About the Indian Nations Gaming & Governance program
The law school’s Indian Nations Gaming & Governance program was established in 2020 thanks to a generous gift from the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. The program consists of specialized academic training for J.D. and L.L.M. students, public programming for diverse audiences, academic and policy research, and conferences and symposia examining current issues in tribal gaming and governance. Our Faculty and Leadership has extensive experience in education, gaming, federal Indian Law, and Tribal Law and Governance.
Land Acknowledgment
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas wishes to acknowledge and honor the Indigenous communities of this region and recognize that the university is situated on the traditional homelands of the Nuwuvi, Southern Paiute People. We offer gratitude for the land itself, for those who have stewarded it for generations, and for the opportunity to study, learn, work, and be in community with this land. We encourage everyone in this space to engage in continued learning about the Indigenous peoples who work and live on this land since time immemorial, including the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe and the Moapa Band of Paiutes, and about the historical and present realities of colonialism. As one of the most diverse universities in the United States, UNLV believes it is important to recognize and appreciate the use of Southern Paiute land as part of its mission to be a welcoming and inclusive place for working and learning.
What is the purpose of a Land Acknowledgement?
A land acknowledgment recognizes and respects the relationship that exists between Indigenous Peoples and their ancestral and contemporary territories. Additionally, land acknowledgments provide us with the opportunity to explore the impacts of colonization and systems of oppression on Indigenous Peoples. Land acknowledgments do not exist in a historical context or past tense. It is vital to understand the long-standing history that brought us to reside on the land, and to seek to understand our place within that history. Colonialism is a current, ongoing process, and we need to build our mindfulness and understanding of our present participation.