Bernadine Burnette, president of the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, is the newly elected president of the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Inc. (ITCA).

During her two-year term, she will help ITCA achieve its mission of promoting Indian self-reliance through public policy development.

The Inter Tribal Council of Arizona was founded in 1952 to provide a united voice for the 21 tribal governments located within the state to address common areas of concern.

Twenty-three years later, the council established ITCA as a private, non-profit corporation that is comprised of the highest elected tribal officials to offer an independent resource for obtaining, analyzing and disseminating information critical to Indian community self-development.

AZ Business magazine named Burnette one of the “50 Most Influential Women” for 2019. In April, the National Indian Gaming Association honored her as a “Woman Warrior.”

Burnette has led Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation for more than two decades, during which time she has held the position of secretary, vice president and president.

She has also served as vice president of the Arizona Indian Gaming Association and secretary of the National Indian Gaming Association, with current and past memberships in the National Congress of American Indians, the National Tribal Environmental Council, the National Indian Education Association, and the MAG Regional Council.