180416 coalition s140 tlsa senate

Published

April 16, 2018

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April 16, 2018

TO THE MEMBERS OF THE UNITED STATES SENATE:

We, the undersigned Indian tribal nations, tribal corporations, and tribal trade
associations—collectively organized as the Coalition for Tribal Sovereignty—write in strong
support of S. 140, which includes H.R. 986, the “Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act of 2017
(TLSA),” as a provision of the bill. TLSA would promote tribal sovereignty by affirming the
rights of tribal governmental employers to determine their own labor practices on their own
lands.

In 1935, the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) was enacted to ensure fair labor
practices. However, it excluded federal, state and local governmental employers from its reach.
Though the Act did not expressly treat Indian tribes as governmental employers, the National
Labor Relations Board (NLRB) respected the sovereign status of tribal governmental employers
for close to seventy years before abruptly abandoning its own precedent and reversing course in
2004.

Since its decision in San Manuel Indian Bingo, the NLRB has aggressively asserted
jurisdiction over tribal labor practices when it determines tribal government employers are acting
in a “commercial” rather than a “governmental” capacity—an analysis it does not apply to state
or local government employers.

TLSA builds upon a principle that has been amply demonstrated by Indian tribes across
the country: when tribal sovereignty is respected and acknowledged, economic success follows.
Enactment of S. 140 would prevent an unnecessary and unwarranted overreach by the NLRB
into the affairs of tribal governments. By amending the NLRA to expressly treat tribal
government employers and their enterprises and institutions the same as it treats state, local and
federal government employers, S. 140 would provide corrective guidance to the NLRB and bring
parity to tribal government employers across the nation.

The Coalition for Tribal Sovereignty strongly supports S. 140 and strongly urges you to
support this important bill.

Sincerely,

Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians

OR

Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians

CA

American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA)

NM

American Indian Chamber of Commerce of New Mexico

NM

American Indian Chamber of Commerce of South Carolina

SC

American Indian Infrastructure Association

WY

Arctic Slope Native Association

AK

Arctic Slope Regional Corporation

AK

Barona Band of Mission Indians

CA

Bear River Band of Rohnerville Rancheria

CA

Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians of the Big Valley Rancheria

CA

Bishop Paiute Tribe

CA

Bois Forte Band of Chippewa

MN

California Association of Tribal Governments

CA

Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska

AK

Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe

SD

Chickasaw Nation

OK

Chippewa Cree Tribe

MT

Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma

OK

Chuathbaluk Traditional Council

AK

Citizen Potawatomi Nation

OK

Coeur d’Alene Tribe

ID

Comanche Nation

OK

Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes

MT

Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation

WA

Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians

OR

Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation

WA

Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation

WA

Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation

OR

Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs

OR

Coquille Indian Tribe

OR

Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement

HI

Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians

OR

Delaware Nation

OK

Diné Development Corp a wholly owned Navajo Nation business

AZ, NM

Doyon, Limited

AK

Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma

OK

Eastern Shoshone Tribe

WY

Elk Valley Rancheria

CA

Ely Shoshone Tribe

NV

Ewiiaapaayp Band of Kumeyaay Indians

CA

Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria

CA

Forest County Potawatomi Community

WI

Fort Belknap Indian Community

MT

Great Plains Tribal Chairman’s Association

SD

Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake

CA

Ho-Chunk Nation

WI

Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel

CA

Inter Tribal Association of Arizona

AZ

Intertribal Timber Council

OR

Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe

WA

Kalispel Tribe of Indians

WA

Karuk Tribe

CA

Keweenaw Bay Indian Community

MI

Kenaitze Indian Tribe

AK

Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas

TX

Lac du Flambeau Tribe

WI

Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe

MN

Little River Band of Ottawa Indians

MI

Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians

MI

Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe

WA

Lummi Nation

WA

Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation

CT

Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians (Gun Lake Tribe)

MI

Metlakatla Indian Community, Annette Islands Reserve

AK

Midwest Alliance of Sovereign Tribes (MAST)

WI

Minnesota American Indian Chamber of Commerce

MN

Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians

MS

Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut

CT

Mooretown Rancheria

CA

Morongo Band of Mission Indians

CA

Muscogee (Creek) Nation

OK

Naknek Native Village

AK

National American Indian Housing Council (NAIHC)

DC

National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development (NCAIED)

AZ

National Congress of American Indians (NCAI)

DC

National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA)

DC

National Native American Bar Association

AZ

National Native American Chamber of Commerce

MO

Native American Contractors Association (NACA)

DC

Native American Development Corporation (NADC)

MT

Native American Enterprise Initiative (NAEI)

DC

Native Village of Afognak

AK

Native Village of Karluk

AK

Native Village of Kiana, Kiana Traditional Council

AK

Native Village of Koyuk

AK

Native Village of Nuiqsut

AK

Native Village of Ouzinkie

AK

Native Village of Tununak

AK

Navajo Nation

AZ, NM, UT

New Stuyahok Traditional Council

AK

Nez Perce

ID

Northern Arapaho Tribe

WY

Oglala Sioux Tribe

SD

Ohkay Owingeh

NM

Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association

OK

Oneida Indian Nation

NY

Osage Nation

OK

Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Indians

OK

Pala Band of Mission Indians

CA

Pascua Yaqui Tribe

AZ

Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians

CA

Pauma Band of Mission Indians

CA

Pawnee Nation

OK

Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians

CA

Penobscot Indian Nation

ME

Poarch Band of Creek Indians

AL

Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe

WA

Prairie Island Indian Community

MN

Pueblo of Acoma

NM

Pueblo of Isleta

NM

Pueblo of Laguna

NM

Pueblo of Pojoaque

NM

Pueblo of Tesuque

NM

Puyallup Tribe

WA

Qagan Tayagungin Tribe of Sand Point

AK

Quapaw Tribe of Oklahoma

OK

Quinault Nation

WA

Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians

WI

Red Lake Nation

MN

Reno-Sparks Indian Colony

NV

Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians

CA

Rocky Mountain Indian Chamber of Commerce

CO

Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council

MT

Sac and Fox Nation

OK

Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa

IA

Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe

MI

Samish Indian Nation

WA

San Manuel Band of Mission Indians

CA

Santa Clara Pueblo

NM

Santee Sioux Nation

NE

Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe

WA

Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians

MI

Seldovia Village Tribe

AK

Seminole Nation of Oklahoma

OK

Shingle Springs Band of Miwok

CA

Shinnecock Indian Nation

NY

Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community

MN

Shoalwater Bay Tribe

WA

Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation

ID

Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians

CA

Sokaogon Chippewa Community, Mole Lake Band of Lake Superior Chippewa

WI

Southern Ute Indian Tribe

CO

Sovereign Councils of the Hawaiian Homeland Assembly

HI

Spokane Tribe of Indians

WA

St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin

WI

Stockbridge-Munsee Community

WI

Swinomish Indian Tribal Community

WA

Susanville Indian Rancheria

CA

Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Tribe

CA

Table Mountain Rancheria

CA

Tanana Chiefs Conference

AK

Thlopthlocco Tribal Town

OK

Tonkawa Tribe of Oklahoma

OK

Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians

CA

Tribal Alliance of Sovereign Indian Nations (TASIN)

CA

Tulalip Tribes

WA

Tunica-Biloxi Indian Tribe

LA

Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians

CA

Ugashik Traditional Village Council

AK

United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma

OK

United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma Corporation

OK

United South and Eastern Tribes Sovereignty Protection Fund (USET)

TN

Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians

CA

Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah)

MA

White Earth Band of Chippewa Indians

MN

Wichita and Affiliated Tribes

OK

Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska

NE

Wyandotte Nation

OK

Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe

AZ

Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation

CA

180416 coalition s140 tlsa senate