Tribal Leaders and dignitaries gathered at the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass on the Gila River Indian Reservation on November 16, 2012 to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of the passage of Proposition 202. That initiative continued gaming on tribal lands and shared revenues with the people of Arizona. The dinner event honored the Tribal leadership of 2002 and Governor Jane Dee Hull who signed the gaming compacts.  Ivan Makil, founding partner Generation Seven Strategic Partners and former President of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, presented Governor Hull with an honor blanket to thank her for her long-standing commitment to Tribes in Arizona. 

Timothy Hinton, Vice-Chairman of the White Mountain Apache Tribe and Chairman of AIGA, gave the opening prayer. The approximately 250 guests were welcomed by Governor Greg Mendoza, Gila River Indian Community, President Diane Enos, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community and Raymond Etcitty, Chief Operating Officer of the Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise. 

Fox 10 News Anchor John Hook was the emcee for the evening. Hook expressed his appreciation to be invited to the event. “This is rating week and it is very unusual for the station to let me off the air, but this a very special evening for all Arizona,” he said, pointing out that he had covered Prop 202 as a reporter ten years and avidly followed the success of Indian gaming.   

Among the many dignitaries attending were former Superintendents of Education for Arizona Carolyn Warner and Jaime Molera, Director of the Arizona Office of Tourism, Sherry Henry; Dr. Terry Hull who accompanied his wife Governor Jane Dee Hull, and Dr. Peter Rhee, Medical Director, UMC Trauma Program, Chief, Division of Trauma, Critical Care and Emergency Surgery University of Arizona Department of Surgery.

Other special guests included Miss Indian Arizona, Devanie Duwyenie; Miss Ak-Chin Indian Community, Alyssa Garcia; Miss Gila River Indian Commuinity, Raeging Storm Miles; and Miss Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, Elisa Briones.   

The evening debuted two short videos. The first focused on tribal life, pre-gaming; the second described  the many benefits of Indian gaming for Tribal people and all Arizonans. Indian gaming revenues support education, trauma and emergency care, wildlife conservation and tourism statewide. The videos were produced by Annette Alvarez of Generation Seven Strategic Partners.  AIGA also presented each guest with a commemorative 10 year anniversary booklet that featured photographs by well-known Arizona photographer, John Running.  The evening closed with an Honor Song and Dance performed by Hashan Kehk Dancers, Tony Duncan, Ken Duncan & Yellow Bird Dancers and Moontee Sinquah & The Wild Band Singers.

 “In the past ten years, Tribal gaming revenues have funded hundreds of millions of dollars to our State, cities, towns and counties and countless charities,” said Valerie Spicer, Executive Director Arizona Indian Gaming Association. “A decade of sharing is a major landmark that we wanted to celebrate.  Our theme, A Decade of Contributions; An Investment for Generations says it all.” 

Presenting sponsors for the evening event were the Gila River Indian Community, Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise and the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.  The Ak-Chin Indian Community, Tohono O’odham Nation, and San Carlos Apache Tribe with Apache Gold Casino were Premier Sponsors. Supporting sponsors included Cliff Castle Casino, Cocopah Indian Tribe, Havasupai Tribe, KRB Consulting, Lewis & Roca, Osborn Maledon, Pascua Yaqui Tribe, White Mountain Apache Tribe and Willetta Partners.

The Arizona Indian Gaming Association (“AIGA”), a 501 (c) 6 non-profit organization, has a membership of 17 tribes representing 90% of the Indian people living on reservations in Arizona.

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