Herb Johnson, the community development director for Naskila Casino and the second chief of the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas, presented the program for the Polk County Chamber of Commerce’s quarterly membership luncheon on Aug. 19.
Naskila means dogwood in the Alabama-Coushatta language and Naskila Casino offers Class II gaming (electronic bingo), monthly promotions and Texas-size winnings, or 30,000 square feet of gaming entertainment, Johnson said.
Timbers Grille, located within Naskila Casino, offers a variety of food offerings though its most popular is Steak Night on Wednesdays from 4-10 p.m. Johnson said that while it has been known to prepare close to 400 steaks in an evening, the average is 185 steaks on any given Wednesday.
“We’re known as the luckiest spot in Texas and we renovated our Ischoopa Travel Center and smoke shop and gaming last year. It is now open 24 hours with a 24-hour deli and 81 gaming machines,” Johnson said.
Naskila Casino is owned and operated by the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas which played a vital role in Texas’ Independence. With a rich history dating to the 1780s, the Alabama-Coushatta tribe distinguished themselves in the Texas War of Independence and the Runaway Scrape, which was the mass evacuation of Texian residents and the interim Texas government eastward toward the Louisiana border in the spring of 1836, following the Mexican army’s advancement and the fall of the Alamo.
In 1836, Sam Houston brokered a treaty with the tribe to fight alongside the Texans. During the war, the Coushattas helped ensure the survival of the Texas Army who were fleeing Santa Anna by guiding them and providing provisions. Today, this act is recognized as a critical contribution to the Republic of Texas.
“Sam Houston asked for our assistance and we wanted to stay neutral, but we helped them, so he granted us 1,200 acres of land and we’re the oldest and largest tribe in the state of Texas,” Johnson said.
A study conducted by the Texas Forest Country Partnership revealed that Naskila has had a $212 million economic impact in the East Texas area. “Eight hundred twenty-five jobs were created with an average salary of $50,000 with great benefits, including a 401K and insurance,” Johnson said, adding that 95% of the visitors to Naskila are from outside of Polk County.
“Everyone knows and feels the effect. New businesses continue to grow in East Texas – not just Polk County, but all of East Texas. There are lots of great opportunities and things coming our way. Everybody in East Texas is feeling the effects. They’re spending dollars on gas, food, hotels,” Johnson said.
“Where does the money go, you may ask. It goes into vital programs such as education, housing, healthcare and infrastructure
“We have a new House of Teachings of which we’re very, very proud and have been talking about that for 20 years. It houses our Head Start, higher education, library, youth department and language program. Education is something very, very important to us. We had 71 students that were able to attend college a year ago,” Johnson said. He added that Naskila Casino is now able to help team members as well through its Naskila University, an opportunity for its employees to advance their education.
“Housing is much needed. There are over 1,400 tribal members that live on the reservation. With the success of Naskila Casino, we’re building new homes again. We have a new community in process right now in which 18 new homes are being built on 500 acres,” Johnson said.
“Health is another issue. With the success of Naskila, we now have a lot of amenities – doctors, nurses, mental health, a diabetes clinic, gardens. And infrastructure – we have a new alert system and several towers. Our water source – water is life, something very valuable to our people. We’re putting in new pipes to replace old pipes,” Johnson said.
“We try to help our state and support local efforts and not just in Polk County, but 12 other chambers of commerce. We belong to a lot of events and try to help out as best we can to help our neighbors. We continue to promote East Texas as a destination. Everybody around us is growing,” Johnson said.
“Naskila has been open since June 2, 2019 and we have team members come from 12 different counties. We currently have one million visitors a year. Looking ahead, we continue to grow in employment and our resort. New designs are coming into play and we hope to have a groundbreaking later this year. It will take three years to complete and bring the possibility of 1,000 more jobs. Jobs are also coming through the expansion of tribal services. We continue to strengthen the East Texas economy and the cultural impact,” Johnson said.
“We just celebrated our 38th anniversary of the tribe’s federal restoration, even though we’ve been in Texas for a mighty long time. We continue to work together to build a better future for our children and their children,” Johnson said.
