Indian Gaming Association Chairman David Z. Bean Honors Native Youth at UNITY’s fiftieth Anniversary Kickoff Breakfast

SEATTLE, WA — November 18, 2025 — The Indian Gaming Association Chairman, David Z. Bean, delivered the keynote deal with on the UNITY fiftieth Anniversary Kickoff Breakfast on the Sheraton Grand Seattle, the place he joined Native youth, advisors, and UNITY alumni in celebrating 5 many years of management and group power.

Chairman Bean started his remarks by celebrating UNITY’s lengthy historical past of empowering younger folks and offering them an area to seek out their voice. He mirrored on his personal youth and the affect of attending early management gatherings throughout the Northwest. These experiences, he shared, helped him understand that Native youth possess worth, goal, and actual affect of their communities. “When I attended youth conferences as a teenager, we learned that we matter, that we have a voice,” Bean stated, remembering the steerage that formed the beginning of his management journey.

He spoke about overcoming challenges and discovering power via teachings handed down from mother and father, grandparents, and ancestors. He reminded the viewers that every technology carries the prayers and sacrifices of those that got here earlier than. “We are who our ancestors prayed for. We are who our ancestors sacrificed for,” he shared, explaining how these teachings information him as a father, grandfather, and chief in Indian Country.

A central focus of the UNITY Breakfast was the lasting dedication that the late Ernie Stevens Jr. confirmed towards Native youth all through his life. As a longtime Chairman of the Indian Gaming Association, he labored tirelessly to make sure younger folks had been seen, supported, and given each alternative to steer.

Chairman Bean emphasised that Stevens persistently stood with UNITY and comparable packages as a result of he believed deeply within the power and promise of Native youth. As Bean reminded the room, “Unity was built for each and every one of you”, a message that echoed Stevens’ lifelong dedication to lifting the subsequent technology. Bean additionally shared, “Through his actions, encouragement, and unwavering presence at youth events, Ernie Stevens Jr. set a powerful standard for honoring and preparing young leaders who will guide their communities forward.”

UNITY leaders, tribal advisors, and IGA representatives proceed to hold that message ahead as a tribute to Stevens’ legacy and lifelong work to create extra alternatives for Native youth.

Chairman Bean inspired UNITY members to know that management begins nicely earlier than holding a title or formal place. He reminded them that their actions for his or her households, faculties, and communities are already shaping the way forward for their nations. “Each and every one of you is important. UNITY was built for you,” he stated, urging them to hold on the teachings and obligations that include being a part of Indian Country’s subsequent technology of leaders.

He closed by affirming that the subsequent fifty years of UNITY shall be outlined by the younger individuals who had been within the room, and by those that will comply with. The way forward for tribal nations, he stated, is held within the arms of younger individuals who know who they’re and the place they arrive from.

Tribal authorities gaming revenues are a significant supply of assist for Native American youth in many countries. These funds assist finance scholarships, youth management journey, cultural and language packages, and different alternatives that improve identification, group bonds, and private progress. 

These investments allow younger folks to participate in nationwide occasions like UNITY, pursue greater schooling, and develop useful abilities that put together them to offer again to their communities. Tribal gaming additionally funds packages for elders, veterans, and important group companies, making a secure basis that helps youth develop into robust, assured leaders for the long run.