G2G Summit Keynote Remarks

Before we dive in, I want to express my deep gratitude to the Coquille Indian Tribe for co-hosting this summit with us. Your partnership in bringing us all together reflects the spirit of collaboration that makes Oregon special. Thank you for opening your doors and sharing your hospitality and the spirit of ‘potlatch’ (pot-latch) with all of us. 

I also want to thank the incredible staff in my office and the Coquille Tribal staff and Ko-Kwel Resort and Casino staff who have worked tirelessly together to coordinate this summit. Their dedication to getting the details right reflects the respect, commitment, and care our relationships with one another depend on. 

"In times designed to divide us, we gather."

That's not just our theme this year, it's our answer to a world that seems to thrive on separation and conflict. While others are busy building walls, we are gathered here to build bridges and grow our relationships. While others retreat into silos, we're choosing to show up for each other. 

When I started my career at Oregon Food Bank over twenty years ago, I traveled across this state listening to people's stories about why they needed food assistance. What struck me then—and what I carry with me still—is that the people experiencing hunger didn't just need food. They needed to be seen. They needed to be heard. They needed to know their struggles mattered to someone beyond their own kitchen table.

The understanding that we're all connected. That when one of us hurts, we all hurt. That the ancestors, elders, and childrens futures are bound together. That the land, the water, the salmon—they don't belong to us, we belong to them. And that showing up, even when it's hard, even when it would be easier to look away—that's not optional. It's who we are.

So when I say "in times designed to divide us, we gather," I mean it personally. This isn't political rhetoric. This is how I was raised. This is what I feel in my heart and what guides me. And it's why I'm so committed to making sure these relationships endure long after any of us leave office.

We gather on the ancestral and traditional homelands of Oregon's Tribal Nations, whose governments have stewarded these lands since time immemorial. This isn't just a land acknowledgment, it's a reality check. Tribal sovereignty didn't begin with treaties or federal recognition. It existed long before any of our state agencies had their first budget meeting.

Today, I'm honored to be joined by representatives from all (9) nine Federally Recognized Tribes of Oregon. To the Burns Paiute Tribe, the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians, the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community, the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, the Coquille Indian Tribe, the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, and the Klamath Tribes – thank you for being here.

Over the past two and a half years, I've had the privilege and absolute honor of growing relationships and understanding with each of your governments, learning about your priorities, your challenges, and your incredible contributions to Oregon. These very real, candid conversations about real partnerships and opportunities have made me a better Governor. The best relationships are grown and built on a foundation of honesty, empathy, transparency, humility, and a commitment to do better going forward.

We're here because Oregon works better when all our governments work together - whether that is individually or collectively. Not just because it's the right thing to do—though it absolutely is—but because it's the smarter thing to do. Tribal Nations are economic engines, environmental and education stewards, cultural stewards, and problem-solving partners for today and tomorrow’s greatest challenges, and as a lifelong learner, I will continue to listen and learn from and with you . 

There's a scene from the show "Rutherford Falls" (you all have heard of this show, right?) that I think about sometimes. A reporter asks a Tribal casino CEO if he's "selling out his culture" by "chasing the almighty dollar." And the CEO responds by explaining the difference between American capitalism and Tribal capitalism—how Tribal capitalism redistributes revenue back into the community, into education, into healthcare, into cultural preservation, into taking care of the people. It's not just about profit. It's about sovereignty. It's about building the infrastructure that allows a Nation to thrive on its own terms.

That distinction matters. Because when we partner with you as Tribal Nations and the Diversification of Tribal Economies, we're not just talking about business transactions. We're talking about self-determination. We're talking about your Nations building the capacity to care for your people, preserve your languages, protect your sacred sites, and chart your own future.

Earlier this year, I sent a letter to all nine tribal leaders reaffirming my commitment to respecting tribal sovereignty while being transparent about my personal perspectives on Indian Gaming. But more importantly, I committed to something bigger: supporting the diversification of tribal economies beyond gaming. Because while gaming has been critical for many tribal nations, I know from our conversations that you're already exploring so many other opportunities – and that outdated state policies, laws, or processes can stand in the way of your success.

My office will work with each Tribal Nation on their goals for my initiative on diversifying tribal economic development. This initiative will focus on strengthening the state's efforts to provide direct grant funding, technical assistance, and access to capital for tribal enterprises. We'll focus on emerging industries like renewable energy, sustainable tourism, advanced manufacturing, and infrastructure development – ensuring long-term economic resilience that supports your self-determination.

This isn't about the state deciding what's best for you. This is about removing barriers, providing resources, and supporting the economic futures that you define for yourselves.

Our government-to-government relationship isn't something that is “nice-to-have”. It's not a box we check. It's about “how” we get things done in Oregon. Whether we're talking about wildfire and disaster response, how we manage our shared waters, healthcare delivery, or education and economic development, our best solutions come from working together as sovereign partners.

Commitment: As part of my commitment to reaffirming government-to-government relations, I'm announcing today that I will work to establish the Tribal Affairs Director role as a permanent position, regardless of who occupies the Governor's Office. This position will be structured to work complementarily with the Legislative Commission on Indian Services, and it will be elevated and structured in a way that honors and respects tribal sovereignty. Because real partnership requires real commitment, not just good intentions that change with elections.

Now, let me be clear about my expectations, starting with my own state agencies. Government-to-government consultation isn't a suggestion: it is a policy. It's not something you do when it's convenient or when you remember. It's something you build into your planning from day one.

To my agency directors: I expect you to pick up the phone before you draft the policy, not after you've already decided everything. I expect you to understand that "we'll get input" and "we'll consult" are two very different things. And I expect you to remember that tribal governments have their own priorities, their own timelines, and their own expertise: we must respect all three.

To sovereign tribal nations: I expect you to hold us accountable when we fall short. Don't let us slide by with half-measures or good intentions. We need your honest feedback, even when—especially when—it's uncomfortable to hear.

Over the past year, we've seen what real partnership looks like. When we worked together on distributing the dollars from the opioid settlement fund, for example, we didn't just solve a problem—we built trust. When tribal nations and state agencies collaborated on the recently finalized Integrated Water Resource Strategy, we proved that government-to-government relations aren't just about protocol—they're about getting results for all Oregonians, tribal communities, children, elders, and families.

But let's not pat ourselves on the back too much. We've also had our stumbles. Times when consultation came too late, when good intentions weren't enough, when bureaucracy got in the way of relationships. I'm not here to make excuses for those moments—I'm here to make sure we learn from them.

Today's discussions will focus on areas where our partnership can make the biggest difference: economic opportunity, educational excellence, natural and cultural resource co-management and co-stewardship, healthcare access, addressing homelessness, and public safety. These aren't abstract policy discussions—they're about real people living real lives in Oregon communities.

As we work through these issues, remember: we're not here to negotiate sovereignty or self governance—we're here to exercise it. We're not here to debate whether government-to-government relations matter—we're here to make them work better. And it starts with Tribal Consultation. 

We live in times designed to divide us. But here in Oregon, we've chosen something different. We've chosen to gather, to work together, and to prove that different governments can be partners, not just neighbors who co-exist, but neighbors who co-design, co-develop, co-manage, and cooperate.

So let's make today count. I am looking forward to the honest conversations so we can tackle the hard problems, and leave here with concrete commitments to strengthen our partnerships.

Thank you.