obligation to pay that tax because of the special status of Indian tribes in federal law, but nonetheless there is reason to hope that a substantial annual payment can be made “in lieu of taxes” in the future.

The tribes certainly must understand that their members are beneficiaries of county government and services in Lake County, as well as the schools that are funded through taxes. For students in St. Ignatius, Ronan, Charlo, Elmo and elsewhere, those dollars could mean the difference between a quality education and lost hope. Many of the tribal leaders of tomorrow attend those schools, and they along with the other students, deserve the best chance possible to succeed.

It would therefore seem reasonable that the tribes, in acquiring a valuable property such as the dam (which is now known as the Salish, Kootenai and Pend d’Oreille Dam) would wish to mitigate the hardship that their own good fortune passed on to others.

Perhaps, it is understandable the tribes would not make a payment for the full amount of the former tax, but we would hope that a significant sum at least would be paid to the county and schools to help them continue their own important missions.