The Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada, Inc. (ITCN) is a Reno-based Native American grantmaking and activism organization founded in 1966 to serve as a large political body for small Nevada tribes. ITCN is comprised of 27 member reservations and colonies in Nevada. ¹

ITCN manages federal- and state-funded programs and promotes health, educational, social, and employment projects. ²  ITCN also promotes election projects with left-of-center groups such as Four Directions³ and was active in the 2020 Census. ⁴

As of April 2021, ITCN has received $4.1 million of federal grants. In 2020, ITCN received $21.1 million of federal grants after receiving $24.4 million in 2019. ⁵

History and Leadership

ITCN was incorporated as a nonprofit in 1966⁶ to serve as a large political body for small Nevada tribes. ⁷ ITCN consists of 27 member reservations and colonies in Nevada. ⁸ ITCN’s governing board consists of the chairmen from each of the member tribes. ⁹

Serrell Smokey is ITCN’s chairman. He also is chairman of the Washoe Indian Tribe. ¹⁰

Activities and Funding

ITCN manages federal- and state-funded programs and promotes health, educational, social, and employment projects for tribal organizations in Nevada. ¹¹ This includes partnering with federal Women Infants and Children (WIC) and Native Workforce Development (NWD) programs, and administering COVID-19 tests in 2020. ¹²

As of April 2021, ITCN has received $4.1 million of federal grants. In 2020, ITCN received $21.1 million of federal grants after receiving $24.4 million in 2019. ¹³ These numbers represent a large increase from 2017, where ITCN received $7,448,833 in government grants. ¹⁴

ITCN’s 2020 grants include $273,428 from the Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration as a part of an Adult Funding for Native Americans grant;¹⁵ a $1,261,308 grant from the Department of Justice for public safety, crime victims, and youth support programs;¹⁶ and a total of $388,910 as a part of CARES Act funding from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). ¹⁷

Advocacy Activities

In 2021, ITCN endorsed then-U.S. Rep. Deb Haaland (D-NM) to serve as Secretary of the Interior in the Biden administration. ¹⁸ This followed a November 13, 2020, letter ITCN sent to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris calling for Haaland’s nomination stating ITCN “stands ready to partner with the Administration.” ¹⁹

During the 2020 election cycle, ITCN promoted free raffles for adult voters of VISA gift cards of $250, $100, and $25 in value limited to tribal members, residents, and employees who submit a photo of themselves with an “I Voted” sticker or a ballot completion form to the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony leadership²⁰ and also had members of the Bernie Sanders campaign attend Inter-Tribal Council meetings. ²¹

In January 2020, ITCN’s vice president participated in the Four Directions Nevada Tribal Nations Native American Presidential Forum. ²² This forum included voter registration and get-out-the-vote training conducted by left-of-center Four Directions. ²³ The forum’s national host committee included Four Directions, the Native American Rights Fund, left-of-center Native Organizers Alliance, far-left Seeding Sovereignty, and the National Congress of American Indians. ^{24 25}

In 2016, ITCN requested early in-person and absentee voting access on tribal lands. ²⁶ ITCN adopted a resolution designating left-of-center Four Directions to assist Nevada tribes with voter education, protection, and training providing better access to the ballot box. ITCN also designated Four Directions as the authority to work with Nevada tribes, county, and state officials to establish satellite offices for in-person early absentee voting and to establish early in-person registration and voting sites on tribal lands. ²⁷

2020 Census Activities

The Nevada Indian Commission, a state-sponsored agency,²⁸ advertised that ITCN was seeking temporary Census workers on September 4, 2020, in the final days prior to the end of counting. ²⁹

ITCN also conducted a “tribal census challenge” and raffled off $100, $50, and $25 VISA gift cards to each of its 27 member tribes for a total of 81 gift cards valued at $4700 across Nevada. ³⁰ ITCN congratulated select winners on its Facebook page. ³¹  The Nevada Indian Commission promoted these raffles on its official Facebook page. ³²

1. “About Us.” Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada. Accessed March 31, 2021. https://itcn.org/.
2. “About Us.” Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada. Accessed March 31, 2021. https://itcn.org/.
3. Timko, Steve. “Inter-Tribal Council seeks nine more voting sites in Nevada.” KOLO News Now. October 21, 2016. https://www.kolotv.com/content/news/Inter-Tribal-Council-seeks-nine-more-voting-sites-in-Nevada-397989131.html.
4. “Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada is Looking for Temporary Workers.” Nevada Indian Commission. September 4, 2020. https://nevadaindiancommission.org/inter-tribal-council-of-nevada-is-looking-for-temporary-census-workers/.
5. “Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada.” Federal Contract IDVs. Gov Tribe. Accessed April 2, 2021. https://govtribe.com/vendors/inter-tribal-council-of-nevada-inc-dot-itcn-33re9#related-federal-grant-awards-table.
6. “Indian Education in Arizona, Nevada, and Utah.” A Review of State and National Law, Board Rules, and Policy Decisions. West Comprehensive Center. September 2014. Pg. 44. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED569493.pdf.
7. “About Us.” Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada. Accessed March 31, 2021. https://itcn.org/.
8. “About Us.” Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada. Accessed March 31, 2021. https://itcn.org/.
9. “About Us.” Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada. Accessed April 2, 2021. https://itcn.org/about-us/.
10. “Executive Board.” Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada. Accessed March 31, 202. https://itcn.org/executive-board/.
11. “About Us.” Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada. Accessed March 31, 2021. https://itcn.org/.
12. Munson, Jeff. “Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada to host free COVID-19 testing to reach Native community.” CarsonNOW.org. July 15, 2020. https://carsonnow.org/story/07/15/2020/inter-tribal-council-nevada-host-free-covid-19-testing-reach-native-community?page=805.
13. “Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada.” Federal Contract IDVs. Gov Tribe. Accessed April 2, 2021. https://govtribe.com/vendors/inter-tribal-council-of-nevada-inc-dot-itcn-33re9#related-federal-grant-awards-table.
14. “Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada, Inc.” Return of an Organization Exempt from Income Tax. (Form 990.) 2017. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/880096475/09_2018_prefixes_87-93%2F880096475_201709_990_2018091815701674.
15. U.S. Department of Labor. Training and Employment Guidance Letter. Sent from Assistant Secretary John Pallasch. May 18, 2020.  https://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/attach/TEGL/TEGL_21-19.pdf.
16. “U.S. Attorney’s General Office Announces Awards of $2,935,902 in Grants to Improve Public Safety, Serve Crime Victims in Nevada.” Press Release. U.S. Department of Justice. September 30, 2020. https://www.justice.gov/usao-nv/pr/us-attorneys-office-announces-awards-2935902-grants-improve-public-safety-serve-crime.
17. Press Release. “Cortez Masto, Rosen Applaud $8 Million in HHS Grants for Seniors, People with Disabilities.” Catherine Cortez Masto Official Website. April 22, 2020. https://www.cortezmasto.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cortez-masto-rosen-applaud-8-million-in-hhs-grants-for-seniors-people-with-disabilities.
18. Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada. Letter to Senators Manchin and Barrasso. February 16, 2021. Accessed via Internet Archive. https://archive.is/ex2Q4.
19. Letter to Vice President Biden and Senator Harris. Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada, Inc. November 13, 2020. https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/20429329/itcn-support-rep-haaland-for-interior.pdf.
20. Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada. Facebook Post. November 4, 2020. https://www.facebook.com/ITCNevada/posts/634559517215386.
21. Messerly, Megan. “Indian Country, long an afterthought in campaigns, is positioning itself as a force to be reckoned with in 2020.” The Nevada Independent. December 22, 2019. https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/indian-country-long-an-afterthought-in-campaigns-is-positioning-itself-as-a-force-to-be-reckoned-with-in-2020.
22. Video. Reno-Sparks Indian Colony. January 14-15. https://www.facebook.com/rsictribe/videos/836132126838543/.
23. “Native American Presidential Forum 2020.” January 2020. https://www.nativevote2020.com/
24. “Native American Presidential Forum 2020.” January 2020. https://www.nativevote2020.com/
25. Letter from Joe Biden for President Campaign to Native American Presidential Forum. January 15, 2020. https://d73a4bd1-25a6-4478-a6d3-8c360246c1c1.filesusr.com/ugd/73e753_556fb3ca05474bb7aaef42ccd891cf26.pdf.
26. https://www.fourdirectionsvote.com/news/inter-tribal-council-of-nevada-letter/.
27. Letter from Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada, Inc. to Nevada Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske. October 21, 2016. https://www.scribd.com/document/328441956/Itcn-Letter-Oct-21-2016#from_embed.
28. “About the NIC.” Nevada Indian Commission. Accessed March 31, 2021. https://nevadaindiancommission.org/about-the-nic/.
29. “Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada is Looking for Temporary Census Workers.” Nevada Indian Commission. September 4, 2020. https://nevadaindiancommission.org/inter-tribal-council-of-nevada-is-looking-for-temporary-census-workers/.
30. Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada. Facebook. September 11, 2020. https://www.facebook.com/ITCNevada/photos/a.350375095633831/597809904223681/?type=3&theater
31. Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada. Facebook. November 18, 2020. https://www.facebook.com/ITCNevada/photos/a.350375095633831/644338829570788/?type=3&theater.
32. “Nevada Indian Commission.” Facebook Post. September 29, 2020. https://www.facebook.com/861527974015607/posts/the-inter-tribal-council-is-extending-our-tribal-census-outreach-campaign-in-res/1687315911436805/.