The Gaming Commission welcomed new hires this summer in Guymon, OK.
Huston Garcia (Administrative Assistant)
Hello! My name is Huston Garcia, I grew up in Guymon. I have two daughters (11-year-old and 7-month-old). I’m so very thankful for this new opportunity to serve the Shawnee Tribe as an Administrative Assistant for the Gaming Commission. I have also enjoyed working in gaming for Golden Mesa Casino for the last three (3) years. The casino has given me many opportunities to learn and grow professionally. I’m also continuing my education at Oklahoma Panhandle State University in Goodwell, OK.
Natasha Minter (Compliance Officer)
My name is Natasha Minter and I joined the Shawnee Tribe Gaming Commission on July 5, 2022. I moved back to Oklahoma from Wisconsin in 2019 and started working at Golden Mesa Casino as a security officer. I worked my way up to Security Supervisor and then Operations Supervisor, before coming to the Shawnee Tribe Gaming Commission. I found that I really have a passion for the gaming industry and have made it my personal goal to learn and advance as much as possible. The past few years have been an amazing experience and I am looking forward to many more years with the Shawnee Tribe.
Leslie Baker (Internal Auditor)
*Not pictured*
Leslie worked for the Golden Mesa Casino for almost three (3) years as the Senior Accounting Clerk. She was responsible for revenue audit, gaming and vault reconciliation, game reporting accuracy, and other accounting clerk duties. She has a bachelor’s in Animal Science and Biological Science from Oklahoma Panhandle State University.
DOWNLOAD National Indian Gaming Commission’s “Independence of Tribal Gaming Commissions and their Functions”.
EXPLORE the Tribe’s Golden Mesa Casino.
The 2023 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree will be harvested from Monongahela National Forest, which is part of the Shawnee ancestral homeland. The tribe’s THPO is teaming up with National Forest staff to ensure the Capitol Tree includes representation of the Shawnee Tribe. On Friday, September 15 at our General Council dinner & stomp festivities in […]
Early voting by absentee ballot (vote-by-mail) is offered in 2023. All voted ballots must be received by the Election Committee by 5:00 PM (Central) on the Thursday before the election, September 14. Voters may return their ballots by mail or deliver the ballot in person to the Election Committee. Any citizen participating in early or […]
CHIEF BEN BARNES As the celebration of Independence Day fades into the background, this is the time of year that the Business Council begins to look toward the next fiscal year and plan programming for Shawnee families. We generally have two sorts of programs: those that come from federal funding sources and those that are […]
In February of 2023, the Shawnee Tribe Business Council approved a revision to Title 6, The Shawnee Tribe Elections Act. This amendment of…
MORRIS BLUEJACKET HOMETOWN: BLUEJACKET, OK CURRENT CITY: BLUEJACKET, OK OCCUPATION: RETIRED Born in Vinita raised in BlueJacket. Graduate of BlueJacket High School. I am married to Pattie (McLain) BlueJacket for 46 years. We have One son Tab & wife Tiffany, 5 Grandchildren. I have worked in state & county government for the past 34 years, […]
HEIDI BIGKNIFE RANKIN HOMETOWN: DENVER, CO CURRENT CITY: TULSA, OK OCCUPATION: ARTIST Hatito or hello friends and fellow citizens, I am Heidi BigKnife. My Shawnee roots stretch from Vinita, Oklahoma to our tribal lands in Kansas and Ohio. I am an artist and live and work in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Most of my art practice is […]
BEN BARNES (Incumbent) HOMETOWN: MIAMI, OK CURRENT CITY: MIAMI, OK OCCUPATION: CHIEF OF THE SHAWNEE TRIBE For over 25 years, I have served in leadership roles in Indian Country, professionally at director-level positions in Tribal Gaming. Since 2008, it has been a true honor and privilege to work for my own community, working to bring […]
Shawnee Tribe Behavioral and Mental Health invites you to join an upcoming trauma support group centered around the book The Body Keeps the Score by Dr. Bessel van der Kolk.