Carol Evans named Spokane Tribe chair

The Spokane Tribe has its first woman tribal chair, Carol Evans, selected by the business council in a recent election. The former vice chair of the council, Evans said in a press release she intends to continue the tribe’s development in hospitality and recreation, and further explore renewable energy. The tribe has proposed a casino, hotel and retail shopping area on land it owns on the West Plains near Fairchild Air Force Base, which has received approval from the U.S. Department of Interior but the gambling facility must still receive a green light from Gov. Jay Inslee. She also wants to address high unemployment and drug addiction in the tribe, emphasize health care, housing and environmental protection, particularly salmon restoration which is culturally important for the tribe. Evans joined the five-person business council, which is the tribe’s governing body, in 2013. The council selects the chair and vice chair every year. This is the first time it selected a woman to the top spot. “When you look at our history, the chiefs were men, but women were movers even without the title,” she said. “They were a vital part of the community, but not to a point of being a chieftess.”