For distribution to tribal news outlets, native organizations, university departments, and professional networks.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New Memoir Exposes “Governance Drift” in Tribal Government and Indian Gaming Era

A System Built by Tribal Members documents 30 years of institutional change, administrative expansion, and the human cost of exclusion in modern tribal governance.

Wilson, Michigan — August 27,2026 — Potawatomi leader, advisor, and advocate Leroy Roger Wandahsega Jr. announces the official release of his documented memoir, A System Built by Tribal Members: A Memoir of Tribal Governance, Drift, and Survival.

Drawing from over three decades of frontline experience across tribal housing, gaming, compliance, and community advocacy, Wandahsega delivers a critical historical record of how modern tribal institutions shifted from community-based governance to compliance-based control.

“The system was built by tribal members. But somewhere along the way, the system drifted away from them,” says Wandahsega. “Institutional drift doesn’t happen loudly. It happens quietly, procedurally, and permanently. Sovereignty cannot survive if the people who built the system are pushed out of it.”

Key Themes Explored in the Book:

• Indian Gaming & Expansion: How economic growth unexpectedly expanded administrative power and procedural barriers.
• Credentialing & Exclusion: How formal credential requirements quietly replaced traditional tribal preference and community leadership.
• Compliance vs. Sovereignty: How compliance mechanisms shifted from protecting tribal assets to penalizing community members.
• Protecting the Future: Practical frameworks for tribal councils, researchers, and future leaders to safeguard institutional integrity.

Availability & Formats

The memoir is available immediately across digital and physical formats, including specialized editions for institutions:

• Standard Edition ($11.99) — Immediate digital access for general readers.
• Premium Leadership Edition ($39.99) — Designed for tribal leaders, council members, and policy researchers.

To read an excerpt,

About the Author Leroy Roger Wandahsega Jr. is a Potawatomi leader, tribal governance advisor, and memoirist with more than 30 years of experience in housing, gaming, compliance, and community advocacy. His work focuses on documenting the lived impacts of governance drift and preserving tribal sovereignty through memory and accountability.

Media Contact: Potawatomi Life/ Media Relations