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 Ernie
Stensgar was born and raised on the Coeur d’Alene
Indian Reservation. He has served as Chairman of
the Coeur
d’Alene Tribal Council since 1986
and as President of the Affiliated
Tribes of Northwest Indians, representing
55 Tribes, since 1996. He has been Chairman of the
Alliance of Idaho Tribes and is the Portland Area
vice President for the National
Congress of American Indians.
Ernie’s leadership qualities-his honesty,
good judgment and courage have made him a trusted
leader in Indian Country. He also is well known
and well respected among federal and state elected
officials, who seek his counsel and advice on important
issues to Tribe. The Idaho Governor’s Office
maintains regular and direct communication with
Ernie on matters as varied as gaming, the Tribe’s
stewardship of its lands and waters, and taxation.
Ernie has been a strong and effective advocate for
Tribal issues in the state Legislature and the halls
of Congress. He was in the forefront of Idaho Tribes’
efforts-ultimately successful in 2002-to maintain
their gamin operations, and has been a tireless
fighter against state taxation of Tribal businesses
in Idaho, battles the tribe also has won. He understands
the importance of Tribal unity on issues that affect
all Tribes, and has been a leader who can unite
and inspire Tribes to reach common goals.
When the Department of Interior announced the creation
of the “Bureau of Trust Assets Management:
of BITAM in November of 2001, Ernie, along with
other Tribal leaders, rejected the Department’s
move, insisting that Tribes have meaningful involvement
in any reform of the BIA. Ernie was selected by
other Northwest Tribal leaders to represent them
on the “Tribal Leaders Task Force” organized
to advise the Interior on trust reform.
He was a dedicated and tireless member of the Task
Force. Interior disbanded the group, disregarding
Tribal leaders’ plans, and embarked upon a
forced reorganization of the BIA. Ernie has since
been a leader of Tribal opposition to the reorganization,
and continues to speak out against this attempt
to dismantle the Bureau and limit the federal government’s
trust responsibilities to Tribes.
Ernie is the first tribal leader to be listed among
Idaho’s 100 most influential people. He is
the first tribal leader to be named to the Idaho
Hall of Fame. He is the first tribal leader to be
honored with the prestigious Bayard Rustin Award,
given to individuals who make a dramatic impact
on the advancement of Human Rights. He is also the
first tribal leader to be awarded an honorary Doctor
of Laws Degree from Gonzaga University in Spokane,
Washington.
In 1986, when Ernie was elected Chairman of the
Tribal Council, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe employed
fewer than 75 people. Today, it provides jobs to
some 1,400 people and is the second largest employer
in north Idaho and one of the largest in the Inland
Northwest.
The tribe’s economic impact on the region
approaches $100 million annually. Under Chairman
Stensgar’s direction, the tribe invests its
dollars directly back into the region; creating
new industry, new jobs, contributing millions of
dollars to tribal and public education and increasing
funding for vital tribal programs.
The recent opening of the Tribe’s Circling
Raven Golf Club has transformed the Coeur d’Alene
Casino Resort Hotel from a tiny bingo hall to a
full destination resort, one of the finest in the
Northwest.
The tribe’s Benewah Medical Center, opening
in 1990, has grown to become a national model for
both Indian and rural health care. It represents
the first time in U.S. history that an Indian tribe
became a health care provider for the non-Indian
public. The BMC now serves over 10,000 patients
in the region.
In his own words, Ernie Stensgar is a “Reservation
Indian, born and raised.” He first left the
reservation to attend Chilocco Indian School in
Oklahoma, graduating in 1965. Ernie joined the United
States Marine Corps immediately after Chilocco,
serving in Vietnam. He was seriously wounded in
combat in 1967 and was awarded the Purple Heart.
Ernie has also served as a member of the Tribal
School Board, Co-Chairman of the Idaho Centennial
Committee and in many other public service positions.
He is the Commander of the Joseph R. Garry American
Legion Post #5 in Plummer, Idaho and also the District
Commander. He created the Coeur d’Alene Warrior
Society, made up of veterans on the Coeur d’Alene
Reservation.
He has five adult children: Carol, Laura, Matt,
Shirley and Reno. He also has 10 grandchildren.
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