Updates from the Chief Executive

October Message from the Chief Executive

Aaniin. Since taking office in July, my team and I have hit the ground running. We began by posting for the positions of Commissioner of Administration, Commissioner of Education, Gaming Regulatory Authority Board of Directors, and Cannabis Regulation Board. These efforts proved successful, as we received 12 applicants for Commissioner of Administration, six for Commissioner of Education, 11 for Gaming Regulatory Authority, and 19 for Cannabis Regulation.

I nominated Darcie Big Bear for Commissioner of Administration in late August, and the Band Assembly has unanimously confirmed her. Darcie is expected to begin serving in her new role sometime around late October. I have also submitted two names to Secretary-Treasurer Boyd for the Gaming Regulatory Authority, and he will ratify one of those two names for service on the board. My nominations for Commissioner of Education and Cannabis Regulation will soon be coming. I also recently posted for applicants to the Department of Athletic Regulation Board.

Early in my administration, I also established relationships and set expectations for Band Executive Officers. We conducted our first Cabinet meeting less than ten days into my administration, conducted our second in late August, and have our next meeting scheduled for late October. I have found these meetings to be very informative for myself and all Executive Officers. When we share what is most important to us within our various scopes of authority, we help others to imagine what can be improved within theirs. We also learn to add our efforts and abilities to those being presented by somebody else. This combined effort is creating stronger teamwork among us that ultimately benefits government operations and Band members.

I have taken this mindset with me into various meetings I have attended since being sworn in as Chief Executive. Internally within the Chief’s Office, we have established staff meetings and legal meetings held weekly to ensure that all business coming across my desk is properly vetted and reviewed. My staff and I have also attended several meetings of the Administration Policy Board with an eye toward what improvements we can make in the future.

External to the Band, I have not only attended meetings of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe Tribal Executive Committee (TEC), but also those of the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council (MIAC) and Minnesota Indian Gaming Association (MIGA). From each of these meetings, I have gained important insights about our tribe’s place both within the state and in Indian country. I am also looking forward to attending the National Congress of American Indians, which will take place in late October. Our presence at each of these meetings continues to be felt.

In late July, I attended the White House Council on Native American Affairs Critical Minerals Working Group in Denver, Colorado. At this working group, I spoke against the federal government giving tens of millions of dollars to a multinational mining company for the development of the Tamarack nickel mine. I was joined in this effort by Natural Resources Commissioner Kelly Applegate, who has been a leader on this issue through the Band’s “Water Over Nickel” campaign. I cannot thank Commissioner Applegate enough for his zealous and passionate advocacy in defense of our water, wild rice, fish, and other natural resources.

After attending the Critical Minerals Working Group, we made sure to follow up with written comments. Over the last two months, we have also provided written comments to (1) the U.S. Department of the Interior regarding proposed regulations to the PROGRESS Act; (2) the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management regarding their draft Cannabis Rules, and (3) the Minnesota Department of Human Services regarding state legislative priorities. I find it crucial that we provide our thoughts to various government agencies whenever we can to make sure that the needs of Band membership do not go unnoticed.

I was also happy to sign a letter in support of Patrice Kunesh as the next Chair of the National Indian Gaming Commission. A descendant of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Ms. Kunesh is a reliable advocate for Indian country. We need someone like her as the next Chair to make sure that our tribal gaming operations continue to be regulated fairly and thoughtfully. This is particularly true in light of the attacks made on our tribal gaming enterprises by Running Aces—which is a matter I have worked closely with our Solicitor General to defend against.

Most recently, I had the pleasure of traveling to Washington D.C. to attend a meeting of the Treasury Tribal Advisory Committee (TTAC). I was able to speak about the negative impacts felt by some of our Band members who were denied access to certain Social Security benefits on account of the General Welfare Exclusion (GWE) payments they received from the Band. I am happy to announce that, with the help of the Band Assembly, I have taken steps in the short term to address the issue and am working strategically with our federal lobbyists over the long term to develop a better solution. We will continue to push on this.

Regarding my relationship with the Band Assembly, I am confident it is in as good a place as I could have hoped for. During my second week in office, I sent a letter notifying them of what policy issues were important to me, and they responded in an overwhelmingly positive manner. The Band Assembly has not only approved the Biennium Budget for Fiscal Years 2024-25; they have also breathed life back into the Revolving Loan Fund Program for Band employees. I am grateful to the Band Assembly for all the work they are currently doing, as well as the work they will do in the future. It is their ability to dream that will ultimately move the Band forward to a brighter day.

As we pursue that brighter day together, I am looking forward to filling out my Cabinet and bringing more great workers on board. It is long past time that our government reach the next level in terms of services that we can provide to Band members. I am also looking forward to the State of the Band in January. I will certainly keep you up to date on what happens between now and then.

Miigwech.