Ernest L. “Ernie” Stevens Jr., tribal gaming chief and youth advocate, dies at 66

Ernest L. “Ernie” Stevens Jr. — who led the Indian Gaming Association for greater than 20 years and helped oversee unprecedented progress in tribal gaming — died all of the sudden on Friday, Sept. 26. Stevens, a citizen of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin and chairman of the Indian Gaming Association board, was 66.

His household issued an announcement late Friday acknowledging his dying. “It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our Dad and Papa, Ernie Stevens Jr. We ask for privacy at this time as our family navigates this profound loss.”

Stevens’ dying got here simply weeks after he was acknowledged in Milwaukee for main the affiliation throughout a time when tribal gaming operations generated $43.9 billion in gaming income throughout fiscal yr 2024, marking the fourth consecutive yr of record-breaking efficiency. He was re-elected in April to his thirteenth time period as chairman of the IGA, having served within the function for twenty-four years.

Beyond gaming advocacy, Stevens was deeply dedicated to youth improvement. In a LinkedIn submit, United National Indian Tribal Youth noted on LinkedIn that he “understood that the strength of our Nations rests in the hands of our young people, and he consistently invested his time, voice, and leadership to ensure opportunities for them to thrive.” 

He served on quite a few boards together with the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development, the Nike N7 Foundation, the Center for Native American Youth and the Native American Advisory Board for the Boys and Girls Club of America.

Stevens served as an elected councilman of the Oneida Nation from 1993-1999 and as first vice chairman of the National Congress of American Indians. His affect prolonged throughout political boundaries, with Washington State House Speaker Pro Tem Chris Stearns calling him “a lion of a man” and “an inspiration in recovery” whose “faith in his fellow humans” was extraordinary.

Before his profession in tribal management, Stevens was an achieved athlete. In 1975, at age 16, he co-founded the Soaring Eagle Boxing Club in Oneida with famend boxer Louie Askinette. He was a four-time consecutive state heavyweight champion from 1976-1979 and a two-time National Heavyweight Champion in 1977 and 1978.

Stevens earned a number of honors all through his profession. He was inducted into the National Indian Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 2008, the Boys & Girls Club Alumni Hall of Fame in 2012, and have become a Lifetime Member of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium’s Alumni Association in 2013. In 2015, he was inducted into the American Gaming Association’s Gaming Hall of Fame.

Mark Powless, chairman of the Oneida Gaming Commission, honored Stevens in August, saying: “From the boxing ring to the boardroom, in his career, he has demonstrated strength, vision, and resilience that uplift tribal communities nationwide. His leadership has advanced tribal gaming and empowered tribal governments.” 

Stevens acquired an affiliate’s diploma from Haskell Indian Junior College in 1983, a bachelor’s in prison justice from Mount Senario College in 1996, and a grasp’s in administration from the University of Phoenix in 2021, in line with his bio on the North American Indigenous Athletics Association. Haskell University honors his legacy by internet hosting the annual Ernie Stevens, Jr. Classic basketball event.

He and his spouse, Cheryl, had been married for greater than 45 years. Stevens leaves behind a transformational legacy in tribal sovereignty advocacy, youth mentorship, and financial improvement that helped safe billions in income for tribal communities throughout the nation.

Native News Online offered reporting to this story.

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