Thompson is a council member for the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe in Bishop, California and previously served as the chairman and vice chairman. He is currently the Board Secretary for the Inter-Tribal Council of California, Inc. His Tribe is located within Death Valley National Park, the only Tribe with Trust Lands inside a National Park. The park is the largest U.S. National Park outside of Alaska. Jimmy John has been working with partners to ensure that cultural tourism and the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe are front and center in the park.
