Ernie Stevens Jr. oversaw record-breaking Tribal Gaming growth

Ernest L. “Ernie” Stevens Jr. — who led the powerful Indian Gaming Association for more than 20 years while working to help others through community activism — died suddenly on Friday, Sept. 26. He was 66.

His family issued a statement late Friday acknowledging his death.

“It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our Dad and Papa, Ernie Stevens Jr.,” they said in a statement. “We ask for privacy at this time as our family navigates this profound loss. More information and announcements will be shared in the coming days. Thank you for your prayers and support.”

Jason Giles, executive director of the Indian Gaming Association, also released a statement late Friday to ICT.

“Our IGA Board and staff are stunned and saddened by Chairman Stevens passing,” the statement said. “Out of respect for his wife Cheryl, his lovely family and the Oneida Nation, we will issue a full tribute at the appropriate time. Please send your prayers to the Stevens family.”

Giles later stated in a press release that Stevens was “more than a chairman … he was a warrior, a statesman, and a champion for all of Indian Country.”

Stevens did his best to protect the integrity of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, Giles said. A historic win for tribal nations in 1988 and a federal law that established the gaming framework in Indian Country.

“His vision and commitment built bridges across tribal nations, Congress, and federal agencies, ensuring that tribal gaming remained a cornerstone of tribal self-determination and economic growth,” Giles stated in the news release. “His legacy will be unmatched, and his voice will echo for generations to come.”

In many ways, Stevens was larger than life, yet he was humble in his strong and effective advocacy for tribal nations and their members, said Willie Hardacker, longtime legal counsel for the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, who met Stevens through work over 25 years ago and came to count him as a friend.

“He always treated me with the utmost respect, and I feel confident that’s how he treated everybody,” Hardacker said. “He was a tireless advocate, just constantly working. His loss to Indian Country is enormous, and he will be greatly missed.”

Stevens’ death came just weeks after he was recognized in Milwaukee for leading the association during a time when tribal gaming operations nationwide reached record revenues of more than $43 billion in 2024. A growth from $11 billion in 2000 which made “Tribal Government Gaming the largest segment of the U.S. gaming industry, according to the association’s press release.

“Ernie Stevens Jr. has dedicated his life to Indian Country with unwavering commitment and passion,” Mark Powless, chairman of the Oneida Gaming Commission, said in honoring Stevens on Aug. 12 in Milwaukee.

“From the boxing ring to the boardroom, in his career, he has demonstrated strength, vision, and resilience that uplift tribal communities nationwide,” Powless said. “His leadership has advanced tribal gaming and empowered tribal governments, and we are proud to honor his achievements and lasting legacy.”

Stevens, a citizen of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, was re-elected in April to his 13th term as chairman of the IGA on the final day of the Indian Gaming Tradeshow and Convention in San Diego, California. The IGA is based in Washington, D.C., and works with the federal government and Congress to develop policies and advocate for tribal gaming issues.

He told the crowd gathered in San Diego in April that he was proud to continue serving.

“Together, we will vigorously advance our proactive agenda and stand ready to unite Indian Country to defend tribal sovereignty at all costs,” he said. “I promised each of you that I would dedicate myself fully — morning, noon, and night — to champion our interests in tribal government gaming.”

He told the gathering in August in Wisconsin that he would redouble efforts to work with the Washington leadership.

Stevens served as an elected councilman of the Oneida Nation in Wisconsin from 1993-1999, and also served as first vice president of the National Congress of American Indians, according to the Oneida Gaming Commission’s announcement when he was honored in August.

He was inducted into the American Gaming Association’s Gaming Hall of Fame in 2015, and served on the boards with the Center for American Indian Enterprise Development and the Nike N7 Foundation, the executive board for the Center of Native American Youth and on the Native American advisory board for the Boys and Girls Club of America.

Stevens was also an athlete, starting as a boxer in his teens. He was inducted into the National Indian Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 2008 and into the North American Indigenous Athletics Hall of Fame in 2022.

In 1975, at age 16, he joined with renowned boxer Louie Askinette in co-founding the Soaring Eagle Boxing Club in Oneida. He was a four-time consecutive state heavyweight champion from 1976-1979, and was a two-time National Heavyweight Champion out of Carson City, Nevada, in 1977 and 1978, according to the North American Indigenous Athletics Hall of Fame website.

He received an associate’s degree from Haskell Indian Junior College in 1983 and a bachelor’s in criminal justice from Mount Senario College in 1996, the North American Indigenous Athletics Hall of Fame reported. He obtained a master’s in management from the University of Phoenix in 2021.

Even with a long list of accomplishments, “Chairman Stevens always believed his greatest accomplishment and legacy was his family,” the association stated in the news release.

He and his wife, Cheryl, were married for more than 45 years. He leaves behind his five children: Brandon, Ernest III, Margaret, Maria and Lois; and his 20 grandchildren, according to the association.

Stevens was born July 5, 1959, and based in Oneida, Wisconsin.

The news of Stevens’ sudden death sent waves of shock across Indian Country.

“At a time when the Indian Gaming Industry was experiencing exponential growth and challenges, it needed a dynamic and visionary leader,” said Phil Hogen, former longtime National Indian Gaming Commissioner. “They found one in Ernie Stevens, and Tribes and Indian communities are so much better off on account of Ernie’s leadership. He will be sorely missed.”

Deb Parker, chief executive officer of the National Native American Boarding School Coalition, said on social media, “We will always remember the time and energy you spent uplifting our lives. Ernie Stevens Jr., may you rest in peace.” Stevens sat in the crowd and participated in the organization’s Day of Remembrance event on Sept. 16 at IGA’s conference center in Washington, D.C.

Gila River Indian Community Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis said at a symposium in Arizona that Stevens was “an incredible person, a brother to me.”

“He was a friend to the Gila River Indian Community, deeply admired for his leadership and unwavering advocacy to protect tribal sovereignty,” Lewis wrote in a statement. “Stevens was the face of tribal gaming and one of our strongest supporters. He led with heart, integrity, and devotion, and he will be remembered as a wise and faithful servant of his people.”

The Oneida Nation of Wisconsin will fly its flags at half-staff until funeral services are completed.

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