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
