Jacqueline Pata

Pata is the longest serving executive director for NCAI, a job she took in June 2001. After NCAI suspended her as executive director from October 2018 through February 2019 amid dispute over her handling of accusations against the NCAI general counsel, she announced her pending resignation in February 2019 amid a shakeup in the organization sparked by reports of an abusive workplace and sexual harassment. She intended to remain in the position until NCAI hires her successor, as of early 2019. ¹

Background

Pata is a citizen of the Tlingit and Haida Tribes. Despite stepping down from the NCAI, she holds various other positions, including Fourth Vice President of the Central Councils of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska. She serves on several boards, including the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the George Gustave Heye Center of the National Museum of the American Indian, the Native American Advisory Council for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, and the Sealaska Corporation, one of thirteen Alaska regional corporations established by the federal government to administer the settlement of Alaska Native land claims. ²

During the Clinton administration, she was the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Native American Programs at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). She came to HUD after serving as the executive director of the Tlingit-Haida Regional Housing Authority based in Juneau, Alaska. ²

She was the former vice chair of the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation. She also served as chairwoman of the National American Indian Housing Council and was appointed to the National Commission on American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Housing. ²

As of October 2025, Pata was listed as the 1st vice president of the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, the largest federally-recognized tribal government in the state of Alaska. In August 2025, Council president Chalyee Éesh Richard Peterson was placed on personal leave from the position after misconduct allegations were made against him by a former fiancée alleging instances of abuse. During that time, Pata served as interim president until Peterson returned to his position later that month. ^{3 4}

Activities

“Change the Mascot”

Pata and Ray Halbritter, a representative of the Oneida Indian Nation, led the “Change the Mascot” movement to try to force the Washington Redskins football team to drop their name, considered pejorative toward Native Americans. ⁵

In July 2017, the Pata and Halbritter wrote a commentary in Time after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the team could move forward with getting its trademark. “The team now proudly stands with others, like the National Socialist Party of America and cross-burning bigots as famous voices of bigotry who needed landmark court decisions to spread their hate.” ⁵

Pata lashed out at a Washington Post poll that found 90 percent of self-identified Native Americans were “not bothered” by the football team’s name, arguing that Native American organizations have opposed the name. She said of the Post: “[A]nyone can create a poll on any issue. The survey doesn’t recognize the psychological impacts these racist names and imagery have on American Indian and Alaska Natives.” ⁶

In November 2017, she and Halbritter co-wrote a commentary in The Independent calling for “all journalists covering the Washington-New York [Giants] game on Thursday to honour the spirit of the Thanksgiving holiday by pledging to refrain from using the Washington team’s offensive R-word name in their coverage.” ⁷

Controversies

Suit against husband Chris Pata

NCAI suspended Pata for one week in 2014 after her the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians sued her husband and fellow NCAI employee Chris Pata among others for racketeering related to the theft and misuse of millions in tribal funds. ⁸ This was the NCAI’s first disciplinary action against her during the 18-year tenure running the organization.

In 2017, Chris Pata allegedly had a conflict with his supervisor; Jaqueline Pata brought in a third-party moderator but did not recuse herself from the matter, contrary to NCAI protocol. High Country News also reported that employees involved in the matter alleged to board members that Jacqueline Pata retaliated against them. ⁹

Work Environment Allegations

High Country News alleged that Jacqueline Pata was aware as early as 2014 of allegations of sexual, racial and other workplace harassment from top officials in NCAI. ⁹

The most prominent allegations involve John Dossett, a non-native general counsel for the organization. Dossett denied misconduct at a June 2016 NCAI conference in Spokane, Washington. Pata was reportedly informed about the allegation against Dossett within two weeks and acknowledged the complaint two months later; Pata allegedly accused the woman who made the complaint of having a substance abuse problem, according to High Country News. ⁹

Over the two years following the Dossett allegations, NCAI lost a reported 20 staff including the chief financial officer, the director of operations, and deputy director. In October 2018, the NCAI suspended Pata after about 40 member tribes issued a vote of “no confidence” in Pata’s leadership or otherwise demanded her ouster. ⁹

After Pata’s suspension in October, the NCAI executive committee named an ad hoc committee for a complete internal review of the organization. ¹⁰ In February 2019, Pata announced her resignation after 18 years, but would remain until a successor is hired. ¹