Babaamaajimowinan (Telling of news in different places)
A new distillery will soon begin making whiskey, vodka and gin on Chehalis tribal land in Western Washington. It’s the first legal, Native American-owned distillery to open on tribal land in the nation. The Chehalis Tribe’s effort to diversify its economy by joining the craft spirits boom had to first overcome a nearly two century old prohibition on liquor production in Indian Country.
The new Talking Cedar brew pub and distillery rises just a block away from an Interstate 5 off-ramp between Olympia and Chehalis. Chehalis Tribal Enterprises CEO David Burnett showed off rows of two-story tall, stainless steel tanks and gleaming copper stills.
“This is a very large facility,” Burnett noted during a recent tour, adding, “I don’t think this is going to end up being the second wave of casinos.”
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