A warrior. A friend. A mentor. A family man.

That’s how Indian Country is remembering the late Ernie Stevens, Jr., who rose to prominence as the face of the $43.9 billion — and growing — tribal casino industry. His life and his legacy continue to weigh on the hearts and minds of many, following his sudden passing on September 26 at the age of 66.

“It’s been a long week,” said Jason Giles, the executive director of the Indian Gaming Association (IGA), the inter-tribal organization that Stevens led as chairman for more than two decades.

Stevens was a citizen of the Oneida Nation from Wisconsin. He was laid to rest over the weekend on his tribal homelands near Green Bay, with a memorial taking place on Friday followed by a burial on Saturday.

“The outpouring from Indian Country was unbelievable,” Giles said on the opening day of the Global Gaming Expo (G2E), the world’s largest gaming conference, on Monday.

“Everybody pulled together to host all of Indian Country,” Giles said in reference to tribal leaders, dignitaries and members of the public who traveled to the Oneida Nation for the services.

Many of the same well-wishers also made their way to Las Vegas, Nevada, where the gaming conference is taking place all week. As the elected chair of IGA, Stevens would have been there too, strengthening ties with fellow Indian Country leaders and developing new relationships with partners from all corners of the industry that he dedicated his life to.

“Ernie was a friend, he was a mentor, and he was an inspiration,” said Bill Miller, the president and chief executive officer of the American Gaming Association, the organization that puts on the event.

Miller noted that he was a relative unknown when he arrived at the organization in 2019. He told the crowd that one of the first calls he received was from Stevens, who he said was “one of the most visionary leaders” in the gaming world.

“I didn’t come from the gaming industry,” Miller said at a tribute in honor of Stevens on Monday. “I had little experience. I had not many contacts, and Ernie embraced me as a friend and a brother from day one.”

“He offered me advice when I asked for it, support when I needed it, and honestly, genuine friendship that I deeply value,” Miller said as G2E marked its 25th anniversary.

Frances Alvarez, a citizen of the San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians, said Stevens served as a mentor to her as well. She pointed out that he did the same for women throughout the tribal gaming industry.

“Chairman was a tremendous advocate for women in gaming. We all know this,” said Alvarez, who credited Stevens with helping prepare her for leadership roles in Indian Country, which include serving as chair of the Tribal Gaming Protection Network and president of the National Native American Hall of Fame.

“There was no distinction between the love he had for his family, and the love he had for Indian Country — or even the board that served with him,” Alvarez said at the tribute in Las Vegas.

“It was all the same. It was his big heart,” Alvarez remarked.

David Bean, a former chair and former council member for the Puyallup Tribe, was among the thousands who attended the services at Oneida over the weekend. He said being among Stevens’ wife, family and community reminded him of the meaning of leadership in Indian Country.

“You know, as Ernie did throughout life, he showed us in his passing that he was human,” said Bean. “He showed us every day when he spoke about his wife, about his family, about his grandchildren, about our women warriors, about our tribal leaders across the United States.”

“He told stories, and those stories were about family, community, culture,” Bean continued. “Through his words and through his actions, day in and day out, whether it was at home or on the road, his stories reminded us why we do the work that we do, why we tribal leaders do the work.”

“That’s to care of our family first and foremost, to take care of our community, to protect tribal sovereignty, to protect Indian gaming,” Bean concluded.

Right before his passing, Stevens had been in Washington, D.C., working on a number of high-priority and high-profile issues. During the week of September 15, he participated in the Tribal Unity Impact Days that were organized by the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), where he previously served as vice president and where he continued to work in collaboration and coordination with the largest inter-tribal organization in the U.S.

“We lost a warrior and diplomat,” NCAI President Mark Macarro said of Stevens on a previously-scheduled virtual event on September 29.

The event brought together tribal leaders and advocates to discuss the pending shutdown of the federal government. Macarro, who also serves as chair of the Pechanga Band of Indians, said Stevens would have been there too, advocating for the United States to fulfill its trust and treaty obligations.

“He was always present at gatherings like this, where tribal sovereignty is on the line, where tribal sovereignty needs to be advocated,” said Macarro.

“That memory of what he leaves us, the legacy of advocacy, is something that we can aspire to and use as a guide, as we move through difficult times like this,” Macarro said two days before the government eventually went into shutdown mode.

 ”Ernie was a tireless advocate for tribal nations,” said NCAI Executive Director Larry Wright, Jr., a citizen and former chairman of the Ponca Tribe,

“He was a bridge builder whose leadership elevated Indian Country and whose generosity lifted up so many of us,” Wright said at the virtual event.

The same week as Tribal Unity Impact Days, Stevens and the Indian Gaming Association were advocating for passage of the Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act. The bill puts tribal governments on the same footing as state and local governments when it comes to the federal National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), clarifying that tribes have a right to chart their own futures, as they have been doing with an industry that saw $11 billion in revenues in 2000, when Stevens was starting out at IGA.

“The Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act would amend the NLRA to treat Tribes rightfully as sovereigns by excluding Tribes and Tribal government-owned and operated enterprises in the same manner as enterprises owned and operated by all other sovereigns within the United States, including States, State political subdivisions (counties, cities, municipalities), the District of Columbia, and all U.S. territories and possessions,” Stevens and Giles said in an IGA alert about the bill on September 18.

After years of dormancy, Stevens and other tribal advocates revived work on the Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act when the 119th Congress convened in January 2025. The bill, numbered H.R.1723, cleared a major hurdle on September 17 when it was advanced by the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

“Tribal owned entities are often the largest employers on tribal lands and the only funding stream for essential services,” Rep. Mark Messmer (R-Indiana), who is one of the Republican co-sponsors of H.R.1723, said at the markup on the bill. “Tribal governments have a critical right to determine their own labor relations on their lands.”

Though the Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act remains controversial among labor unions and their Democratic allies on Capitol Hill, tribes and advocates are looking to the bill as a way to honor Stevens. They engaged in meetings with key lawmakers during the week of September 18, hopeful that they have secured bipartisan support to get it across the finish line.

“He had a vision,” Giles said of Stevens on Monday.

“Our association was more than just about gambling because it didn’t start with gambling, it started with tribal sovereignty,” said Giles, a citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation.

And a week before the meetings in the nation’s capital, Stevens was leading the IGA through its 2025 Mid-Year Conference and Expo. The event was hosted by the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community in Minnesota, where he reminded tribal leaders of the significance of their efforts.

“Indian Country has built a $43.9 billion industry that is a pillar of the U.S. economy, supporting nearly 700,000 jobs nationwide,” Stevens said at the gathering. “This success story is worth protecting, and we are prepared to defend it.”

Stevens was elected to his 13th term as chair of IGA during the organization’s trade show and convention earlier this year. The organization itself is marking its 40th anniversary, beginning life in 1985 as the National Indian Gaming Association, three years before the passage of the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) in 1988.

“Beyond his advocacy, Ernie was a bridge-builder, committed to forging trust among tribes, regulators, and Congress alike,” said Sharon Avery, who serves as the acting chairwoman of the National Indian Gaming Commission, the federal agency that was created by IGRA to oversee the tribal casino industry. The agency is funded by tribal gaming proceeds.

“He was a visionary who advocated for Indian gaming on an international stage, and also understood how strong oversight, integrity, and partnerships were essential for tribes to extend the blessings of tribal gaming for another seven generations,” said Avery.

“We mourn the loss of a leader who devoted his life protecting both the sovereignty and the continued promise tribal gaming represents to many nations. His work will help ensure the strength of tribal gaming and the futures he helped shape,” Jeannie Hovland, the vice chair of the NIGC, said of Stevens.

Prior to his role at IGA, Stevens served on the council of the Oneida Nation from 1993 to 1999.

“Ernie was an amazing man,” said Oneida Nation Chair Tehassi Tasi Hill. “While he is widely known for his work in Indian Gaming; our community and many others across Turtle Island know him for his unwavering support of his family, youth programming and the pursuit of sovereignty protection. Trail-blazing leaders such as Ernie pave the way for uncontested legacies and the Nation will be forever grateful for his unselfish contributions.”

Stevens leaves behind his wife, Cheryl, and his children Brandon, Ernest III, Margaret, Maria and Lois. He was a grandfather to 20 grandchildren.