Tribal leaders and government officials are among the speakers line up for the Western Governors’ Association executive summit on Indian gaming later this month.

Colorado Gov. Bill Owens (R) and South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds (R) will co-host the summit, to take place March 29-30 in Denver. The meeting will focus on state-tribal relations, off-reservation gaming, new technologies and the growth of the $18.5 billion tribal casino industry.

“Much has changed since the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act was passed in 1988,” Owens said yesterday. “With a balanced group of interested parties at the summit, I’m confident that we can develop meaningful recommendations for improving the act.”

The list of speakers includes:
• Stuwart Paisano, Governor, Pueblo of Sandia
• Ernie Stevens, Chairman, National Indian Gaming Association
• Keller George, President, United Southern and Eastern Tribes
• Kurt Luger, Executive Director, Great Plains Indian Gaming Association
• Larry Long, Attorney General, South Dakota
• George Skibine, Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs
• Nelson Westrin, Vice Chairman, National Indian Gaming Commission

More information on the summit can be found at http://www.westgov.org/wga/meetings/gaming.htm.