Zuber Lawler: Cultivating Tribal Cannabis: Tribal Sovereignty and Cannabis: What Matters and Why

Moderator

Chris Parrington, Partner, Zuber Lawler

Christopher Parrington represents cannabis companies in respect of deals, regulatory work, and litigation. He has represented cannabis clients located in many of the states that have passed legislation legalizing cannabis (whether at the medical or recreational level). Mr. Parrington has the knowledge, understanding, and experience necessary to advise clients through the myriad challenges of navigating state laws and local government rules and regulations relating to cannabis. He has also represented clients attempting to navigate through the regulatory landscape that resulted from the federal government’s legalization of hemp under the 2018 Farm Bill including continuing hemp operations under the 2014 Farm Bill, creation of compliance policies and procedures under the 2018 Farm Bill, and issues related to the interstate transportation of hemp.

Panelists

Seth Pearman, Attorney General, Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe/Native Nations Cannabis 

Seth Pearman is an enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. He attended the University of South Dakota from 2005-2009, received a Bachelor of Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting and participated in the USD honors program. After his first year of law school, Seth was a legal intern for the United States Attorney’s Office in Pierre. During his second year, he was a summer associate for Fredericks Peebles & Morgan LLP in Rapid City, South Dakota. He received his juris doctorate in 2012 from The University of South Dakota School of Law and has served as the Attorney General for the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe since passing the bar. Seth is also the President of the South Dakota Indian Country Bar Association and is the former Chair of the State Bar of South Dakota Indian Law Committee.

In his role as Attorney General, Seth has created many tribal businesses, structured development projects on and around the Tribe’s Reservation, and has litigated matters on behalf of the Tribe in state, federal, and tribal court. He was pivotal in the development of Native Nations Cannabis, the Tribe’s wholly owned cannabis operation that cultivates, processes, and distributes cannabis on the Tribe’s Reservation, and for its expansion in Indian Country, nationally, and internationally. 

Mary Jane Oatman, Executive Director, Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association 

Mary Jane Oatman is an enrolled member of the Nez Perce Tribe and descendant of the Delaware Tribe and proud mother of three beautiful people. She is the Executive Director of the Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association, founder of the Indigenous CANNabis Coalition (ICANNC) and publisher of THC Magazine. She enjoys being able to grow her passion both in her communities as well as across the nation as a traveling culture and events photographer. Mary Jane has found her true vibe capturing special moments with plants and people.

Mary Jane has been dedicated to reclaiming Indigenous cultures and restoring pre colonial economies in hemp and cannabis. She has worked for her tribe and other communities to advocate to state and federal agencies to protect tribal sovereignty and to ensure more effective government to government relationships are steered by building bridges between diverse stakeholders. In 2009, Oatman was the youngest member appointed by President Barack Obama to serve on the National Advisory Council on Indian Education, while also serving as the first Director of Indian Education for the state of Idaho.

Mary Jane is on the founding board for the JUSTUS Foundation and currently serves as the president of the Idaho ACLU and on the board of directors for the Association of Cannabis Health Equity and Medicine (ACHEM). She has also served on the Minority Cannabis Business Association board. She is a certified fitness instructor and loves fishing, gathering and chopping wood for the sweat lodge when she is not searching for stories that heal.

Joe Montoya, CEO, Green Chief Farms 

Joe Montoya is an enrolled tribal member from Big Valley Rancheria Band  Of Pomo Indians also is the CEO of Green Chief Farms, a Native American owned cannabis company that operates in the California tribal market. Green Chief Farms was created under the Big Valley Rancheria tribal cannabis ordinance and has operated since 2018. Joe works closely with tribes & tribal leadership in cannabis  to help develop the tribal cannabis market. Joe was one of the first tribal members from Big Valley Rancheria band of Pomo Indians to be fully licensed into the California tribal cannabis market. Joe passion is to bring help & knowledge  to tribes across the country through plant medicine.  

Lindsey Renner, Owner, Native Humboldt Farms

Lindsey Renner is an enrolled member of the Round Valley Indian Tribes of Northern California. She is the owner of Native Humboldt Farms, and is fully integrated into the California recreational market. She’s a 25 year cannabis advocate, and has been growing outdoor sungrown cannabis for 15 years. She uses natural and indigenous farming practices to grow craft cannabis, and she is always looking out for the best interest of the consumer. Vertical integration allows her the ease of pivoting to combat the volatile regulatory structure and market in California. She was one of the first 250 companies, one of the first ten women, and the first enrolled tribal member to be licensed in California January 1, 2018. She is currently consulting with Tribal Nations to help write local and National ordinances to ensure the sustainable and successful roll out of the Tribal cannabis market. She highly emphasizes regenerative cannabis and food agriculture. Her mission is to help support a regenerative supply chain from Humboldt County to the Bay Area, as well as restoration efforts within Tribal communities. She sees cannabis as a catalyst to support the regeneration of Tribal communities throughout the nation, and she is working diligently to help facilitate that vision. Lindsey is an instructor at Cookies University and partnered with Cookies Enterprises on their Humboldt Grown Initiative.