federally recognized Tribe since the great Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-CO)(Northern Cheyenne) to serve in the upper chamber. House Native American Caucus Co-Chairs, Representative Tom Cole (R-OK)(Chickasaw) and Representative Sharice Davids (D-KS)(Ho Chunk), easily won reelection. Rep. Davids won reelection to her third term in Congress in the face of a toughly redrawn district, winning the race by double digits. And finally, Rep. Mary Peltola (D-AK)(Yup’ik) won her race to serve a full two-year term as the At-Large Representative for the State of Alaska. Rep. Peltola, the first Alaska Native to serve in Congress, won the special election in August to serve the remainder of the term for the late Congressman Don Young, the Dean of the House of Representatives. However, after every election, while we celebrate these victories, we know that the months ahead require a united education effort. The 118th Congress, which opens on January 3, 2023, will seat dozens of new Members of Congress, many who do not represent Tribes or even have Tribal Governments in their state. In total, 83 new Members of Congress will be sworn into office. From January through March of 2023, the Indian Gaming Association and our sister organizations hold legislative summits and impact weeks to discuss Indian Country’s policy priorities and challenges. We also
take these opportunities to meet with New Members of Congress and educate them about Indian Country, our culture, and federal government’s relationship and obligations to our communities. When new Members of Congress are sworn-in, they take a solemn vow to uphold the United States Constitution. We take these early opportunities to remind them that the U.S. Constitution they swore to uphold reaffirms the status of Indian tribes as separate sovereign governments. We remind them that Treaties are the Supreme Law of this nation. For the Indian Gaming Association, we also share the history of Indian gaming and its vital importance to Tribal Government economies, the 300,000 direct American jobs that Indian gaming generates annually, and the fact that revenues generated from our industry are reinvested in Native communities to improve education, health care, public safety, and other essential community services. Indian gaming is Tribal Government self-determination.
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