Purcell Powless
Chairman : Bill Houle , Fond du Lac Tribe
Vice Chair : Purcell Powless , Oneida of Wisconsin
Treasurer : Fred Thomas , Sr ., Kickapoo Tribe of Kansas
Secretary : Josephine Jackson , Saginaw Chippewa Tribe of Michigan ment ’ s treaty obligations . Gorton ’ s defeat was a high point for Indian Country , and underscored NIGA ’ s philosophy that there was great strength in working together .
Again , Chairman Hill ’ s brilliant sense of humor as he retold these stories summed up this era in NIGA ’ s history perfectly : “ You want a lifetime of work ? Educate the white man about tribal sovereignty .”
Post-NIGA Activity
On a high note , with victories in California , Arizona and Washington , Chairman Rick Hill retired from NIGA in 2001 , after nine years of nonstop travel and testimony . In a testament to his leadership through difficult times , he was the first tribal leader named to the American Gaming Association ’ s Gaming Hall of Fame , and was personally inducted by the AGA ’ s founder , Frank Fahrenkopf .
In the NIGA election of 2001 , Ernie Stevens , Jr . was elected to follow Hill as chairman of NIGA . Like Hill , Chairman Stevens carries the legacy of all the NIGA founders who came before him . In closing his speech in 2013 , Chairman Hill made a spontaneous roll call of those NIGA board members with whom he had worked . This list is not comprehensive , but reflects the names he mentioned spontaneously that day :
“ Keller George , Jacob Viarrial , Clinton Pattea , Mark Powless , Jerry Hill , Frances Skenandore , Milo Yellowhair , Tim Martin , Tom Acevedo , Chairman Milanovich , Stan Crooks , Kurt Bluedog , John McCoy , Marge Anderson , Wendall Chino , Audrey Kohnen / Bennett … Steve Geller , Frank Fahrenkopf , the NIGC chairs , Tony Hope , Phil Hogen , Monty Deere , Harold Monteau …” And the list goes on ....
Of course , Hill ’ s engagement with tribal government gaming did not end when he retired from NIGA . Rather , his work continued to reflect the best of tribal economic development and diversification . He
In 2019 , now NIGA Chairman Emeritus , Hill was as busy as ever . One of his most highprofile projects was securing funding for a documentary called Bright Path , about Jim Thorpe , a Sac and Fox tribal member and Olympic champion , arguably the greatest athlete who ever lived .
played a lead role in the creation of the Four Fires hotel project in Washington , D . C ., and the Three Fires project in Sacramento . He returned to tribal leadership as elected chairman of the Oneida Tribe back home in Wisconsin , and he continued to support his successor at NIGA , Stevens , his lifelong friend and athletic rival .
In 2019 , now NIGA Chairman Emeritus , Hill was as busy as ever . One of his most high-profile projects was securing funding for a documentary called Bright Path , about Jim Thorpe , a Sac and Fox tribal member and Olympic champion , arguably the greatest athlete who ever lived . As a humble leader whose style was to lift up others , Rick was relentless in his pursuit of support for the film . He could be seen wearing ( and distributing ) sweaters with the letter “ C ” on them , in order to remind others that Thorpe attended Carlisle Indian School , where his athletic prowess was first on display .
In spite of these uplifting projects , Rick saw clearly that popular and political support for tribal sovereignty was never secure , and the legal attacks would keep coming , whether on tribal identity and families ( the Indian Child Welfare Act ) tribal land claims ( the Carcieri decision ), or tribal voting rights . As recently as the NIGA Tradeshow in San Diego in 2019 , he asked me once again the one question that frames them all : “ How can tribes expect to get a fair trial in a court that sits on stolen land ?”
Rick Hill passed away on the Oneida Indian Reservation on December 13 , 2019 . Indian Country will never be the same . His humor , brilliance , generosity and wit were the foundation of NIGA during a turbulent time in tribal gaming ’ s history . They are an enduring legacy , both for those who knew him and those who came after , but continue to benefit from his tireless commitment to tribal rights .
Katherine A . Spilde , Ph . D ., MBA , is a professor with the L . Robert Payne School of Hospitality and Tourism Management , and the endowed chair of the Sycuan Institute on Tribal Gaming at San Diego State University .
36 TRIBAL GOVERNMENT GAMING 2020