Airway Heights, WA (November 3, 2025) – November is Native American Heritage Month, and Northern Quest Resort & Casino welcomes you to join in the celebration! All month long, Northern Quest will be hosting meaningful celebrations with cultural events, performances, vendors, and more, inviting guests to immerse themselves in the rich traditions and stories of Native peoples and to experience the history and heritage that continue to shape our community.
“Native American Heritage Month is a time to honor both the resilience and the achievements of our people,” says Kalispel Tribal Council Member and Northern Quest Resort & Casino General Manager Nick Pierre. “Each year, this celebration continues to grow, and we’re excited welcome everyone to share in the traditions and culture that shape our community.”
Throughout Northern Quest, you’ll find performances, art, and cultural experiences featuring members of various tribes from across the United States and Canada. Kalispel culture will be featured in our restaurants, spa, and at the Windfall store, offering meaningful opportunities to reflect, learn, and celebrate these vibrant heritages.
Masselow’s Steakhouse, East Pan Asian Cuisine, Neon, Fatburger, and Qdoba will each feature special menu items inspired by the flavors of the Pacific Northwest, while La Rive Spa will offer the Kalispel Package, a restorative experience that honors traditional healing practices and the spirit of wellness.
For the second year, the Eastern Washington University football team will honor the Kalispel Tribe by wearing helmets featuring “uł pql̓qeyn” (oo-th p-kill-cane), the word for “Eagles” in Salish, the native language of the Kalispel Tribe, on their helmets during the November 1, 2025, game against Sacramento State University. The Salish National Anthem will be sung by Oakley Bluff, a 12-year-old Kalispel descendant and seventh-grade student at Cusick Junior/Senior High School, and Northern Quest Resort & Casino General Manager Nick Pierre will be presented with the game ball. Tickets can be purchased at goeags.com/tickets.
Northern Quest is hosting a variety of free and ticketed events throughout November, all of which are open to the public.Tickets and more details about the events listed below can be found on our website at www.northernquest.com/native-american-heritage-month.
- Heritage Dinner | A celebration of Indigenous flavors, featuring buffalo from the Kalispel Tribe’s herd in Cusick, WA. The menu also includes trout from our tribal hatchery, along with berries and roots gathered by members of our Cultural Department.
- Sat, Nov 1 | 6pm
- Kalispel Ballroom
- Tickets $88
- Tony Louie Live in Highball | Colville Tribal Member Tony Louie hits the Highball stage for an evening of live music.
- Sat, Nov 1 | 8–10pm
- Highball | 21+
- Free to Attend
- Cultural Dinner at Kalispel Casino | The Kalispel Casino chef Brian Viramontes has created this special three-course menu that blends Native cuisine and his own Mexican American heritage, including spices and ingredients from Tribes throughout the region.
- Wed, Nov 5 | 5pm
- Kalispel Casino, Cusick, WA
- Tickets $50
- Tribal Artisan & Vendor Fair | Shop unique and handcrafted goods from Native vendors.
- Nov 6–9 | 11am–7pm
- Northern Quest Resort & Casino
- Free to Attend
- es kʷtis xʷistm “Walk with Pride” Fashion Show | Native designers will showcase their unique styles on local models representing various tribes.
- Fri, Nov 7 | 7pm
- Pend Oreille Pavilion
- Tickets $25+
- Northern Quest Dance Championships | Experience the rhythm and beauty of tradition as champion dancers perform their Grass and Jingle styles in this lively competition.
- Sat, Nov 8 | 11:30am–4:30pm
- Pend Oreille Pavilion
- Free to Attend
- Native Jam | Join us for an incredible evening of live music with two-time Native Music Award winner Stella Standingbear and Vaughn Eagle Bear!
- Sat, Nov 8 | 8:30pm
- Pend Oreille Pavilion
- Tickets $31+
- DJ Sterling in Highball | Hit the dance floor with Fort Yuma Quechan Tribal Member DJ Sterling.
- Nov 8, 15 & 22 | 8pm
- Highball | 21+
- Free to Attend
- Native Movie Screenings at B&B Theatres
- Rez Ball | Sun, Nov 9 | 12:30pm
- Smoke Signals | Wed, Nov 12 | 6:30pm
- Paint and Celebrate | Create your own masterpiece with guidance from Native artist Annette Peone.
- Sat, Nov 15 | 4pm
- Highball | 21+
- Tickets $52
- Culture Class: Beading & Weaving | Learn how to make beaded earrings, a cedar basket necklace, and more!
- Sun, Nov 16 | 10am–4pm
- Kalispel Ballroom | Ages 16+
- Tickets $50
Visit Northern Quest to explore traditional Kalispel Tribal culture and learn more about the history of the Tribe. In the late 1800s, the Kalispels were in desperate need of protection and security. In 1887, the Kalispel Tribe was pressured by the United States government to move away from their homeland to another reservation in Montana. Chief Masselow (also referred to as Chief Masalaw or Massaslaw) remained steadfast in his refusal to leave the area, even though the Tribal population had dwindled from 1,600 Tribal members to approximately 100 in 1911. In 1914, the Tribe was granted its own reservation by executive order on their ancestral homeland in Usk, Wash., located 55 miles north of Spokane. In the last 135 years, the Kalispel Tribe has faced many challenges associated with life in remote rural areas – including unemployment, inadequate housing, substance abuse, limited economic opportunities, and prejudice. With most of the land on the small reservation unsuitable for development, the Tribe was forced to develop innovative ways to create opportunities for Tribal members.
One of those ideas was to purchase additional land away from the small reservation and build a casino where Tribal members could count on gainful employment. In 1996, the Tribe secured approximately 300 acres of land in Airway Heights, including 40 acres of Reservation Trust Land designated for gaming. Since the opening of Northern Quest Resort & Casino in 2000, Tribal health and social service programs have increased the quality and life expectancy for Tribal members and those who live in surrounding communities. Today the Kalispel Tribe has nearly 500 members. Approximately 35 percent of those members are under the age of 18. The smallest percentage of members are Tribal elders. The Tribe now maintains several successful businesses, provides more than 2,300 jobs, and has donated more than $25 million to regional and non-profit organizations in Spokane and Pend Oreille Counties.
Join us at Northern Quest this November and help celebrate Native American Heritage Month!