400 Horses, the brand-new casino venture by S&K Gaming LLC, opened last Tuesday, May 5, calling attention to the day of awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous People.

At 100 Irvine Flats Road, the 35,000-square-foot building faces east towards the sunrise, as tepees should; and tribal elders, Kootenai, Pend d’Oreille and Salish, were seated facing west and the new building with its giant teepee form.

The massive structure holds more than 300 gambling machines and is home to the 371 Bar and Grill, named for the deepest part of Flathead Lake.

Sheila Matt, the principal operating officer of S&K Gaming, came to the podium wearing a ribbon skirt, to kick off the 2 p.m. opening ceremony.

Thanking the elders for attending, Matt described them as “the backbone of our tribe.”

She said the opening date had been a scramble for staff, and complimented S&K Gaming CEO Byron Miller with bringing them all together to get the work done.

Matt thanked her staff for all the hours they’d worked and said teams at Gray Wolf Peak Casino in Evaro, the Kwataqnuk Resort and Casino in Polson, and the Big Arm Resort and Casino jumped in to help install machines and finish projects. She also praised the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Council, the S&K Gaming board members “who worked tirelessly,” and the Indian Gaming Association.

The casino’s name honors Chief Alexander or Chief 400 Horses, known for his large herd of horses. Extraordinarily brave and strong in battle, Chief Alexander was one of the chiefs who signed the Hellgate Treaty on July 16, 1855. He represented the Pend d’Oreille tribe.

Elder Stephen Small Salmon, who lives near Ronan, was introduced as Alexander’s oldest living descendant and “100 percent Pend d’Oreille.” A fluent Salish speaker, Small Salmon said a prayer, sang and played his hand drum.

"Today, to be here is an honor for me to speak for him," Small Salmon said.

Making sure the new casino honors tribal culture and history matters. Marie Torosian, director of Three Chiefs Culture Center, spoke to the crowd about the tribal artifacts on display in 400 Horses and a Kootenai canoe being carved for the building.

“Tribal gaming is about much more than entertainment,” said David Bean, chair of the Indian Gaming Association. He was on hand to help celebrate the casino opening with the Tribes.

Bean described tribal gaming as a way to “advance economic independence for tribal nations.”

According to Matt, more than 200 people across the Flathead Reservation are employed by gaming, with 70 new jobs added to staff 400 Horses.

Miller agreed with Bean and CSKT leaders. In earlier Leader reporting (April 23), he said, "It's not about gaming — it's another asset for the tribe to generate revenue to support membership and provide support back to the tribes.”

CSKT leaders say more than $1 million will flow back to CSKT tribal members, with additional donations going to reservation organizations including fire departments and local charities.

After the speeches, and the ribbon cutting with enormous shears, the elders led the way to complimentary food at the bar and a chance to explore the new building.

    Pend d'Oreille Elder Stephen Small Salmon said a prayer, sang and played his hand drum at the celebratory opening of 400 Horses Casino. Small Salmon is the oldest descendant of Chief Alexander, or 400 Horses, for whom the casino is named. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)
  

    Yamncut drummed at the opening of 400 Horses Casino last Tuesday. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)
  

    The new 400 Horses Casino in Polson was still busy last Tuesday night following the grand opening. (Kristi Niemeyer/Leader)