Jonodev Chaudhuri, chairman of the National Indian Gaming Commission until May 15, will stay busy once he steps down, taking on two important new roles.
Chaudhuri has been hired to head an Indian law and policy group by the national law firm Quarles & Brady LLP. Chaudhuri’s new position will be effective May 20, just five days after ending his five years heading the federal agency that oversees Indian gaming in the U.S.
“While I will dearly miss my incredible team at the NIGC and the important work we performed on behalf of Indian Country, I’m thrilled to be joining another incredible team at Quarles & Brady, a firm whose philosophy, resources and talented attorneys make it perfectly poised to profoundly impact the landscape of Indian Country in the years ahead,” Chaudhuri said in a news release.
“I look forward to utilizing some of the same strategic planning and problem-solving skills that were central to our work at the NIGC to work with my new teammates to develop targeted solutions to complex problems which, in turn, will help achieve new opportunities for Indian Country.”
Chaudhuri’s new colleagues at Quarles & Brady include Samantha Skenandore, a citizen of the Ho-Chunk Nation. She welcomed the arrival of the outgoing NIGC chairman.
“We’re excited for Jonodev to lead our team, as working with a practitioner with his immense talent and proven track record will further enhance our clients’ interests as they advance their tribal sovereignty,” said Skenandore, who serves of counsel at the firm in Wisconsin and in Arizona.
Chaudhuri joined the NIGC in September 2013, first as its vice chair. He was later nominated to serve as chairman by former president Barack Obama and confirmed by the Senate in 2015.
“Chairman Chaudhuri’s leadership at the NIGC was marked by a steadfast commitment to supporting tribal self-determination, tribal economic development, and self-sufficiency,” said Thomas Springer, an attorney at Quarles & Brady who focuses on Indian law in the firm’s Wisconsin office. “No doubt the resounding success of the industry in recent years is due, in large part, to his sound application of law to policy and governance.”
NIGC Vice Chair Kathryn Isom-Clause will take over as interim chairwoman on May 16. She is a citizen of the Pueblo of Taos and has worked at the agency since March 2016.
“I’d like to thank Chairman Chaudhuri for his service to Indian Country and NIGC,” Isom-Clause said in a statement released by the agency. “Until a new chair is named I’m happy to take over day-to-day functions as vice chair.”
- Sequoyah Simermeyer also serves on the NIGC as a commissioner. He is a citizen of the Coharie Tribe and has Navajo ancestry.
The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act established the NIGC as a three-member commission. The chairman is to be nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate to serve a term of three years. President Donald Trump has not yet announced a nominee for chairman of the NIGC.
In addition, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation has named citizen Chaudhuri as the Ambassador for the Nation. The MCN Ambassador will strengthen the nation’s sovereignty and allow for a sustained MCN presence in Washington, D.C.
The ambassador position was created to uphold the historic sovereign-to-sovereign relationship between MCN and the U.S. The Ambassador will take part in federal executive and congressional discussions that affect MCN interests. It is difficult for MCN leadership to attend many of the meetings at the U.S. Capitol while still attending to the day-to-day operations of the nation.
“Now, more than ever, it is very important for us to have a voice in D.C. The Nation needed an official onsite advocate,” MCN Principal Chief James Floyd said.
This contractual position was created by National Council legislation, NCA 18-200. The act sets the first term to expire December 31 of this year and following terms will align with the term of the elected principal chief.
The ambassador is named by the principal chief and will work with both the executive and legislative branches. The ambassador will represent one unified tribal voice and communicate the will of the leadership.
This position does not allow for decisions to be made independently. The Ambassador will be a diplomat of the MCN government, as opposed to serving as a lobbyist or an attorney.
Although this position was recently created, historically MCN has sent diplomats to Washington, D.C., and as such, the creation of the position, as well as the naming of a capable and trusted citizen to serve as ambassador, is not only a critical exercise of MCN sovereignty, but one that is in keeping with past MCN practices.
“This is nothing new for us; even before Oklahoma statehood Chitto Harjo lobbied Congress to address allotment of communal lands,” Chief Floyd said.
A handful of forward-looking Tribal Nations have established similar diplomatic positions in recent decades, successfully enhancing their efforts to engage in long-term planning and advocacy. MCN looks to build on these models to vigorously exercise its sovereign diplomacy.
Chaudhuri has maintained a strong relationship with MCN throughout both his personal and professional lives. His late mother, Jean (Hill) Chaudhuri, was an example of a strong Muscogee woman and leader. She was very active during her lifetime in Creek cultural affairs and national Native American advocacy.
Before she passed away, she co-wrote with Chaudhuri’s father, Joy, the book A Sacred Path: The Way of the Muscogee Creeks. Chaudhuri is of the Bear Clan and is an active member of Nuyaka Ceremonial Ground. His family church is Green Leaf Baptist in Okemah, Okla.
Chaudhuri has served as a MCN Supreme Court Judge from 2006-2012 and recently has served the Nation in other capacities. He has spent years advocating for tribal sovereignty as a practicing Indian law attorney.
Due to the structure of the ambassador position, Chaudhuri will resume practicing Indian law outside the scope of the ambassadorship. This will allow him to stay up-to-date on the latest issues facing Indian Country adding valuable insight to his experience.
“I look forward to advancing critical policy and helping to implement long-term strategic planning to ensure that MCN preserves and enhances its role as a leader in Indian Country,” Chaudhuri stated. “I am extraordinarily humbled and honored to serve my Nation, and I will do so to the absolute best of my abilities.”
