Sycuan Band of Indians
Native American tribes are sovereign. This sovereignty is validated from treaties and agreements between the tribes and the United State government. What this means is that tribes operate as independent, self-determining governing bodies in trust with the federal government. Indian tribes are equivalent to states in their relationship with the federal government.
As a sovereign government, an Indian tribe is governed by an elected tribal council. The Sycuan Tribal Council consists of seven democratically elected officials who enact laws and promulgate regulations to ensure the health, welfare, and safety of the reservation and its people. The Sycuan council maintains government-to-government relationships with local, state, and federal governments. The council also serves as the board of directors for the various business enterprises of the tribe.
The seven members of the council are the Chairwoman (or Chairman), the Vice-Chair, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and three council members at large. All serve a four-year term (next election is 2002). The General Council, defined as Tribal members 18 years and older, are eligible to vote and to hold office.
In addition to tribal laws, Sycuan also complies with federal laws and any applicable state laws. Also, like all U.S. citizens, Sycuan tribal members pay all federal income and withholding taxes on their earnings.
On the other hand, the Sycuan tribe, like the state of California, is not required to pay federal taxes. But beginning in 2002, under terms of the Tribal/State compact between Sycuan and the State of California, Sycuan will be paying a percentage of its gaming revenues into a trust fund administered by the state. The money in this fund will be distributed to state and local governments.