Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation President Clinton M. Pattea will be one of six individuals recognized for his contributions to Indian gaming next month at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University.

The individuals, named “Pathbreakers” for their leadership in helping tribes achieve economic freedom, will be lauded during a national conference sponsored by the College’s Indian Legal Program.

“Indian Country’s Winning Hand: 20 Years of IGRA” will be Oct. 16-17 at Radisson Fort McDowell Resort & Casino. The awards dinner will be Oct. 16 in the resort’s Courtyard Plaza.

The “Pathbreakers” were selected by their peers for being in the forefront of efforts to restore tribal self-sufficiency and respect since the inception 20 years ago of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.

Pattea has served on the nation’s Tribal Council at various times for more than four decades.

Much of Arizona’s success in Indian gaming often is attributed to the visionary leadership of Pattea, who was involved in negotiations in the 1990s with then-Gov. Fife Symington who refused to discuss a compact with the nation.

Robert Clinton, foundation professor of law and a co-chair of the conference’s planning committee, said Indian gaming has been the “white buffalo of the reservation economies, providing the first successful means of economic self-sufficiency for many tribes since their traditional economies were destroyed or decimated through the processes of non-Indian settlement of their former lands.”

Clinton described the award recipients as “modern-day warriors who have successfully and selflessly fought important battles for their people, without any thought of personal gain — the mark of a true tribal leader.”

Other “Pathbreakers” will be:

Frank  L. Chaves, former chairman, New Mexico Indian Gaming Commission; Richard G. Hill Sr., chairman, Oneida Nation of Wisconsin; John A. James, chairman, Cabazon Band of Mission Indians; Mark Macarro, chairman, Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians; and  Ernest L. Stevens Jr., chairman, National Indian Gaming Association.

Past Fort McDowell President Raphael Bear will be a speaker during the conference.

To obtain tickets for the conference or banquet tickets, visit www.law.asu.edu/ilp or call Darlene Lester at 965-7715.