During Wednesday’s Raving Next roundtable session “How We’re Protecting and Growing Our Tribal Enterprises,” Jamul Indian Village Chairwomen Erica Pinto recalled the conditions the San Diego tribe was in during the 1980s.
“I know it’s across the board in Indian Country, where you have the dirt floors, you don’t have electricity,” Pinto said. “And those were the motivators for the chair people, who have come before me, and the tribal council that has come before me, to always want to improve the lives of our people and our children.”
Pinto spoke at Raving Next’s Indian Gaming Strategic Operations & Leadership Conference at the Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, California.
The roundtable, moderated by Raving Next Leadership and Tribal Development Partner Rita Jefferson, explored the various ways tribes are trying to advance and protect their interests.
“We have to diversify and think, what are the best uses for our land,” Pinto said. “It’s healthcare to me, after gaming. We’re stopping the bleeding of poverty and being able to improve lives after that.”
James Siva, Morongo Band of Indians Vice Chairman, said that despite feasibility studies and mitigating factors, despite what numbers indicate, he’s found the best way to lead comes from instinct.
“We’ve elected to essentially lead with our heart and our gut,” said Siva, who also is chairman of the California Nations Indian Gaming Association. “You sometimes have to follow your heart even if the numbers aren’t there. We’ve seen that. We’ve had success with that. You’ve got to weigh those feasibility studies and master planning. I’ve tried to say it’s just a living document as it can change with examination, because it’s got to change with the way that society moves.”
Whatever decisions concerning tribal development are made, according to Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians Vice Chairwoman Geneva Mojado, are dependent on the needs of her tribe. A recent decision on the development of 128 acres of tribal land in San Jacinto, California, made that clear.
“We still actually have to go back to the general membership to say, hey, these are the types of things that we want to build on those 128 acres,” Mojado said. “We still got to go back to our general membership who have the ultimate say in everything that we do.”
But most importantly, transparency is essential. According to Jefferson, trust and transparency are necessary for good tribal governance and business operations, even though they are qualities often viewed separately.
“They really work hand-in-hand providing for the future needs of a tribal nation or a tribal band,” Jefferson said, adding that an important component of transparency is “clear roles and responsibilities, from tribal governance to tribal enterprises.”
Siva, in his role as chairman of the California Nations Indian Gaming Association, noted that the organization has been pursuing legislation against card rooms, which it considers to be illegal gaming. Noting that the card rooms violate tribal exclusivity and tribal sovereignty, Siva said the issue has not gained support from California legislators.
“When tribes say this is an issue, our local communities believe us because we’re great community partners,” Siva said. “We’re giving back all the time. We’re in gaming, not just for the revenue; we’re in gaming to be able to provide those essential services to our people that weren’t provided for them. If they’re not going to do what we need them to do, tribes are going to do it themselves.”
