Makai Zuniga, a member of the Northern Paiute, was born to teenaged parents and raised in the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony. In spring 2018, he dropped out of college, worked minor gigs in music video production in Los Angeles, and when he ran out of money, got a job assembling car batteries at the Tesla factory near Reno. He wanted to make as much money as possible and move back to LA.
But deep-seated tribal values kept stirring his conscience. He knew he could make more of his life through serving and restoring his community. Today, Zuniga is a second-year student at UNLV’s William S. Boyd School of Law, following his heart on a path to become a leader in Native American justice.
“Indigenous culture is all about your community,” Zuniga says. “You think about people who came before you. And if you are in a space to give, you want to bring people with you.”
Zuniga is enrolled in the Indian Nations Gaming and Governance (INGG) program at Boyd Law.
The program was made possible by the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, whose $9 million gift to UNLV is also funding the Tribal Education Initiative housed in UNLV’s William F. Harrah College of Hospitality. Together, these programs have made UNLV the epicenter of Indian gaming education.
The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians’ philanthropy was instrumental in Zuniga’s decision to attend Boyd Law and become an attorney.
“San Manuel is the perfect example of what tribal philanthropy can do,” he says. “They are known for investing in education, infrastructure, and health care. Their casinos support their people. They helped me see a future in gaming law.
“I’d love to get more tribes in Nevada involved in gaming. It can change what a tribal government is capable of protecting,” he adds. “Gaming can be a pathway for tribes to actualize their sovereignty, to invest in traditional ecology. It can be a catalyst for economic and cultural growth.”
Unlike commercial casinos, tribal casinos are legally mandated by the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 to use their profits for the benefit of their tribal members.
“Gaming revenues have done wonders for tribes that are able to harness it,” says INGG Director Danielle Finn, a citizen of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. She is the only female Native academic faculty at UNLV. Under her direction, the school recently approved an INGG concentration that will prepare Native and non-Native students in the field of Indian and tribal law through research, curriculum, and practical experience.
Tammi Tiger, director of the Hospitality College’s Tribal Education Initiative and a citizen of the Choctaw Nation, also sees gaming as a transformative opportunity for Native members, as well as a powerful career option for students. She is building a program that will forge closer relationships between students and tribes, and connect tribal colleges across the country to UNLV.
“We can grow our own to be leaders in gaming hospitality,” Tiger says, echoing a goal of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians gift.
“Tribal values are closely tied to hospitality. We have traditional ways of welcoming and recognizing others. At UNLV, we are building a community where Native students know they have family, even if they’re far from home.”
Zuniga, who recently reactivated UNLV’s participation in the Native American Law Student Association and serves as its chairperson, welcomes the greater visibility of Natives on campus. “UNLV feels more inclusive,” he observes, “and that’s only possible because of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians and how much they have given. They are the embodiment of Indigenous values."
