American Indian Newly Elected Officials

About AINEO

History

In 2005, Ivan Makil, former President of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, proposed the development of a program that would provide newly elected tribal officials with an orientation to their new leadership and policy-making roles. He proposed a program that would provide knowledge, resources and the benefit of applied experience from former tribal leaders and a view of governance and policy development from the tribal perspective.

ASU has provided an orientation program to newly elected municipal officials since 1997 in partnership with the League of Arizona Cities and Towns. ASU saw the value of developing a program for tribes and worked together with the representatives of Indian Country to create the American Indian Newly Elected Officials (AINEO) Program.

With former President Makil as the program consultant and Jacob Moore, Tribal Relations Coordinator, the AINEO program, under the leadership of Sandra Ferniza in the ASU Office of Public Affairs, is responding to the oft voiced needs of Indian Country.

Presenters for the Inaugural Class I in Fall 2006 included Chairman Ernest Stevens, National Indian Gaming Association, and others. Also participating are ASU American Indian faculty, Prof. Kevin Gover, Rebecca Tsosie, Don Warne and other ASU staff.

Past Presenters

  • Manuel F. Pino, American Indian Studies & Sociology, Scottsdale Community College (Acoma Pueblo)
  • Alfreda Mitre (Las Vegas Paiute Tribe)
  • Edward Roybal, Attorney, Strickland and Strickland, P.C.
  • Diane Humetewa, U. S. Attorney General’s Office (Hopi)
  • Dr. Eddie F. Brown, Director, American Indian Studies, Arizona State University (Pasqua Yaqui – Tohono O’odham)
  • Dale Phillips, Vice Chairman, Cocopah Tribe
  • Elouise Cobell (Blackfeet Nation)
  • Marnie Hodahkwen, Special Advisor to Governor Napolitano (Potawatomi)
  • Debora Norris, Education Specialist for Indian Education & former member of the Arizona House of Representative
  • Jacob Moore, ASU Tribal Relations Coordinator (Pima, Tohono O’odham, Sioux)
  • Mayor Hugh Hallman, City of Tempe
  • Mary Rose Wilcox, Maricopa County Supervisor
  • Raphael Bear, President, Fort McDowell-Yavapai Nation
  • Dr. Eddie Brown, Director, American Indian Studies, Arizona State University (Pasqua Yaqui – Tohono O’odham)
  • Steve Stallings, Sr. Vice President & Director, Native American Banking Services, Wells Fargo