{"id":25123,"date":"2022-06-13T12:27:48","date_gmt":"2022-06-13T16:27:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/News\/?p=25123"},"modified":"2022-06-13T12:33:14","modified_gmt":"2022-06-13T16:33:14","slug":"national-congress-of-american-indians-confirms-absence-of-highest-staffer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2022\/06\/13\/national-congress-of-american-indians-confirms-absence-of-highest-staffer\/","title":{"rendered":"National Congress of American Indians confirms ‘absence’ of highest staffer"},"content":{"rendered":" \"Dante<\/a>
Chief Executive Officer Dante Desiderio appears before a roundtable of the House Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth in Washington, D.C., on April 7, 2022. Photo: FairGrowthCmte<\/a><\/figcaption>\r\n
National Congress of American Indians confirms ‘absence’ of highest staffer<\/div>\r\n
Monday, June 13, 2022<\/div>\r\n
By Acee Agoyo<\/div>\r\n
Indianz.Com<\/div>\r\n

<\/P>\r\nThe National Congress of American Indians<\/a> confirmed the “absence” of its highest-ranking executive as tribal leaders meet for the organization’s first in-person meeting in more than two years.\r\n

<\/P>\r\nAccording a statement issued late in the evening<\/a> on Saturday, Dante Desiderio was placed on an “administrative leave of absence” from his role as Chief Executive Officer<\/a> of the largest inter-tribal advocacy organization in the United States. The decision was “effective yesterday,” which was the same day Indianz.Com reported on his sidelining ahead of NCAI’s mid-year meeting<\/a> in Alaska.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n \u201cWhile we acknowledge the timing of this leave is inopportune given that the NCAI Mid-Year Convention commences on Sunday, June 12, the Executive Committee, the governing body of NCAI, agrees that placing the CEO on a temporary administrative leave is necessary and proper to fulfill their fiduciary governance duties and to abide by NCAI’s policies and procedures,\u201d President Fawn Sharp<\/a> said in the statement.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nSharp, however, would not explain the nature of Desiderio’s absence. He joined NCAI as its highest-ranking executive<\/a> only about a year ago, raising fresh questions about the organization’s stability and standing.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n\u201cThank you in advance for understanding that we are not in a position to share more information regarding Desiderio\u2019s leave and for respecting his privacy,\u201d said Sharp, who also serves as vice president of the Quinault Nation<\/a>.\r\n

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Tribal leaders and advocates are raising fresh concerns about the National Congress of American Indians ahead of the organization\u2019s first in-person meeting in more than two years.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t

\n\t\t\"Indianz.Com\"\t\tIndianz.Com\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\r\n

<\/p>\r\nBut a tribal leader who has repeatedly campaigned for president of NCAI, including two runs against Sharp, said the organization has lost its way. In an opinion published on Indianz.Com<\/a> on Saturday, Chairman Harold Frazier<\/a> of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe<\/a>, called for a stronger defense of sovereignty and self-determination amid threats from outside entities, like the federal government and corporate interests.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n“NCAI has suffered drift,” said Frazier, who landed in Alaska on Saturday to take part in the Mid-Year Conference and Marketplace<\/a>, which is taking place all week at the Dena\u2019ina Civic and Convention Center<\/a> in Anchorage.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n“Programs are titled ‘Beyond Sovereignty,'” noted Frazier, who serves as NCAI’s Vice President for the Great Plains Region<\/a> and as President of the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen\u2019s Association<\/a>. The meeting in Alaska is being held under the theme “Thinking Beyond Self-Determination.”<\/a>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n“Our Native Nations are not beyond sovereignty,” Frazier asserted.\r\n

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Together, we must always fight for our Native Peoples, our Native lands.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t

\n\t\t\"Indianz.Com\"\t\tIndianz.Com\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\r\n

<\/P>\r\nIn the story published on Friday, Indianz.Com reported on growing dissatisfaction with Desiderio, who previously served 10 years as executive director of NAFOA<\/a>, another Indian Country advocacy organization. One complaint centers on the lack of Native people in prominent positions at NCAI, including general counsel and director of operations. \r\n

<\/p>\r\nDesiderio filled both positions with colleagues from his tenure at NAFOA, whose focus is on building tribal economies. According to NCAI’s staff page<\/a>, Max Muller serves as general counsel, the highest-ranking legal official at the organization, while Pamela Fagan works as director of operations. Both are non-Natives.\r\n

<\/P>\r\nAnother complaint revolves around Desiderio’s supposed failure to follow directives from the organization’s executive committee, which consists of tribal leaders from every part of Indian Country. One person close to the organization said he had promised to visit those regions, even as the COVID-19 pandemic<\/a> has limited in-person interactions.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nAnd while Desiderio has brought in associates from NAFOA, he has been unable to stem a seemingly high turnover rate among employees, an issue raised during NCAI\u2019s high-profile leadership crisis<\/a> not too long ago. Since his arrival as CEO, the organization has lost about 19 staffers, according to a person close to the situation, including four within the past month or so.\r\n

<\/P>\r\nA comparison of NCAI\u2019s staff page to a version from a year ago shows at least 15 changes in staff makeup since Desiderio\u2019s hiring.\r\n

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