Ernie Stevens Jr., president of the Indian Gaming Association, called on the Biden Administration to appoint someone to the empty president position of the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) as soon as possible, stating the postponements are slowing down crucial business.
National Indian Gaming Commission:
The aforementioned statement was part of an interview Stevens had during the duration of the Indian Gaming Association (IGA) Tradeshow & Convention, which took place the previous week in Anaheim. However, he also said that he would seek one more mandate.
Exit and replacement of E. Sequoyah Simermeyer, who stepped down as president at the end of February to join FanDuel, was a large subject of conversation among the leadership of the association at the convention, according to Stevens.
Relatedly, the president of NIGC is named by the chairman and verified by the Senate. The other 2 members are named by the Secretary of the Interior. In addition, Jeannie Hovland, a member of the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe of South Dakota, was vice president of the NIGC.
On March 25, Deb Haaland, Secretary of the Interior, revealed the suggested reappointment of Hovland, as well as the appointment of the member of the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe of Michigan, Sharon Avery. Just 2 members may be from an identical political party.
Regarding the history of the NIGC, it was formed in 1988 with the enactment of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, which was enacted to promote and back up strong governments, self-sufficiency and tribal economic development via gaming operations in Indian territories.
The decision to involve the Biden administration:
Commenting on his decision to involve the Biden Administration, Stevens commented according to the source : “We’ve been trying to get the Biden Administration to move swiftly on this. For the last year, we’ve seen this coming. We lobbied then and are lobbying now. We continue to be respectful in our dialogue, but we’ve been constantly pounding away at it. We need active commissioners. To only have one is very difficult for us and the process. It’s hard to get anything done. Tribal gaming is a fast-moving process and we all have these background checks and land acquisitions. We’re in a funk, because it holds the process up.”
Several candidates have “their names out there”, according to Stevens. However, he has not named any names and is not actively promoting anyone. But he can potentially send a recommendation letter if anyone requests that from him.
In this regard, he said: “I want them to appoint somebody. I’m okay with a man or a woman. I want them to be educated and prefer they’re Native American and understand tribal gaming and economic development and know the background. A whole bunch of people have been educated in that manner. Years ago, we had to get some help, but almost 40 years later, we’re the experts. There are plenty of people out there to do the job.”
Furthermore, Stevens is an individual from the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin who isn’t interested in taking a position in the federal government.
Speaking on the subject, he commented: “I work for the tribes and I’ll work for the tribes until I retire.” Additionally, he intends to request re-election in 2025, when his mandate of 2 years ends.
“I’m 64 years old and I promise you, I won’t be in this office when I’m 70. I’ve been in this capacity for 23 years. Other people want to do my job and all kinds of people are capable of doing it. It requires dedication and commitment and travel,” he said.
Furthermore, Stevens said his father, Ernie Stevens Sr., 91 years old, was the 1st first staff director of the Senate Select Committee on Indian Affairs and first vice president of the National Congress of American Indians, meaning Stevens believes he lives in his shadow. Also, his father publicly supported indigenous rights, self-government, self-determination and sovereignty for nearly half a century.
Working with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Stevens played an important part in altering the trajectory of Native American tribal politics from the termination era to the era of tribal self-determination, based on information provided by the Native American Hall of Fame.
Stevens’ father was an icon who did something meaningful in terms of self-sufficiency and economic development for the tribes. On that note, Stevens commented: “My father did this in the 1960s and 1970s in the Nixon administration and didn’t have a cell phone or a fax machine, but he got it done. I passed him up on air miles many years ago, but with the success he had in his day, I still see that as an uphill battle. I have to do what I can to help the tribes.”
Extension of sports wagering as the biggest problem for tribes:
The extension of sports wagering remains a major problem for the tribes to address during the upcoming year. Together with online gaming, it will be a problem in the future and every state will be required to work with indigenous tribes.
Much of the interest at the conference was focused on fresh compacting regulations of the Department of Interior that rank tribes on par with commercial online operators. The regulations support the situation in Florida between the state and the Seminole Tribe. As for the situation, the tribe was given a monopoly on internet sports wagering outside the reservation. As for Stevens, he supports the rules.
Commenting on the possible extension of online gaming and sports wagering in the states, he stated: “I see that moving forward. IGRA says we have a right to take advantage of modern technology. When tribes have a particular opportunity, people think that’s an Indian thing. It’s not. We’re governments.”
Nonetheless, the tribal gaming industry, worth $43 billion, is booming, and when the various aspects of assets are taken into account, it is worth a total of $48 billion, according to Stevens. In addition, the tribes want to collaborate with anybody except those who want to utilize their cash to be in charge.
One concern of Stevens is unresolved legal actions to take over gaming rights and tribal sovereignty. Speaking on the matter, he added: “We will continue to take on anyone who fails to understand the true definition of tribal government. We’re governments and were doing economic development long before there was a United States of America.”
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