ASU Law Announces Inaugural Tribal Government E-Commerce Conference

The Indian Legal Program at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University will hold its inaugural Tribal Government E-Commerce Conference, Feb. 12-13, 2015, at the Wild Horse Pass Hotel and Casino.

As many Native American tribes have recently become involved in pursuing business operated over the Internet, their businesses have rejuvenated economies across Indian country. However, the quick growth of the e-commerce industry has outpaced a general understanding of many relevant regulatory and legal issues, where state, tribal, and federal laws and policies are colliding.

“The College of Law is thrilled to be hosting the inaugural Tribal Government E-Commerce Conference,” said Dean Douglas Sylvester. “The opportunities the Internet provides to tribes — especially those located on reservations far from large population centers — are just beginning to be fully understood, and this conference will help the community share ideas for the industry now and into the future.”

The Tribal Government E-Commerce Conference will explore many issues surrounding the development of e-commerce in Indian Country including: the importance of tribal sovereignty, the ongoing need for tribes to build infrastructure that facilitates economic growth on their reservations while complying with appropriate federal guidelines and the jurisdictional complexities, and the necessity of fostering open dialogue with federal and state counterparts.

The conference will bring together tribal leaders, federal and state policymakers, economic planning and development experts, business and finance specialists, lawyers practicing in Indian country, virtual casino managers and executives, online vendors and entrepreneurs, regulatory experts, and scholars from related fields.

Speakers will include Gary Kenneth King, former attorney general of New Mexico; Richard Schuetz, commissioner, California Gambling Control Commission; Tribal Chairperson Sherry Treppa, Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake; John Shotton, chairman, Otoe-Missouria Tribe; James Williams Jr., chairman, Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians; George Rivera, former governor of Pojoaque Pueblo; and Ann Marie Bledsoe Downes, deputy assistant secretary for Policy and Economic Development for Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior. The keynote Speaker will be Gary “Litefoot” Davis, who is president and CEO of the National Center For American Indian Enterprise Development (NCAIED), as well as an entrepreneur, actor, recording artist, and author.

The College of Law also announced that the Native American Financial Services Association (NAFSA) will serve as the title sponsor of the conference.

“The Tribal Government E-Commerce Conference is going to be a tremendous gathering of tribal, industry, and policy leaders, and NAFSA is thrilled to have the opportunity to help ASU's Indian Legal Program make it a reality,” said Lance Gumbs, executive director of NAFSA. “E-Commerce is the future of tribal economic development, and this conference will be an essential forum for everyone involved in the field to discuss the issues that will be important as the industry continues to grow and flourish.”

The agenda, registration and hotel information are available at: http://conferences.asucollegeoflaw.com/ilp_ecommerce/

– About the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law

Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law is one of the leading public law schools in the country. Currently ranked No. 31 nationally by U.S. News & World Report, the College has moved up further and faster in national rankings than nearly any other law school. The College is the preeminent law school in metropolitan Phoenix, the nation’s sixth-largest city. In addition to its renowned faculty, the College is home to several leading centers and programs recognized for excellence, including the Center for Law, Science & Innovation, the Center for Law and Global Affairs and the Indian Legal Program. Its students choose and benefit from numerous opportunities for experiential and practical-skills training as well as an array of theoretical courses. With a writing program that is ranked No. 8 nationally by U.S. News, a wide range of clinical opportunities, a breadth of externship offerings, and a pro bono program that annually contributes more than 100,000 hours of legal and law-related services to the community, the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law is pursuing a path of boundless impact, excellence, engagement and opportunity. For more information, visit law.asu.edu.

– About NAFSA

The Native American Financial Services Association (NAFSA) formed in 2012 to advocate for Native American sovereign rights and enable tribes to offer responsible online lending products. Through the protection of consumer rights and sovereign immunity, NAFSA provides vital services to tribally operated lenders serving the under-banked with better short term financial services, furthering economic development opportunities in Indian Country.