Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland has tapped Sharon Avery and Jeannie Hovland for pivotal roles on the National Indian Gaming Commission, bolstering the Biden-Harris administration's commitment to Tribal self-sufficiency. The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, dating back to 1988, ensures the commission stands as a guardian of Tribal economic interests through gaming, with the Chair appointed by the President and Associate Commissioners by the Interior Secretary, each for a three-year hitch.
Avery, hailing from the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe, boasts a resume with deep ties to the gaming commission as an Associate General Counsel and a decade-long tenure in the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe's legal squad. She also carries the academic heft of a Juris Doctor from Michigan State University and a specialized certificate in Indigenous Law. Hovland, a member of the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe, currently helms the Vice Chair position at the commission, where she has been an orchestrator of regulatory consultation with Tribes and comes with a history of high-ranking stints in Native American affairs across various federal departments.
These appointments are no small matter as Secretary Haaland stated, "Not only does gaming support Tribal economies, but the funding it generates also helps to support the vital services that Tribal Nations provide to their citizens — from language preservation to healthcare."
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