Opinion | N. KATHRYN BRIGHAM Chair, Board of Trustees
In late April, the Northwest Native Economic Summit, co-hosted by the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI) and our own Nixyáawii Community Financial Services (NCFS), brought tribal leaders together at Ilani Casino in Ridgefield, Washington.
The summit provided an opportunity to learn from other ATNI tribes working to diversify their economies and assist tribal members in their ventures.
I was pleased to share that the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) now has a Workforce Development Department to help tribal members prepare for their futures.
Breakout sessions focused on various topics, including tourism, energy sovereignty, housing, land buy-back funding strategies, natural resources, philanthropy in Indian Country and holistic food systems.
During the energy breakout session, participants discussed how energy development is repeating history by moving forward with little regard for tribal and environmental impacts. Tribes continue working to restore and protect the environment for salmon, big game and future generations. Too often energy projects focus only on the economy and jobs while overlooking the environment we all depend on.
At an Indigenous journalism panel, participants suggested developing a strategy to help people better understand that everyone benefits when tribes work to protect treaty rights. The environment does not recognize boundaries, so protecting natural resources benefits all communities, not just tribes.
Also in April, the CTUIR Board of Trustees (BOT) approved a strategic trip to Washington, D.C., to seek congressional support and assistance in protecting our 1855 Treaty. We are all concerned about “prediction markets” because they may unlawfully affect tribal sovereignty, tribal services and our communities.
Prediction markets are platforms where people place bets on the outcome of future events such as elections, sports, economic trends or world events. People buy and sell predictions based on what they believe will happen. The going price reflects how likely participants think an outcome is.
Supporters say prediction markets can help forecast events, but concerns remain about gambling, lack of regulation, insider information and impacts on tribal sovereignty and gaming rights. As these markets continue to expand into many areas, tribes, states and federal agencies are closely watching ongoing court cases and regulatory decisions that may affect tribal governments, communities and existing gaming laws.
CTUIR and other tribes have reminded federal agencies of their trust responsibilities to uphold tribal sovereignty, protect federal Indian law and respect federal, state and tribal gaming laws.
We were also honored to see the original 1855 Treaty again. It was meaningful for our team to view the treaty together and take pictures.
The United States was once entirely Indian Country. Today, 14 states no longer have tribal reservations, but 575 federally recognized tribes remain through ratified treaties, executive orders or legislation recognizing and restoring tribes as sovereign nations with governmental responsibilities similar to the federal government.
The CTUIR government continues working alongside its staff to protect the 1855 Treaty for future generations. Our ancestors thought and fought for us. Now it is our time to plan and fight for future generations.
Finally, congratulations to all our graduates. I know the journey was tough at times, but now you are opening the next door to your future. If you have questions or want to connect, please reach out to me at katbrigham@ctuir.org or 541-975-4877. Thank you for staying engaged and supporting our shared future.
