"About The Old Camp Casino..."

"Honoring The Past… How The Casino Got It’s Name"

In 1879, following the Bannock Indian War, the Indians were rounded up and forced to march, under heavily armed guard, through deep snow, to reservations in Washington State. The women and children were sent to Fort Boise in Idaho. Many Tribal members died during this, “Trail of Tears.” After five years the Indians were allowed to return home. Many decided not to return, but a small number did. Upon their return many Indian families camped near the towns of Burns and Drewsey in tule or gunnysack "wickiups" and scratched a living as best they could. In 1928, the local Egan Land Company gave the Burns Paiute 10 acres of land just outside the city of Burns where twenty two-room homes, a small school and a community center were built by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. In 1935 the tribe was able to purchase 760 acres of land and in 1938 the Bureau of Indian Affairs built 27 two-bedroom homes on the new land. As Tribal members began moving into the homes on the new land, the original 10 acre parcel began to be referred to as the Old Camp. It wasn’t for another thirty-seven years before the Tribe received recognition. Finally, on October 13, 1972 the Burns Paiute were recognized as an independent Indian Tribe and the acres bought in 1935 plus the 10 original acres of land were established as the Burns Paiute Reservation. Today, the Casino sits on that original 10 acres of land and one of those original small houses still survives and sits adjacent to the Casino. The Old Camp Casino, it’s more than just a name.

Click Here to Learn More About the History of the Burns Paiute Tribe