Gregory Ablavsky, a Stanford law professor and expert in federal Indian law, said the agonizing dissension over the Coquille’s expansion plans underscores tribes’ continuing struggle — centuries after white settler colonialism — to rebuild their nations and economic viability.

“Indian gaming is very much a story of winners and losers,” Ablavsky said. “This is a consequence of the fact that there just aren’t that many models for economic development, especially for these native communities that are very far from metro areas.”