Indian Gaming Association Chief Visits Lawton

On Friday, October 28, Ernest Stevens Jr. was invited by the Comanche Nation to visit the Assisted Living Center in Lawton, Oklahoma. He’s a Oneida from Wisconsin.

He is the chairman and Chief spokesperson for the Indian Gaming Association. He represents approximately 150 member tribes of the association, which is a nonprofit trade association.

“We work on tribal sovereignty issues, tribal government gaming, and anything else that the leadership needs us to do. It's a lot of big organizations in Washington, D.C. now, and especially with the National Congress of American Indians,” Stevens said. “So those are our sister organizations that we work for and with all the time. So, we're monitoring legislation, we're monitoring sovereignty, we're monitoring issues that could be regional or local. Any way we could help the tribes, that's our task.”

He said he visited after seeing the chairman and passing all the time.

Stevens said they're pushing the GetUp and Vote rally in Oklahoma City with the United Tribes of Oklahoma. He said one of the main goals is to establish a middle ground.

“You know, for me, it's just being in Indian country. That's the blessing of my job, and to be able to see all the shake hands of all the elders and get to visit with folks today, that's amazing. My main purpose yesterday was to participate with all the Oklahoma leaders and doing our best to get out the vote in Indian country,” he said. “And that's something I continue to do and always have done. Again, we're a non-profit trade association, so I don't pick a side and, you know, I don't tell people who to vote for. But I make sure that we get out there and get out there strong, supporting candidates who understand and respect tribal sovereignty. And then when it's all done, you know, there's a lot of candidates come in the office that either don't understand or don't believe or don't agree. We're at their doorstep.”

Sevens said he could set up the environment, but said nobody is more powerful than the tribal chairman, administrator and council, and when he saw Comanche Nation in Washington, Stevens promised to visit.

“They come to Washington, D.C. So, when Comanche came to Washington, I promised that I'm coming to Comanche,” he said. “So, this is my fulfillment of my exchange, because these are the folks that make it happen. They're the ones that allow me, empower me, and stand by the educational work we try to use in working with the government. Today, to talk with those elders, you know, to talk with them and interact with them, it's just amazing. So, you know, Chairman Woommavovah, he's a dynamic leader. But more importantly, he's just like all the other old-school leaders. He's in touch with his community, and he wants his community to feel the presence of Washington, D.C., and that's why I'm here.”