Question #1: WHY DOES THE TRIBE NEED A FEDERAL LOBBYING FIRM? WE DID FINE WITHOUT ONE UP UNTIL NOW.

Answer: The major decisions about how much money will be available for Indian Country, and about the future of tribal sovereignty are made in Washington, D.C. The Tribe cannot afford NOT to have a voice in these critical issues, and that's what lobbying is: making your opinion known to the people who have the ability to help you or hurt you.

Question #2: HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO HAVE OUR OWN LOBBYISTS?

Answer: How important is it to you to Protect Your Sovereignty? Right now, tribal sovereignty is under constant threat of attack from legislators and others who want to tax tribes' income, waive tribes' immunity from suit, force tribes into state or federal courts to defend themselves, place new restrictions on lands into trust and land claims, restrict Indian gaming, and in many other ways diminish the breadth and strength of tribal sovereignty.

How important is it to you to Receive Federal Money for education, economic development, school buildings, health care, housing, law enforcement personnel and facilities, infrastructure, and environmental cleanup? Right now, money budgeted and appropriated for tribal programs is far less than what is needed; Indian people are falling further and further behind.

How important is it to you to Protect your Right to Conduct Gaming? We have seen a rash of legislation over the past several years seeking to prohibit tribes' ability to conduct gaming or to seek alternative methods of dispute resolution. In particular, some legislators have actively tried to limit tribal ability to use new and innovative technology to conduct gaming over the Internet. At the same time, these legislators have sought to protect the rights of non-tribal gaming to use that technology. If these issues are critically important to you, then lobbyists are critically important to you! We fight to protect your sovereignty and your money.

Question #3: EVERYONE WANTS TO SELL US SOMETHING. WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM YOU?

Answer: Legi\X Company has deep roots in Indian Country. We work primarily for tribes and tribal organizations and strive to help improve our clients quality of life. Many of us at Legi\X Company have spent our professional careers working for tribes, especially "B.G.": Before Gaming -- before there was any money to be made. Still, we understand the Tribe's wariness and offer the following points:

Question #4: WE GET MAILINGS FROM NCAI, NIGA, AND MANY OTHERS. WHY DO WE NEED TO HIRE LEGI\X COMPANY?

Answer: NCAI, NIGA, and other national groups provide much-needed, constant presence in Washington, D.C. Still, it is important not only to know the information but also to be willing and able to do something about it. This requires access to the individuals that make the decisions on the issues. Legislative blast faxes cannot provide a detailed understanding of the behind the scenes wrangling that often goes on, the hidden forces that push legislation, or the attitudes of individual members and their staff. This can be obtained only through close contact and constant monitoring. That is our strength.

In addition, NCAI, NIGA, and others cannot pay attention to the particular interests of individual tribes. Having your own lobbyists allows you to have access to the decision-making process that affects you directly, when it happens. You don't just hear or read about it after the fact. From the White House to BIA to the Congressmen and Senators making the legislation, we believe we have quite good contacts and a respectable reputation, all of which can be focused on getting the Tribe what it wants.