SECRETARY’S REPORT PAULETTE JORDAN Coeur D’Alene
G reetings and welcome to all the Tribal Leaders attending our Tradeshow in San Diego, California, this year. It is a privilege to serve as the Executive Secretary of the Indian Gaming Association. In 2022, the Association continued our work on behalf of Indian Country, working with the Biden Administration and Congress to secure vital funding for infrastructure while also helping to secure advance appropriations for Indian Health Care. Securing the resources necessary for essential government functions is at the core of the Association’s mission but is also the very reason we fight so hard to preserve Tribal economic self-sufficiency. While the pandemic could have added to the obstacles faced by Tribal governments, the Association worked hard to adapt to new forms of advocacy. Fortunately, we did not have to do this alone, and through the cooperative work with our sister organizations such as NCAI, NCAIED, ATNI, and others, the Federal Government provided aid to Tribal governments as co- equal sovereigns with State governments for the first time in this Country’s history. Of course, our gaming revenues continued to be a vital source of income and provide an invaluable lifeline to our communities. It is incredible that in 2021, Tribal gaming revenues exploded to a record $39 billion, while Indian gaming preserved many of the 700,000 jobs during the pandemic.
12 INDIAN GAMING - ANNUAL REPORT 2023
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