"In June 2010, for the first time in two-and-a-half years, the National Indian Gaming Commission is functioning with a fully appointed commission. As the new commission, Vice Chairwoman Steffani Cochran, Associate Commissioner Dan Little and I are embarking on a journey that will not only challenge us, but tribal leaders as well.

Less than six months ago, my fellow commissioners and I identified and launched four major initiatives on which we will focus our time, energy and resources. This article addresses our first initiative, consultation and relationship building.

President Barack Obama has been clear about this administration’s commitment to regular and meaningful consultation with tribes. We are taking this directive seriously. We will always seek to improve how we consult, communicate and interact with tribes, no matter the challenges. As an agency that deals solely with tribal issues and is funded by tribal dollars, we are dedicated to improving every aspect of the agency so we can better serve tribes by fulfilling our statutory and regulatory obligations.

The commission will perform our statutory responsibilities through ACE: Assistance, Compliance and Enforcement, in that order. This means providing meaningful technical assistance and training, communicating with tribes early in the process if there is a potential compliance issue, and working with tribes to resolve compliance issues voluntarily so enforcement action is taken only when necessary. Respectful communication combined with technical assistance and training serves to ensure compliance with the law and the integrity of the tribal gaming operation.

A strong relationship between NIGC and tribal governments is critical. The commission is tasked with regulating a tribal gaming industry spanning 29 states and more than 200 tribes. In order to fully perform our responsibilities, we are dedicating significant resources to working with tribes to ensure the integrity of the industry. In addition to working with tribes, we will work with other regulatory bodies to promote the integrity of Indian gaming. One regulatory agency alone cannot do this. It must be a collective effort."

Get the Story:
Tracie L. Stevens: The new NIGC: Improving consultation with tribes and renewing relationships (Indian Country Today 1/7)