Tribal Leader Roundtable

We want to empower our youth – they are our future leaders, and we want to ensure they understand the principles of sovereignty and our treaty rights guaranteed to us under the trust and treaty responsibilities of the United States.

The revenues generated from our casinos have contributed to the economic development and self-sustainability of Catawba, as well as the surrounding communities.

Wilton Rancheria is proud to call ourselves a tribe of firsts, as we're taking steps that go beyond the traditional paths many tribes have taken in the past. While gaming, smoke shops, and gas stations have provided an important economic foundation for Indian Country, we're intentionally thinking outside the box.

There have been many challenges in 2021, namely staffing and keeping our community safe; but, there have also been opportunities as it relates to CARES and ARPA funds. Tribal nations have never witnessed such a large investment into Indian Country and it is unlikely that we will ever see this again in our lifetime.

We are a small community with a membership of a little over 1,300. We’ve had a number of members who have tested positive for the virus. Per capita-wise, we did encounter a high rate of the virus.

This crisis has brought our people together. We’re checking on our elders to ensure they stay home and are safe, and that those with underlying health conditions are not exposed. We’ve had people, even in the surrounding areas, make masks for us.

As positive test cases and mortality rates sharply decline, there is a better sense of public health and safety from our tribal members. Our government offices have shifted back to being fully opened to the public and our business entities have relaxed pandemic protocols that were put in place over a year ago.

Just like many other tribes across the nation, COVID highlighted some gaps within our infrastructure. These are some of the areas that we are currently working on and trying to eliminate gaps as best we can, given the limited amount of resources available.

As a tribe, we feel an obligation to support those that depend upon us – that starts with our tribal members of course, but it also means neighboring state and municipal governments we partner with, and private entities we do business with. We know that public health and economic security are intrinsically connected.

Much like the majority of businesses in the hospitality industry, macroeconomic conditions will be playing a significant factor in operations this year.