Rez Life Weekly

By Joe Morey Rez Life Weekly Editor   A major federal contracting pipeline used by tribally owned businesses is facing sudden turbulence after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a sweeping Department of Defense review of certain SBA 8(a) Business Development Program contracts, saying the Pentagon will take a “sledgehammer” approach to what he characterized as abuse and “DEI” driven contracting.   In public remarks reported by multiple outlets, Hegseth framed the review

By Joe Morey Rez Life Weekly Editor Wisconsin could see online sports betting become legal as early as 2026 under new legislation that would place control firmly in the hands of the state’s tribal nations, according to reporting by Gaming America.   The proposal, Assembly Bill 601, would allow Wisconsin tribes to offer online sports wagering through mobile platforms while keeping major national sportsbook operators such as FanDuel, DraftKings, and BetMGM outside the state’s b

By Jill R. Dorson Ingame.com Arguing that despite the efforts from Wisconsin’s Ho-Chunk Nation to “affix the ‘sports betting’ label” to its sports event contracts, the U.S. Congress allows for trades made on a designated contract market (DCM) to be exempt from tribal gaming laws, Kalshi Monday filed a brief in support of dismissing the tribe’s case to keep it from operating on Indian land. In the case in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, the Ho-Ch

By Joe Morey Rez Life Weekly Editor The Oneida Nation has removed the former president and chief executive officer of its economic development group after one of its companies entered into contracts with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a move that tribal leaders and citizens said conflicted with the nation’s values and culture.   On Thursday, Oneida ESC Group announced that Matt Kunstman had been appointed interim president and CEO effective January 5, replacing Jef

Melissa Olson MPRNEWS.ORG 2025 was a big year for tribal-state cannabis agreements. Seven tribal nations have entered into government-to-government cooperative agreements or compacts with the state that regulate tribal businesses participating in the state’s cannabis market. Two and a half years ago, state lawmakers envisioned a role for tribally regulated cannabis markets. The resulting state law authorizes the governor to negotiate compact agreements with tribes. Tuesday, G

By Joe Morey Rez Life Weekly Editor Kip Ritchie has spent more than two decades helping shape economic growth in Indian Country, and in 2023 he reached a historic milestone when he was named chief executive officer of Potawatomi Ventures, becoming the first enrolled tribal member to lead the business development arm of the Forest County Potawatomi Community. Based in Milwaukee, Ritchie now oversees a diversified enterprise valued at roughly $450 million, with a mission center

By Joe Moreno Rez Life Ink Slinger Potawatomi. The name may conjure up thoughts of a Tribe, their Casino, or perhaps even a State Park,...

The New Yorker Carolynn Kormann Editor's Note: The following article appeared in the New Yorker magazine in September of 2022. To read...