Chief James Allan
Coeur d’Alene Tribal Chairman

Chief James Allan was born in Spokane, Washington in 1972. He grew up on the Coeur d'Alene Indian Reservation, with one brother and four sisters and a large extended family. In 1991, Chief graduated from Lakeside High School and was the first in his family to go to college. He attended Eastern Washington University in Cheney, Washington, where he received his BA in Political Science in 1996. Chief understands the commitment that it takes to fulfill educational goals and encourages Indian students to make the commitment to complete higher education.

With a first name like "Chief", many had high expectations for Chief and he worked hard to fulfill them. After graduating from college, Chief was hired by Coeur d'Alene Tribal Chairman Ernie Stensgar as a legislative assistant. He later served as the Legislative Director for the Tribe until he accepted a position as Legislative Associate with the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) in 2000 and moved to Washington, DC. While employed in his capacity within the legislative arena, Chief was able to navigate the complex world of public policy. In 2001, Chief was called back by his Tribe to serve as the Administrative Director. His diverse responsibilities included oversight of 19 Tribal departments made up of over 300 employees, and a budget nearing $10 million.

In 2003, Chief was elected to the Coeur d'Alene Tribal Council and the following year, was elected to serve as the Vice-Chairman for the Coeur d'Alene Tribe. The trials and tribulations of serving as an elected official did not discourage Chief from maintaining a high level of motivation to complete public service with integrity. Despite his many commitments while holding public office, he continued his responsibilities as Administrative Director until May of 2005, when Chief was elected to the position of Chairman.

In his tenure as Administrative Director, Chief's priorities focused on streamlining policies and procedures throughout tribal programs and recruiting quality staff in key positions within the Tribe. As Chairman of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, his priorities will be to maintain the accomplishments reached during his years as Administrative Director. In addition, he will work to expand economic development opportunities on the reservation, increase the retention rates of Native youth in both high school and college, and promote family involvement in all areas of life on the reservation.

Chief currently lives in Worley, Idaho with his wife, Elva (Cookie) Allan, their daughter, Sophia Maria Allan and son, Chief Natatqn Allan.