Updates from the Chief Executive

October Message from the Chief Executive

To all my relatives, autumn has arrived! Fall is a magnificent time for the Anishinaabeg — a season of harvest, reflection, and community gatherings. I am pleased to share that on September 9, I signed Act 41-26, enacting the Band's FY 2026-2027 biennial budget. Passing and signing a comprehensive two-year budget is a massive milestone for our government, ensuring financial stability, operational continuity, and essential funding across all Executive Branch departments and community programs.

Within this fiscal framework, we are also moving forward with our historic commitment to raise the minimum wage for Band member government employees to $20 per hour. While signing the budget is a major victory, I want to acknowledge that significant work remains ahead. The Band’s Administration Department and Office of Management and Budget will have to work diligently behind the scenes to update compensation structures, align payroll systems, and ensure a seamless, equitable implementation for all eligible employees across our tribal government.

Mid-September took me to Washington, D.C. for a week of intensive advocacy on behalf of the Band and Indian Country. My trip began on September 14 with a closed-door roundtable hosted by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), followed by the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) Tribal Impact Days from September 15 through 17. These national gatherings provided vital platforms to elevate our sovereign interests directly before federal regulators, administration officials, and congressional lawmakers.

During the CFIC Roundtable, I participated in my role as President of the Midwest Alliance of Sovereign Tribes (MAST), joining leaders from NCAl, the Indian Gaming Association (IGA), and regional tribal groups from across the nation. The focus of the meeting was the CFIC's proposed rulemaking on prediction markets and event contracts — specifically, attempts by commercial entities to offer financial derivatives tied to political elections and sports outcomes. Alongside fellow tribal leaders, I strongly urged CFTC Chairman Michael Selig and senior agency officials to recognize these products for what they truly are: sports gambling and commercial gaming that bypass state and tribal regulatory frameworks.

Allowing financial platforms to trade on gaming contracts creates an unregulated federal loophole that directly threatens tribal gaming revenues and erodes the compact-based foundation established by the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) of 1988. Tribal leaders made it explicitly clear to Chairman Selig that a brief, private roundtable with tribal organizations cannot — and does not — substitute for formal, government-to-government consultation with individual tribal nations. We called on the CFIC to pause rulemaking until full, meaningful consultation occurs with sovereign tribes.

On September 17, while in the nation's capital, I participated in a formal consultation with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) regarding the impending closure of the National Archives facility in Chicago. As MAST President, I previously sent a letter of concern to NARA emphasizing that the Chicago facility serves as the principal archival repository for 37 Tribal Nations across Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and lowa. During our consultation, NARA Chief of Operations Jay Trainer explained that the closure is driven by necessary building repairs and a multi-year effort to consolidate records into modern facilities in Kansas City over the next two to three years.

Crucially, Mr. Trainer assured us that no tribal records have been moved yet, and that relocation will not begin until after NARA conducts four online Tribal listening sessions. The Mille Lacs Band delegation pressed NARA on the urgent need to prioritize the digitization of tribal records so our historians and members maintain uninterrupted access to our sovereign documentation. As a deeply moving highlight of this meeting, NARA staff allowed our delegation to examine the original 1837 and 1855 Ojibwe Treaties-the very sacred instruments that secure our hunting, fishing, and gathering rights to this day. What a privilege it was!

While walking the halls of Congress during Tribal Impact Days, I also held productive meetings with U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, U.S. Senator Tina Smith, Representative Kelly Morrison, and officials from the U.S. Department of the Interior. Our discussions were varied, including the topics of prediction markets, clean water, the Bands Water Over Nickel campaign, Al data centers, and the Tribal List Act. All in all, it was a very productive week in Washington.

Looking ahead to October, our schedule is packed with meaningful community gatherings and inter-tribal leadership meetings. On October 1, I warmly invite all our Elders to join us for our Chief Executive Elder Meeting starting at 10 a.m. at the Grand Casino Mille Lacs Events Center, where we will share updates and enjoy a meal together. Later in the month, from October 26 to 27, we will gather at the Grand Casino Mille Lacs Convention Center for the Gichi-aya'aag Maawanji iding (Elders Coming Together) Conference, featuring cultural learning, community sharing, and entertainment. Additionally, my Cabinet will convene for our monthly meeting on October 16, and I will travel to Bois Forte on October 28 and 29 for the next quarterly meeting of the MCT Tribal Executive Committee (TEC).

A major highlight of October will be the Midwest Alliance of Sovereign Tribes (MAST) Fall Meeting, taking place October 8 and 9 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, hosted by the Forest County Potawatomi Tribe at the Potawatomi Casino Hotel. As MAST President, I am proud of the robust agenda we have assembled for our member nations. The meeting will feature a Tribal Leaders Roundtable and keynote presentations from federal officials, including U.S. Congresswoman Gwen Moore, Indian Health Service (HS) Director Mark Cruz, and leaders from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Attorney Lenny Fineday will present on proposed Section 106 federal policy changes, while NCAl Midwest Vice President Jameson Wilson and Stockbridge-Munsee President Shannon Holsey will lead a panel on the NARA Chicago facility closure. We will also focus on non-partisan "Unify Get Out The Vote initiatives ahead of the autumn elections, review regional tribal resolutions, and elect a new MAST Treasurer. As you can see, there's a lot of work to be done!

Migwech for the trust and privilege of serving as your Chief Executive. Onward, MLB.