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We asked tribal leaders discuss their current priorities, how innovation is shaping their gaming and hospitality strategies, and how they cultivate leadership to support long-term stability and growth. Here is what Chair Wena Supernaw had to say…
Wena Supernaw, Chair
Quapaw Nation
Downstream Casino Resort – Quapaw, OK; Quapaw Casino – Miami, OK
downstreamcasino.com / quapawcasino.com / quapawtribe.com
PRIORITIES: Our top priority is to grow and add Tribal Member Service programs to help our tribal members. This includes employment opportunities, increased social service levels, and new programs. All our social services are funded by our gaming enterprises. The Quapaw Nation is proud to offer these services to increase the well-being of all our tribal members.
Healing our reservation lands through environmental remediation is critical to healing our home. After 70 years of unregulated and unsupervised mining, it left a major portion of our reservation with the Tar Creek Superfund site. Without the federal and state funding, we would have to rely on the gaming enterprises to perform this critical land remediation.
Cultural preservation, growing and revitalizing our language, our museum, and library all exist because of gaming revenue. Critical community services such as the Quapaw Nation Marshal Service, Fire/EMS, Quapaw Nation Courts, and Emergency Services are almost completely funded by gaming revenue. These services are not available exclusively to tribal members, but to all members of our community.
Continued economic development is also a priority and is dependent upon all our other goals and heavily dependent upon gaming revenue to diversify our enterprises.
INNOVATION: Our digital footprint is expanding rapidly. The Quapaw Nation, through the Downstream Development Authority and Saracen Casino & Resort, developed an online sportsbook (OSB) that has been operational for four years in the State of Arkansas. According to gaming analyst Eilers & Krejcik, BetSaracen is the 14th largest online sports betting app (based on handle) in the U.S. Saracen Casino & Resort has also developed an iGaming application in anticipation of Arkansas legalizing iGaming in the state. The Quapaw Nation’s latest entity, Ka-Ni Ventures LLC, has its eye set on growth through jurisdictions outside of Arkansas.
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT: Three years ago, the Quapaw Nation undertook a large reorganization to accomplish a couple of goals. First, there was an incredible amount of talent already present within the government. The goal here was to flatten the organizational structure so that talent could be brought forward for the benefit of our tribal members. Second, we recognized the importance of having strong leadership of those divisions, so we engaged outside service providers to pinpoint the types of leadership development needed. We are still on that path of executing leadership development and hopefully that will continue. We see that as an investment in our talented employees that continue to pay dividends in more efficient services to our tribal members. These full-time employees are not subject to elections or appointments. They are the rock on which our Nation stands.
