WORLEY - Mark Few, head coach of the Gonzaga men's basketball team, has led the Bulldogs to 315 victories and 12 straight NCAA Tournament appearances.

The secret to Few's leadership, his blueprint for sustained success, is rather simple: Surround yourself with the best staff you can find, and then work together to reach your goals.

"When people have a vested interest, they're going to work harder and feel better about it," said the 48-year-old coach. "I've always tried to make Gonzaga as attractive a place as possible for people to work. People, at the end of the day, are what make organizations successful."

Seated alongside Coeur d'Alene Tribe Chairman Chief Allan, Few spoke to a large audience of American Indians at the Coeur d'Alene Casino Resort on Tuesday afternoon. Answering Allan's informal questions, he talked of character, toughness and the "'Zag Way."

"We all hit adversity. How you react to that is the whole key - being a leader first, and as an organization," Few said. "The mantra that we use is 'You can either be the warrior, or the victim.'"

The accomplished coach was a luncheon speaker at the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians Mid-Year Conference, hosted by the Cd'A Tribe.

More than 400 American Indians - representing 61 tribes - are attending the multi-day gathering. The event began Monday and wraps up tonight.

"I think it's one of the best conferences they've had in a while, because the agenda's been so diverse," Allan said. "It's just a different approach to some of the same issues Indian Country faces. It's a really well-rounded agenda."

Allan asked Few about building a small-market program. What advice could the coach offer small Indian communities that are trying to grow?

"We didn't start where we are right now. 1999 was kind of the start of our run," Few answered.

Early on, Gonzaga played in a tiny gymnasium and dressed in a locker room slightly bigger than a janitor's closet, he added. But with every great win, every tournament victory before a national audience, the Bulldogs climbed toward greater heights.

Now Gonzaga boasts a state-of-the-art facility and a flourishing athletics department.

"Step-by-step, we've been able to build our program," Few said. "I'm a firm believer in 'success builds success.'"

A bevy of guest speakers filled out the conference schedule early in the week.

On Tuesday morning, Rep. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d'Alene and chairman of the Idaho Council on Indian Affairs, discussed the relationship between the Coeur d'Alene Tribe and Idaho's elected representatives.

Prior to the 1990s, Nonini said, Democrats were consistently chosen to represent the Panhandle, and the Tribe struggled to gain ground in Boise. North Idaho lawmakers fought uphill battles against a Republican-controlled state legislature, and rarely won.

But the situation has changed, Nonini said. With occasional exceptions, Republicans have replaced Democrats in the North Idaho seats.

Legislation supported by Tribe members can now make headway at the capitol.

"What once was tough for the Coeur d'Alene Tribe to move forward, I believe in the last 15 years has totally switched," Nonini said. "I believe it's all because of nurturing and developing relationships."

He brought up the successful fight against invasive species in Lake Coeur d'Alene, and the demise of a bill that would have raised cigarette taxes on the reservation.

A cooperative management plan for Lake Coeur d'Alene has also run smoothly, Nonini said.

"The plan would have never moved forward without relationships between the Tribe and elected officials."

Other guests throughout the week included U.S. Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho, Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations Director Tony Stewart and the well-known Shoni Shimmel, a Umatilla Tribe member who plays basketball for the University of Louisville.

"(The conference) is real good. I was hoping for more people, but other than that it's been real interesting," said Dave Wynne of the Spokane Tribe. "Some (speakers) have been real interesting."

Founded in 1953, ATNI is the oldest regional tribal advocacy group in the country, according to a Cd'A Tribe press release. Between keynote speakers, tribal leaders discuss a wide array of Indian issues, including sovereignty, education, economic development and social services.

"I find it's just a good forum for hearing what the topics of the day are in the communities," Mary Collins, director of the Museum of Anthropology at Washington State University, said Tuesday. "I work a lot with our American Indian studies group and also with the tribes. So far, so good."

Communication and networking are hallmarks of the ATNI conferences. Tribe members from Alaska, California, Oregon, Montana, Nevada, Washington and Idaho have assembled in Worley. Their jackets, jewelry and accoutrements speak of their proud heritage and history.

"I'm happy to see so many friends and different tribal leaders from all over the Northwest," Allan said.