Native women recognized at the National Congress of American Indians winter event
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ndian Gaming Association ( IGA ) Chairman Ernie Stevens Jr . and several IGA board members joined the 27th annual National Indian Women ’ s “ Supporting Each Other ” luncheon hosted in conjunction with the National Congress of American Indians ( NCAI ) Executive Council Winter Summit at the Capital Hilton on Wednesday , February 22 , 2023 .
Honorees included Marilynn Malerba , chief of the Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut and the first Native American to serve as U . S . Treasurer , and Shannon Holsey , president of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians , who also serves on the executive board as the treasurer of NCAI .
Chairman Stevens said , “ I always look forward to joining in on this recognition yearly . It sets the stage to recognize and celebrate the outstanding contribution of these honorees as our Indian Country Warriors , always ready to stand and defend tribal sovereignty and our people .
“ For over two decades , I have been honored to participate in this fantastic luncheon , where we have recognized and celebrated the leadership of many outstanding Native women leaders . It ’ s a natural place for me as I have grown up in this industry and worked side-byside with these amazing women .”
He added , “ Our women are our strength and our resilience and ensure our future . Without a doubt , Treasurer Malerba and President Holsey are two of the truest examples of the strength of leadership in Indian country . These great women leaders have been strong advocates for not only the tribal communities they represent but are the greatest example of leaders who have dedicated their lives to advancing all of Indian country .”
Minnesota Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan presented the luncheon keynote . Flanagan was recently elected to her second term and is the first Native American to be elected to that post in Minnesota . She served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2015 to 2019 .
The event was sponsored by the Indian Gaming Association , Tulalip Tribes , Indigenous Pact , Pechanga Tribe , National Indian Health Board , Seattle Indian Health Board , the Lummi tribe , the Jamestown S ’ Klallam Tribe , Emily ’ s List and AD PRO .
protect tribal assets .
Recently , NIGC investigations revealed two tribes did not have an internal audit function for their Class II gaming operations . Internal audits as well as independent financial reviews are often the most effective tools to ensure a tribe is fully aware of how its licensed gaming operates and makes decisions impacting the tribal community ’ s access to gaming resources . For that reason , Part 543 of the NIGC Minimum Internal Control Standards ( MICS ) requires internal auditor ( s ) perform gaming operations audits for each department ( at least annually ) to review compliance with tribal and operational internal controls and NIGC MICS .
The agency issued an LOC in both instances , requiring the tribes to submit a plan of action to establish an internal audit function within a given time . Both tribes submitted an appropriate and timely plan and were able to successfully address the concerns . As a result , the NIGC issued LOC Satisfaction Letters and did not recommend further enforcement action .
NIGC Resources Both the tribes in the example and similar past results demonstrate that the LOC approach works . As a fellow regulatory body in this process , NIGC provides tribes with the resources to keep compliant with IGRA and NIGC regulations . The agency maintains resources and processes in place to address compliance concerns that include offering tribes legal opinions and declination letters , management contract reviews , training materials , inperson and virtual technical assistance and training , site visits , required ordinance audits , Agreed Upon Procedures ( AUP ) audits and reviews , Internal Control Assessments ( ICA ) and EPHS assessments — all at no additional cost .
Since many tribes are well under way in their fiscal year operations , I encourage gaming leaders at all levels to take advantage of the tools and decades of regulatory expertise from a national perspective that NIGC has to offer . Again , by working proactively with NIGC , gaming tribes can quickly and efficiently resolve potential issues before they become major violations and help all of us protect the hard-fought reputation for integrity Indian gaming has earned over the past 35 years .
In 2021 , the NIGC launched the NIGC ’ s Report A Violation campaign so the NIGC could more easily receive any information about potential violations of federal law or regulations in the Indian gaming industry . You may access the tab by isiting www . NIGC . gov . E . Sequoyah Simermeyer is chairman of the National Indian Gaming Commission .
8 TRIBAL GOVERNMENT GAMING 2023