DEPARTMENT OF ATHLETIC REGULATIONS: MORE THAN FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS
May 29, 2026
Behind the bright lights and televised boxing events, the Mille Lacs Band DAR is building opportunity, leadership, and a lasting legacy for future generations.
By Vivian LaMoore, Inaajimowin Editor
Long before televised boxing matches and nationally recognized fight cards helped put Grand Casino Hinckley on the map within the combat sports world, the Mille Lacs Band had a vision.
In 2007, under the direction of current District Ill Representative, Harry Davis, the Mille Lacs Band established one of the first tribal athletic commissions in the United States — and the first in Minnesota.
To help build the program, Davis traveled to Connecticut to learn from the Mohegan Tribe, which operated one of the Nation's earliest and most respected tribal athletic commissions.
The legislation was eventually brought back to Mille Lacs and enacted, laying the groundwork for what would become the Mille Lacs Band Department of Athletic Regulation (DAR). Today, nearly two decades later, the program has grown into a nationally respected operation that oversees professional combat sports events while also creating opportunities for Band members, strengthening tribal sovereignty, and helping develop the next generation of Indigenous athletic officials and leaders.
"We have been very fortunate at Mille Lacs Band and very successful," said DAR Executive Director Matt Roberson. "I love it here."
Roberson, a citizen of the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes, is now in his 11th year with the Mille Lacs Band DAR and serves as the departments third executive director. In addition to his work with Mille Lacs, Roberson is also serving his second term as an elected tribal council member for the Wichita Tribe in Oklahoma.
The DAR is responsible for the oversight and regulation of professional athletic events held on Mille Lacs Band lands and throughout the region, specializing in combative sports including boxing, mixed martial arts, kickboxing, and Muay Thai. The department oversees everything from hiring doctors and officials to training inspectors and ensuring events meet unified safety standards.
"Our job is to make sure everything is organized through unified rules," Roberson said. "At the end of the day, we are here to protect the fighters, the general welfare of the public, and the reputation of the casino and the Band."
That responsibility has helped elevate Mille Lacs into one of the most respected names in tribal athletic regulation. "In the boxing community, Mille Lacs is known as the boxing capital of the Midwest," Roberson said. "We have had world champions move on from Mille Lacs. We have had televised fights here on ESPN, CBS Sports, and more."
Roberson said the recognition traces directly back to Davis' original vision. "No doubt about it, if it wasn't for Harry, we wouldn't be in this position," he said.
Today, the department regulates approximately 15 to 16 events each year throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin, lowa, and North Dakota with the help of a staff that includes nearly 20 athletic inspectors — all Band members.
While the lights, cameras, and nationally televised events are exciting, Roberson said the work behind the scenes is what truly matters.
"We want to make sure we get the best doctors and have two ambulances here at all times," he said. "Our requirements are championship-level requirements. We want these fighters ready for the next level, but we also want to make sure we are doing this in the safest way possible."
That commitment to professionalism and safety has earned recognition far beyond the reservation.
"We are at the forefront of the new era of tribal sovereignty. We have been able to serve as a model for how tribal nations can lead in highly specialized industries. And we do that by combining sovereignty, safety, and innovation to shape the future of athletic sports regulation across Indian Country," Roberson said
In 2017, the Mille Lacs Band DAR was recognized as Organization of the Year by the Minnesota Boxing Hall of Fame. Roberson himself was named to a "40 Under 40" list in 2016 and was later inducted into the North American Indigenous Athletic Hall of Fame in 2023 for his work with the Mille Lacs Band.
Still, Roberson said those accomplishments belong to the entire team. "We have an amazing staff," he said. "Most of them have been here since before my time."
He pointed to leaders including Wally St. John, Briana Matrious, Ell Staples, and many others who have helped strengthen the department over the years.
"We really couldn't ask for a better situation to be able to do what we do," Roberson said
That success, he added, has come not only from athletic events themselves, but from the investment the Mille Lacs Band has made into facilities, training, and people.
"The cool thing is, the work that we are doing today — you see it in these kids coming up," he said. "It is not going to end. It is just going to keep going up. It will continue for generations."
One of the departments biggest priorities has been developing Native representation within athletic regulation itself.
While Native athletes have long competed in combat sports, Roberson said there has historically been far less Indigenous representation among judges, referees, inspectors, and commissioners.
"So we made an effort to start training and developing our own talent," he said. "That has been key." That effort has helped create opportunities for Band members to rise through the organization and establish careers within athletic regulation.
Roberson pointed to Eli Staples, who began as an athletic inspector before advancing through judge training and eventually becoming chair of the commission. He also highlighted Ezra Sam, who transitioned from competing in mixed martial arts to becoming a judge and referee working events throughout multiple states.
"These are people dedicating their lives to combative sports," Roberson said.
The Mille Lacs Band DAR has also worked to share its knowledge with other tribal nations throughout the region. The department has regulated events for tribes across Minnesota and hosted an Indigenous Athletic Commission Summit focused on training, safety, and athletic regulation.
"We pass on our institutional knowledge," Roberson said. "We are proud to work together with other tribes to strengthen combative sports."
That collaborative spirit, he said, is rooted in a broader philosophy the department refers to as community-based athletic regulation - the belief that the work being done inside the ring should ultimately create positive impacts outside of it as well.
"We believe everything we do within our organization has a greater impact on the community," Roberson said.
That impact has extended beyond athletics alone. Roberson noted that major fight events at Grand Casino Hinckley often bring increased tourism, entertainment, and economic activity to the area while also creating opportunities to showcase the Mille Lacs Band on a national stage.
Another professional event potentially involving televised coverage is currently under consideration for later this summer at Grand Casino Hinckley pending approvals.
"We have been very fortunate," Roberson said. "We have had a lot of support from elected leadership and a lot of great experiences."
Even through changes in leadership over the years, Roberson said support for the department has remained consistent.
"We have such a tight-knit group," he said. "Everybody looks out for each other."
For Roberson, some of the department's proudest moments include nationally televised events broadcast from Hinckley, including ESPN and CBS Sports productions, as well as the time UFC President Dana White visited during filming of a reality television series to scout fighters competing at Mille Lacs.
But some of the moments he remembers most involve young athletes.
The department previously helped support Indigenous boxing championships that brought hundreds of youth competitors from the United States, Canada, and Mexico together at Mille Lacs. The DAR was also involved in the North American Indigenous Games, helping support youth athletes and coaches participating in multiple sports.
"The athletes work so hard," Roberson said. "The kids come here and work out nearly every day."
As the department continues growing, Roberson said the mission remains grounded in professionalism, safety, opportunity, and service.
"We want to be the best at everything," he said.
For the Mille Lacs Band DAR, that vision continues extending far beyond the ropes of the boxing ring — helping position the Band as a leader in tribal athletic regulation while creating opportunities that may continue benefiting future generations for years to come.
