NIGA Honors Native Women Leadership

The National Indian Gaming Association hosted their Mid-Year Conference at the Buffalo Thunder Resort and Casino on Sept. 15-16, 2009. The conference highlighted the accomplishments of Indian leaders dedicated to the advocacy of Indian sovereignty.

On Sept. 15, the Sovereignty Awards Banquet spotlighted two women leaders, both of whom are champions of Tribal sovereignty. Rosemary Morillo, Vice Chairwoman of the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians received the coveted John Keiffer Spirit of Sovereignty Award, while NIGA’s Lifetime Achievement Award went to A. Gay Kingman-Wapato, of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe.” National Tribal leadership selected these outstanding recipients.

NIGA Chairman Ernie Stevens Jr. praised the leadership of both women for their powerful dedication as protectors of Indian country. “We have a lot of great leaders throughout Indian Country,” Stevens said. “Rosemary and Gay are two of the best.”

“Rosemary has a long list of working accomplishments locally, regionally and nationally. I feel her most treasured accomplishments are in her own community. She wholeheartedly embraces her role in leadership, holding family, youth, and culture near and dear to her heart in every aspect.” Chairman Stevens said.

Upon receiving the John Keiffer Spirit of Sovereignty Award, Rosemary Morillo said, “I always take a lot of pride in helping my people, and that is what it is all about. I come from a long line of leadership in my family, so I grew up knowing that helping my community was important, in order to make change.” She added, “To be able to accept an award like this is very humbling and I am honored by it.”

Morillo made reference to the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians Settlement Act of 2007, which ended a 75-year-old lawsuit over water rights in southern California. “We never gave up,” Morillo said. Her dedication, along with the leadership in Soboba helped secure $29 million for the tribe and up to 2 billion gallons of water a year, ensuring the future water supply of the 6000-acre reservation.

The John Kieffer Spirit of Sovereignty award is named in the honor of John Kieffer, a member of the Spokane Tribe. He was a selfless and dedicated member of the NIGA Executive Committee from 1993 until his untimely death in 1999. Keiffer was instrumental in the development of the modern NIGA structure and dedicated himself to the protection of Indian sovereign rights. In his memory NIGA chooses honorees dedicated to the organization’s mission and purpose.

A. Gay Kingman-Wapato was honored with the NIGA Lifetime Achievement Award. Kingman-Wapato is no stranger to Capital hill, where she fought numerous battles for Indian Country alongside her late husband, Tim Wapato, who passed on earlier this year. Chairman Stevens told the crowd, “Gay’s continued resiliency to fight to protect Indian sovereignty is an inspiration to all in Indian country.”

“I am just a poor girl from the reservation.” Explaining that this was a common quote of her late husband Tim Wapato, as she accepted her award. Kingman-Wapato continued, “I have been blessed by opportunities that have come my way all throughout my life. The main lesson I learned is you have to just to keep moving on behalf of tribal sovereignty, because what we do today will impact the future of Indian country.”

Kingman-Wapato spoke of the NIGA beginnings. “There is something special to say about NIGA, it was born out of nothing, and it is where it is today because of those that have gone on like my husband Tim Wapato and John Kieffer.” She continued, “I am glad that Chairman Stevens, Mark Van Norman and the NIGA Executive board have continued to work hard and take NIGA upwards and foreword to one of the most powerful Indian organizations.”

Upon closing, Kingman-Wapato presented NIGA a check to create a NIGA scholarship fund in the memory of her late husband to be established for Native American students interested in pursuing a degree in Criminal Justice or Business.

Before Lumbee entertainer Jana Mashonee took stage, Chairman Stevens shared a closing message of unity and strength. “Honoring these strong beautiful women is a special moment and we can all feel the power of their energy. They truly exemplify the reason we have been successful in leveraging our presence in Washington, D.C. and all throughout Indian country and I am confident that we can continue to count on their strength and experiences as we move forward.” Stevens concluded, “There is still a lot to accomplish and we cannot afford to rest. I know together we can successfully move the Indian country agenda forward.”

NIGA Mid Year 2009

The 2009 National Indian Gaming Association Mid- Year Conference at the Buffalo Thunder Resort and Casino was held on Sept. 15-16. The conference brought together tribal leaders and leaders in the Indian gaming industry.

Over 250 people were in attendance from across the country, representing over 60 tribes. They attended training seminars on issues affecting Indian gaming and enjoyed networking opportunities with gaming industry experts and tribal leaders.

Hosting the conference was the Pojoaque Pueblo’s shining achievement of gaming, the Buffalo Thunder Resort and Casino. Pojoaque Pueblo Governor George Rivera said the tribe was honored not only to host the mid-year conference, but also to unveil the monumental achievement of the resort, which was initiated back in the early 1990s.

“This development was the result of many struggles,” Rivera said. “This property was dreamed about in the early 90s and completed one year ago, just to give you an idea of the challenges the tribes faced.” To realize gaming in Pojoaque took the combined efforts of tribal leadership, supporters in state legislature, friends, lobbyists and lawyers, he said. The orchestration of NIGA throughout the process was instrumental, he added. Getting the resort built was only half the battle, however.

“It’s really important that now we have made big strides in gaming that we remember what it took to get there and not get relaxed,” Rivera said. “It’s important that you are all here to meet and talk and continue with the vision that’s been developed.”

NIGA Chairman Ernie Stevens, Jr. agreed with Rivera and said the purpose of the mid-year conference was for solidarity and reaffirmation of the fight for Indian sovereignty. While Indian prominence in Washington, D.C. has been revealed through the years and we continue to reenergize our visibility to keep the Indian voice prominent in the Nation’s Capitol. “Thank you to all the leaders here. You are the leadership that is taking us where we need to be in Washington, D.C.” Stevens said.

He said with the nation in the grips of the economic recession, Indian Country is actually doing moderately well. “While some tribes are doing well, there are many that continue to feel the strife of economic disparities, together, we continue to analyze the Indian economy and work towards a strong economic force.”

Stevens continued, “This is not a new recession for us. This has been synonymous in Indian country and something we’ve dealt with for centuries,” Stevens said. “America, welcome to our world.”

Despite the economic climate, Indian gaming has been creating new jobs, not only for Indians, but non-natives as well. In that aspect, gaming has been stimulating the American economy with viable jobs in addition to the taxes states and the federal government receives through Indian gaming.

Chairman Stevens continued, “We all know the state of the economy is a real issue but tribal government gaming is a great part of the reason we continue to see enhancements in many communities throughout Indian country.”

“While we see great hope for Indian country with the new administration in Washington, D.C., we have to keep working at it. We have to continue to do our part, not only at home, but also for all the Brother and Sister tribes who need us the most. We must continue to work diligently together.“

National Congress of American Indians President Joe Garcia agreed with Stevens and recalled the struggles of the New Mexico Pueblos to bring Indian gaming into fruition on their Pueblo lands.

Garcia said the Pueblos stood their ground on the basis of Indian sovereignty and noted the federal agents never did shut down their operations. That example of asserting Indian sovereignty should be a model for tribes today, he said.

“Indian gaming has been a blessing for us and we’ve really benefited from these efforts. It all came from sacrifices, it didn’t just happen,” Garcia said. “All of the gaming facilities that exist throughout Indian Country say something about what we’ve accomplished.”

NIGA Executive Director Mark Van Norman said the network of tribes working together has been the best protection for Indian sovereignty. The vigilance must continue, along with education, he said.

“If we let them, our opponents would do their best to misinterpret Indian Country,” Van Norman said. “We have our many supporters out there and it is our job to educate them so they continue to support us.

The message of the 2009 NIGA Mid-Year Conference was loud and clear: Indian sovereignty must be protected through unity. Sovereignty was the basis for the survival of Indian nations and will be the source of strength for generations to come.

Stevens said, “No matter where you go in Indian Country, it’s about building communities and providing vital services for our people, whether it is schools, hospitals, police and fire services, these are all resources that are imperative to the health and welfare of our communities. I call upon the leadership out there to join with the National Indian Gaming Association and the National Congress of American Indians.

“Let’s work together, because we are not just building our tribes and communities. We’re not just rebuilding Indian Country, but we are lending a hand in rebuilding America.”

NIGA Sponsors NCAIED Native American 40 Under 40

The National Indian Gaming Association partnered with the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development (NCAIED) in presenting the Native American 40 Under 40 at the Indians in Progress (INPRO) event in at the Crowne Plaza in Tulsa, Oklahoma on September 18, 2009.

NIGA Chairman Ernie Stevens, Jr., said, “It was a tremendous honor to be part of recognizing these individuals. They are today’s leaders, preparing for tomorrow. It was outstanding to see the tremendous wealth of knowledge, determination and leadership in each of these bright, young Native Americans.”

NIGA sponsored the evening reception that recognized the 40 Native American’s chosen.

James Anderson	Choctaw/Ojibwe	Education Director, Life Skills Development Center	Minneapolis, MN
Donna Bach	Yupik Eskimo	PR Director, Yukon-Kushokwin Health Corp.	Berthel, AK
Cyrus Ben	Miss. Band of Choctaw	CEO, Choctaw Office Supplies	Choctaw, MS
Brian Busey	Cherokee	VP of HR & Operations, Deleware Resource Group	Oklahoma City, OK
Phillip Busey	Cherokee	VP of Communications, Busey Group of Companies	Oklahoma City, OK
Vernelle Chase	Gros-Ventre	Tribal Liaison, The Flintco Co., Inc.	Tulsa, OK
Jason Coochwytewa	Isleta Pueblo/Hopi	President/Owner, Red Note, Inc.	Tempe, AZ
Craig Cooke	St. Regis Mohawk	CEO, Rhythm Interactive, Inc.	Irvine, CA
Cara Cowan-Watts	Cherokee	Council Person, Cherokee Nation	Claremore, OK
Carmen Davis	Makah/Chippewa-Cree/ Yakama	VP, Litefoot Enterprises, LLC	Seattle, WA
Wayne Don	Cupik	Chairman, NIMA Corporation	Anchorage, AK
Tiffany Ellis	Muscogee (Creek)	PR Manager, River Spirit Casino	Tulsa, OK
Douglas Fifer	CIRI	Owner, Wine Styles, Cook Intel, Inc.	Anchorage, AK
Gabriel Galanda	Round Valley Indian Tribe	Member, Williams-Kastner	Seattle, WA
Jason Giles	Muscogee (Creek)	Deputy Director/Legal Counsel, NIGA	Washington, DC
Veronica Hix	Cherokee	Entrepreneur Dev. Dir., The Cherokee Nation	Tahlequah, OK
Zackeree Kelin	Caddo Nation	Managing Attorney, DNA People’s Legal Service	Window Rock, AZ
Adam Kennedy	Seneca	General Manager, Kennedy Wendel	Amherst, NY
Sarah Lukin	Native Village of Afognak	Executive Dir., Native American Contractor’s Assoc.	Washington, DC
Ann Marie Machamer	Costal Band of Chumash	Dir. of Instutional Research, Los Posita College	San Ramone, CA
Jeremy Marshall	Cherokee Nation	Student Program Asst., Univ. of Wisconsin	Madison, WI
Jessica Moore	Osage/Ote/Pawnee/Sac & Fox	Student/Intern, Oklahoma State Univ.	Fairfax, OK
Sahar Nouri, MD	Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa	Physican of OB/GYN, Indian Health Service	Ft. Defiance, AZ
Stuart Paisano	Sandia Pueblo	Council Member, Pueblo of Sandia	Bernalillo, NM
Kerry Patterson	Seneca	Associate, Fennemore Craig, P.C.	Phoenix, AZ
Nikishna Polequaptewa	Hopi	Dir. of Amer Indian Resource, Univ. of Calif. Irvine	Irvine, CA
Clara Pratte	Navajo	Dir Office of Native Am. Affairs, Small Business Admin.	Washington, DC
Chris Province	Cherokee	Shift Manager, Cherokee Will Rogers Downs	Claremore, OK
Cherrah Quiett	Muscogee (Creek)/Cherokee	Councilwoman, Muscogee (Creek) Nation Council	Tulsa, OK
Deborah Reed	Cherokee	Legal Asst., Cherokee Nation Business, LLC	Catossa, OK
James Robinson	Miss. Band of Choctaw	President, Choctaw Ikhana Laboratory Services, Inc.	Choctaw, MS
Danelle Smith	Winnebago Tribe	Partner, Fredricks, Peebles & Morgan	Winnebago, NE
Brandon Yellowbird Stevens	Oneida Nation of Wisconsin	Councilman, Oneida Nation of Wisconsin	Oneida, WI
Richard Tall Bear	Sisseton Sioux	Owner & President, The Tall Bear Group	Los Angeles, CA
Kimberly Teehee	Cherokee	Senior Advisor, NA Affairs, The Whitehouse Domestic Policy	Washington, DC
Christina Theodorou	Lumbee of NC	Program Mgr., NC Indian Econ. Development	Raleigh, NC
Stacey Thunder	Red Lake Band of Chippewa	General Counsel, Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians	Red Lake, MN
Gina Timberman	Choctaw	Executive Director, NA Cultural & Education Authority	Oklahoma City, OK
April Whittemore Locklear	Lumbee	Clinical Counselor, Robinson Health Care Corp.	Fairmont, NC
Robin Williams	Kiowa/Apache	Sr. Academic Counselor, OK State Univeristy	Stillwater, OK

NIGA Climate Change Committee To Address Environmental Concerns

The National Indian Gaming Association has established a Climate Change Committee to address how the Indian Gaming industry can reduce the carbon footprint to ameliorate the effects of climate change and global warming.

Indian gaming is an energy intensive industry, yet we are also a young industry in the sense that we have many new, modern facilities. Indian tribes have been using best practices for energy efficiency, conservation renewable energy and green energy at Indian gaming facilities. Indian tribes are pursuing energy efficiency, green energy generation and co-generation in efforts to minimize the direct negative effects of high energy consumption. NIGA wants to showcase and highlights the good work of our member tribes.

The Mission of the Climate Change Committee is:

1. acting on the opportunity for gaming operations to model ecofriendly design and non-carbon based energy use features to address climate change impacts on Indian Country,

2. promoting and encouraging climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies; and

3. going green and beyond “green” in keeping with our traditions and cultural values.

In furtherance of that mission the Climate Change Committee plans to conduct a green casino case study focused on energy efficiency; participate and facilitate a national summit on climate change; and develop workshops on opportunities for green energy, energy conservation, energy audits and renewable energy audits in the Indian gaming industry.

NIGA has selected the following co-chairs of the climate change committee: Roger Fragua, Honorable Fawn Sharp, Dr. DanielWildcat, and Mervyn L. Tano. Working in tandem as sustainability directors of NIGA, the team will supervise the climate change committee in the design, implementation and maintenance of sustainability efforts.

Fragua is a member of the Jemez Pueblo and currently President and CEO of Cota Holdings, LLC. He previously served as Deputy Director of the Center of Energy Resource Tribes in Denver, Colo. Fragua had a hand in the enactment of the Indian Tribal Energy Development and Self Determination Act of 2006.

Sharp is the current President of the Quinault Indian Nation in Toholah, Wash. She previously served as managing attorney and lead counsel for her tribe, as well as administrative law judge for the State of Washington Dept. of Revenue and the Quinault Tribal Court Associate Judge. She is the first female president for the Quinault Indian Nation.

Dr. Daniel Wildcat is a professor at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kan. He is co-director of the Haskell Environmental Research Studies Center, which he founded with colleagues from the Center for Hazardous Substance Research at Kansas State University. A Yuch member of the Muskogee Nation of Oklahoma, Wildcat is renown for environmental commitment and is an accomplished scholar with works on Indigenous knowledge, technology, environment and education.

Mervyn L. Tano is President of the International Institute for Indigenous Resource Management and an attorney. He helped the Umatilla Nation establish a comprehensive water quality management system, he helped the Nez Perce Nation establish tribal environmental restoration and waste management department to oversee Dept. of Energy facilities at Hanford and advised the Oglala Sioux on waste management issues. Tano also wrote numerous papers, articles and manuals on risk, environmental justice, environmental restoration, technology development, environmental law, radioactive waste management and tribal strategies for NEPA responses.

NIGA is happy to announce the appointment of these well-qualified professionals to the climate change committee and we are confident they will assist us in finding solutions and mitigation tactics to combat the effects of climate change and global warming.

NIGA will continue to advance the lives of Indian Peoples economically, socially and politically. We continue to stand in protection of Indian sovereignty and self determination in these United States of America.

Barbara Keyser-Collier Receives Bruce Longhorn Leadership Award

National Indian Gaming Association Chairman Ernie Stevens, Jr., presented the Bruce Longhorn Leadership in Regulation Award to Barbara Keyser-Collier at the 2009 National Indian Gaming Commission/Regulators Conference, held at the Cherokee Hard Rock Resort in Tulsa, Oklahoma on September 30, 2009.

“Chairman Stevens told the crowd, “Barbara represents the best of what Tribal gaming regulators do: dedication, professionalism, and integrity. As an independent arm of the Indian gaming industry, those who hold the responsibility of regulation are a great part of the reason we have been the gaming industry that has succeeded, accountable and untarnished.”

The Award is named after Bruce Longhorn, a member of the Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma known for his honesty, integrity, fairness and willingness to help others. The award is given each year by NIGA to a person that exhibits these attributes.

Barbara Kyser-Collier is the Executive Director of the Quapaw Tribal Gaming Agency and is serving her third term as Secretary for the National Tribal Gaming Commissioners/Regulators. Barbara, also serves as the Chairperson of the Oklahoma Tribal Gaming Regulators Association, the regulator’s organization she was instrumental in forming.

Stevens also said, “Through her commitment to see success, not only in her community at Quapaw, but for all of Oklahoma and throughout Indian country, Barbara has stepped up used her tremendous talents to help move the responsibilities of regulation forward.”

Loretta Tuell Becomes The First American Indian Woman To Receive Legal Achievement Award

Loretta A. Tuell, a member of the Nez Perce and founding partner at AndersonTuell LLP, in Washington D.C., was one of five women to receive one of the highest honors in the legal profession. Tuell received the 2009 Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award from the American Bar Association’s Commission on Women in the Profession. Tuell is the first American Indian woman in the history of the award to receive the honor.

Tuell grew up on the Nez Perce reservation in Lapwai, Idaho, and attended the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Law. Upon graduation, she began practicing federal Indian law. Tuell has since served as counsel to Senator Daniel Inouye on the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, been appointed special assistant and counselor to the assistant secretary-Indian Affairs in the U.S. Department of the Interior, and was later appointed by President Clinton as the director of the Office of American Indian Trust. After witnessing how tribal gaming brought substantial benefits to Indian Country, Tuell understood her next calling to be in the private sector and joined the Indian law firm, Monteau & Peebles, LLP, in 2000. She then became the firm’s first American Indian woman partner one year later. In 2007, Tuell co-founded AndersonTuell, LLP, which is one of the first law firms in Washington D.C., with an American Indian woman as partner and is one-hundred percent Indian-owned.

The American Bar Association recognized Tuell and the other honorees at an awards luncheon held on August 2, 2009, in Chicago, IL. The other 2009 honorees were Linda L. Addison, co-founder of The Center for Women in Law at the University of Texas; Helaine M. Barnett, president of Legal Services Corporation, the Honorable Arnette R. Hubbard, a judge for the Circuit Court of Cook County; and the Honorable Vanessa Ruiz, the first Hispanic woman to serve on the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.

Honorees of the award are recognized for having achieved professional excellence in their field and for their influence on other woman to pursue legal careers, opening doors for women lawyers, and advancing opportunities for women within a practice area or segment of the profession. The award was named in honor of Margaret Brent, the first woman lawyer in America who arrived in the colonies in 1638.

NIGA Chairman Ernie Stevens Jr., on behalf of the National Indian Gaming Association, would like to congratulate Loretta on being recognized for her professional accomplishments and express our gratitude for her service and dedication to Indian country.