Presented this week at the CNIGA Conference · Track-specific decks & briefings to follow
A Nation of Hawai‘i Directive

Tribal Leadership Gaming & Economic Diversity Subcommittee

Turtle IslandHawai‘i

Water has never divided Indigenous peoples. It has connected us. This directive carries that connection forward — in relationship, in economy, and in nation-to-nation cooperation.

Issued byNation of Hawai‘i — Office of Foreign Affairs & Commerce
Initiated byAmbassador Bennae Calac, U.S. & Indian Country Ambassador
Where We Begin

Connected by Water

Every creation story carried by Aboriginal, Indigenous, and Native peoples begins in relationship — to land, to sky, to one another. Long before borders, the same waters that shaped Hawai‘i carried our ancestors toward the shores of Turtle Island and back again. We are not strangers meeting for the first time. We are kin, reintroducing ourselves.

Nation-to-nation cooperation is not a new idea for Indigenous peoples — it is one of our oldest practices, carried forward in the spirit of the peace and friendship treaties our peoples have long established between one another. For several years, the Nation of Hawai‘i has honored that practice: visiting and touring Indian Country, sitting with Tribal leadership, and building the relationships — the pilina — that make real partnership possible.

Hawai‘i sits at the piko — the navel, the center point — between the continental United States, Asia, Africa, and South America. That position carries a responsibility: to help connect Indigenous nations to one another, and to diversify the native economy, across every ocean and shore.

A relationship generations in the making — Hawai‘i to Turtle Island, South America, Asia, Africa, and Aotearoa.
Ties Already in Motion

Hawaiians on the Shores of Turtle Island

For years, Native Hawaiian leadership has traveled Indian Country — visiting Tribal Nations, learning their governance, and sitting at the table as relatives rather than guests. Those visits have grown into relationships across every part of nationhood:

P

Political

Government-to-government relationship building, treaty work, and international relations advancing recognition and self-determination for Native Hawaiians and Tribal Nations alike.

E

Economic

Diversifying the native economy through trade, investment, and shared enterprise between Hawai‘i and Indian Country.

S

Social

Community-to-community relationships built through visits, delegations, and gatherings — the everyday work of pilina.

C

Cultural

Exchange of story, protocol, and practice — honoring each nation’s traditions while building shared understanding.

The Subcommittee

Tribal Leadership Gaming & Economic Diversity Subcommittee

Mission

To advance Native Hawaiian self-determination and Indigenous economic sovereignty by exploring gaming, diversified economic development, intergovernmental partnerships, and Tribal-to-Tribal collaboration.

Vision

A sustainable economic future where Native Hawaiian leadership, guided by Indigenous values and informed by Tribal Nation models across Indian Country, strengthens self-governance and economic independence.

The Invitation

Building Together, From Here

The Nation of Hawai‘i extends an open invitation to Indian Country and Indigenous nations everywhere to build alongside us, across four pathways:

Economic Development

Shared enterprise and diversified trade between Hawai‘i and Indian Country — growing native economies together rather than in parallel.

Socially Responsible Investment

Capital that is accountable to community and culture first — invested with, not extracted from, Indigenous nations.

AINA HQ

An emerging home for Indigenous economic and land sovereignty — a gathering place for the tools, capital, and relationships this work requires.

Indigenous United Nations

A standing vision for nation-to-nation diplomacy among Indigenous peoples worldwide — a table where Native nations speak for themselves.

Next Steps

Choose Your Path Forward

This work grows through relationship, not transaction. A dedicated deck and briefing is being prepared for each path below — reach out today to be first in line as they're released.

1

Join the Subcommittee

Sit at the table as we shape gaming and economic policy for Native Hawaiians and Indian Country together.

Briefing coming soon
2

Invest

Bring capital to Hawaiʻi-built ventures ready for Tribal and socially responsible partnership.

Investor deck coming soon
3

Partner

Explore joint ventures and shared enterprise across Turtle Island, the Pacific, and Hawaiʻi.

Partnership funnel coming soon
4

Explore Economic Diversity

Dig into the renewable energy, conservation, tourism, and technology pathways the Subcommittee is building.

Overview deck coming soon
5

Steering Committee

Help shape future Hawaiian gaming measures as a founding voice on the steering committee.

Founding brief coming soon
Connect with the Subcommittee →
Get In Touch

Tell Us You're In

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Prefer Email Directly? Ambassador Bennae Calac
Chair, Tribal Leadership Gaming & Economic Diversity Subcommittee
bennae.calac@nohgov.com
cc: foreignaffairs@nohgov.com