Ak-Chin Indian Community Elects Two Tribal Council Members

The Ak-Chin Indian Community has elected Gabriel Lopez and Ann Antone to its tribal council.  Each will serve a three-year term and join Louis J. Manuel, Jr., Delia M. Carlyle and Robert Miguel on the tribal council.

Lopez, who has previously served three terms on the council, strongly believes in making education a priority for community members. Lopez also believes it is important to keep the native language alive because it is “vital in keeping our culture and traditions.”  He is also very proud of the path that the community is headed toward with the expansion of economic development projects and the “bright and prosperous future” it will bring to community members.

Antone will be serving her first term on the council.  She has held several jobs in the community, including positions with the Recreation and Education departments and at Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino. Antone believes that education is the key to the future success of the community. She plans on working as a team with other council members to take into consideration the opinions of all “community members on any matters of importance.”

The swearing-in ceremony for both council members will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 21 at the Service Center.  The elections were held on Jan. 11.

About Ak-Chin Indian Community:

The Ak-Chin Indian Community is nestled into the Santa Cruz Valley of Southern Arizona. The community lies 58 miles south of Phoenix in the northwestern part of Pinal County.  Ak-Chin is an O’odham word translated to mean “mouth of the wash” or “place where the wash loses itself in the sand or ground.” Ak-Chin has an enrollment of more than 1,004 tribal members and a land base of just over 22,000 acres. The Ak-Chin Indian Community has a variety of business enterprises including Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino, Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club, UltraStar Multi-tainment Center at Ak-Chin Circle and Santa Cruz Commerce Center. For more information, visit www.ak-chin.nsn.us.