WASHINGTON, D.C. – Sharon House, 75, a passionate advocate and influential figure in Indian gaming, recently passed away on September 1, 2024.
“Sharon’s legacy will motivate both present and future advocates in pursuing justice and equity for Indian gaming and the communities we represent,” said Ernie Steven, Jr., Chairman of the Indian Gaming Association. “Sharon embodied an unwavering commitment to protecting and promoting the inherent sovereignty of Native American tribes. As a trailblazer in Indian Gaming Regulatory Law, she devoted her life to empowering tribes to be self-governing and to sustain their governments through economic development. Beyond her legal expertise, Sharon was a mentor, educator, and advocate, inspiring a new generation of Native American attorneys and leaders.”
House graduated from St. Mary’s School for Episcopal Indian Girls in Springfield, SD. She attended Cottey Junior College in Nevada, MO, and Black Hills State University in Spearfish, SD, where she received her Bachelor of Science degree. She then attended the Oneida CETA Paralegal Program and was accepted into the Pre-Law Summer Institute for American Indians (PLSI) at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. In 1983, she received her juris doctorate from the University of Wisconsin Law School in Madison, WI. House specialized in Indian law, negotiations, gaming, gaming regulation, franchising, corporations, and financing. She was a member of the State Bar of Wisconsin, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court.
From 1971 until her retirement, House worked in several capacities for the Oneida Nation, including Youth and Career Development, In-House Counsel Attorney for the Oneida Gaming Commission, and Appellate Court Judge. She also served as legal counsel for many tribes throughout Indian Country in gaming and gaming regulation.
Some of House’s many awards and accomplishments include Student of the Year from the National Indian Education Association, Student of the Year from the Legal Educational Opportunity Program, and she received a Special Achievement Award from Black Hills State University. She was recognized as being a member of the first board of the “Women’s Participation in the Bar” through the Wisconsin State Bar. She was legal counsel for the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin Negotiation Team for Gaming Compact Negotiations with the State of Wisconsin, as well as being legal counsel for the negotiation teams for the Shoshone Bannock Tribe and the State of Idaho gaming compact and the California State Association Attorney work group and the California Gambling Control Commission. House was also a member of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) and the National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA) Task Force to negotiate and limit IGRA amendments. She co-chaired the Minimum Internal Control Standards tribal work group for NCAI and NIGA. She was also nominated by the NCAI and NIGA task force to sit as the NIGC Commissioner, which she declined.
In 2010, House received the 2010 Great Women of Gaming Proven Leader Awards from Casino Enterprise Management. She deeply understood the critical importance of self-governance for tribes, recognizing that they should regulate themselves with the dignity and autonomy they rightfully deserve. With this in mind, she helped establish and develop the National Tribal Gaming Commissioners and Regulators (NTGCR) in the mid-1990s with support from NIGA, ensuring that tribal gaming is conducted with integrity and respect for tribal sovereignty.
House will be remembered by all who knew her for her laughter, sense of humor, loyalty, genuineness, and willingness to stand up and fight for what’s right for people and tribes. She impacted Native American people throughout Indian Country during the past, present, and future.
