Wednesday, January 14, 2026 – A new tax law change means hundreds of millions of dollars more per year for tribes

A recent decision by the U.S. Treasury Department is a major win for tribes. For the first time, tribes are on the same level as states when it comes to determining how tribal services are taxed. Advocates call the decision “historic” and say it is a significant breakthrough in tribal sovereignty. Not only will it allow tribes to keep hundreds of millions of dollars more per year, it removes the tax filing hassle for small contractors who work with tribes. We’ll hear about the decade-long push to change what is called the General Welfare Exclusion and what it means for tribal economic development.

GUESTS

Lynn Malerba (Mohegan), chief of the Mohegan Tribe and former U.S. Treasurer

Hershel Gorham (Cheyenne and Arapaho), lieutenant governor of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes

OJ Semans Sr. (Rosebud Sioux), executive director of the Coalition of Large Tribes (COLT)

Scott Skaro (Standing Rock Sioux), board member of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators and the financial aid director for United Tribes Technical College

 

Break 1 Music: C.R.E.A.M. [Instrumental] (song) Wu-Tang Clan (artist) Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers [Instrumentals] (album)

Break 2 Music: Vipismal – The Hummingbird Song (song) Earl Ray (artist) Traditional Songs Of The Salt River Pima (album)