Partnering with Tribal Entities: Stephen Ortiz

Stephen Ortiz, Marketing Director at Kansas Lottery, gave a birds eye view of “Partnering with Tribal Entities.”
There are 567 federal recognized American Indian tribes and Alaska Natives in the U.S., with 229 tribes located within Alaska and the remaining tribes spread across 34 states.
“It is important to remember that the relationship between the federal government and tribes is and always will be political in nature,” said Ortiz.
When a state government works with a tribe, “you have to realize that you are dealing with a nation to nation agreement,” said Ortiz. “This is another country in the U.S. Tribes have adopted a tribal constitution. They have the power to tax, zone, condemn real property, regulate land use, manage fish and game, and exercise civil and criminal misdemeanor jurisdiction over tribal members.”
In terms of tribal sovereign immunity, Ortiz explained that “it is the principle that tribes enjoy immunity from lawsuits, unless waived.”
Ortiz suggested that lotteries research how tribes are established. “Some tribes elect chiefs, councils. Some elect a governor. Make sure you understand how they are established. Make sure you understand the political issues,” he stressed.