April 8 - Seminole Tribe of Florida

The Seminole Tribune 22 April 8, 2005Participants from the 19th Annual RES Economic Summit’s youth track.By Ryan SlatteryLAS VEGAS, NV — John Mia and AdrianPhoenix are proving you don’t have to be out of highschool to start thinking about the future. Around thetime each was first eligible to apply for a driver’slicense the teens were starting their own cateringbusiness–the Red Chili Shack.Their hard work has paid off and not justwith a successful business. At the 19th AnnualReservation Economic Summit (RES) the pair waspresented with the “Youth Entrepreneur of the Year”award.Not only that. They won some high praisefrom Bureau of Indian Affairs Assistant SecretaryDave Anderson, the businessman who turned FamousDave’s barbeque into a franchise of restaurants acrossthe country. Anderson was the featured keynotespeaker on the final day of RES and took the stageimmediately following the announcement thatthe Red Chili Shack had taken home the honor.“If things are going to change in IndianCountry its going to come from our youngentrepreneurs,” Anderson said. “We all have toget out of our comfort zones. We have to starttelling our young people they are worthy asIndian people and can do amazing things.”Anderson’s comments on the youngergeneration taking charge of the future of businesson the reservations were echoed by a numberof speakers throughout the four day conferenceat the Las Vegas Hilton. During his speech,Rick Stephens, Senior Vice President of InternalService for Boeing told the crowd that “it’s theyouth who will help us develop the future.”Submitted by AMERIND Risk ManagementCorporationALBUQUERQUE, NM — AMERIND RiskManagement Corporation has launched a cost effectiverisk pool alternative to worker’s compensationfor Tribes and Tribal enterprises to phenomenal reception.A Tribe or Tribal enterprise can continue todirectly access the AMERIND Tribal EmployeeInjury Protection (TEIP) program or the Tribe orTribal enterprise can engage an insurance agent oftheir choosing to access the popular program on theirbehalf.Compensation paid to insurance agents is theresponsibility of the Tribe or Tribal enterprise.An agreement to assist in the recruitment andservicing of TEIP customers between AMERIND andBrown and Brown Insurance has been rescinded.Inadvertent advertising information produced byBrown and Brown indicated an exclusive arrangementwith AMERIND. No such exclusivity exists and allinterested Tribes or Tribal enterprises can choose toparticipate in the TEIP program without utilizingBrown and Brown Insurance or any other insuranceagent.Tribes, as sovereign nations, are not requiredto adopt state mandated worker’s compensationJennifer VillalobosTeaching Indian Youth Business SuccessIt was no coincidence that so manyspeakers used their time to address youngerconference attendees. It was the first time in thehistory of RES that there was a track dedicatedstrictly to Indian youth.The Young Entrepreneurs track was thebrainchild of Jennifer Villalobos and Clark Tallbullwho saw a need to get young people involved in businessat an earlier age. Villalobos, 34, said the ideacame to her three years ago when at RES she noticedthat there were no young people in attendance.“I was so inspired by seeing so many NativeAmerican businesses and what they were doing, andthe effect it had on me that I wondered what effect itwould have on teens,” said Villalobos, the 2004 recipientof the Youth Entrepreneur award. “So we took itupon ourselves to see if there would be support herefor a youth track and there was.”About two dozen high school and collegeage youth participated in the inaugural session. Thestudents were assigned mentors, took part in selfesteemand confidence building exercises and attendedworkshops on wellness, financial planning and networking.The purpose of the track was to instill confidenceand get the students thinking on a larger businessscale.Presenter Robert Johnston used his class toteach the students how to feel comfortable introducingthemselves to business leaders, showing themhow to make the most out a brief conversation toensure they land the job or client. Later the studentswere “let loose to the lions” on the trade show floorto use the techniques they had just learned.“This has opened a lot of people’s eyes,”Johnston said of the youth track. “The greatestresource any tribe has is its youth. It’s an investmentin the future.”Singer Darryl Tonemah was also a presenter.In the time Tonemah spent at the conference and intraveling to reservations all across the nation, he saidhe’s seen a change in attitude among Indian youth.The defeatist attitude, he said, that was prevalentJennifer Villalobos(L-R) John Mia and Adrian Phoenix with their “YouthEnterpeneur of the Year” award.when he was growing up is fading away.“A lot of young people on the reservations Igo to have bigger ideas. They want to start businesses,”said the 38-year-old Tonemah. “When I ask kidswhat they want to do, they have plans, which isencouraging because that option wasn’t there 20 yearsago. You don’t have to go so far away to be successful.You don’t have to do off the reservation to have abusiness. It’s easier. There are more start up opportunitiesnow. It’s pretty cool they came to this to getthat dream started.”For Mia, who said he plans to apply some ofthe marketing strategies he learned to his business,that dream is already becoming a reality.“This helps push you in the right direction,”said the 18-year-old Cal-State freshman of the newyouth track. “It shows what it takes to set up a businessand put it all into action.”Oneida Tribe Honors NIGA ChairmanSubmitted by Bobbi WebsterONEIDA, WI — The Oneida BusinessCommittee honored National Indian GamingAssociation Chairman Ernie Stevens Jr. on March 23for his outstanding leadership and commitment topromote and support national Native issues.Surrounded by his family, Stevens accepted the awardand in turn presented the Oneida Tribe with theAmerican Indian Tribal Leadership Award he receivedfrom the National Center for American IndianEnterprise Development at their annual summit in LasVegas, Nev.Chairman Stevens said in accepting theaward, “It’s a great honor to receive this award and Iwant to thank send commend all of you who sit inthis circle of energy where I have learned from thevery best how to move our initiatives forward to serveour Tribal communities.”Stevens then proceeded to honor his fatherErnie Stevens Sr. with a Seminole jacket as a tributeto the role model he has provided as a national icon inIndian Country.Previously, the Oneida Business Committeepassed a resolution of unanimous support for the reelectionof Oneida Tribal delegate, Ernie Stevens Jr.as the Chairman of the National Indian GamingAssociation.Veteran Councilman Paul Ninham sponsoredthe resolution and stated, “Chairman Stevens has providedthe gaming Tribes in this country with solid andstrong leadership for the past four years and we needto continue the success we have experienced withStevens.”Chairman Stevens has sponsored initiativesduring his term that encourage strengthening of youthleadership and mentor programs, and an aggressiveapproach to public education on the benefits of Indiangaming through economic diversification and businessdevelopment. Stevens recently received theTribal leadership award from Reservation 2005, areservation economic summit conference that washeld in February.Ernie Stevens Jr. has served as the Chairmanof the National Indian Gaming Association since2001. Prior to serving NIGA, Stevens served as anelected Oneida Tribal Councilman for the OneidaTribe for nine years.AMERIND’s Change in Operationstatutes within their reservations. Many Tribes, byordinance, have adopted the equivalent of a worker’scompensation statute and either self-insure or purchasestraditional worker’s compensationinsurance–but many have not. Affordability and availabilityhad been key reasons why many Tribes andTribal businesses are without adequate protection fortheir employees.Protecting “life” within Indian Communitiesis a fundamental purpose of AMERIND and the creationof the Tribal Employee Injury Protection programfulfills that purpose. In conjunction withBerkley Risk Administrators, AMERIND has createda cost effective risk pool alternative to workers compensationthat provides equivalent protection at anaffordable price.Flexibility and affordability continue to bethe reasons why strong Tribal governments and TribalEnterprises choose AMERIND’s Tribal EmployeeInjury Protection program.AMERIND is a not-for-profit Native American riskpool providing property, liability and employee protectionto over 500 participating Tribes. To learn moreabout Indian Country’s newest employee protectionrisk pool or the time-tested self-insured housing riskpool, visit us at: www.amerind-corp.org.