Ak-Chin Indian Community: Bright Present & Brighter Future

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Members of the Ak-Chin Community Council work hard to develop and advance the Community while protecting its cultural and environmental integrity. This team works well together and has made strides in working with neighboring communities while moving forward in community services and development.

2017-2018 Ak-Chin Community Council members left to right, Delia M. Carlyle, Ann Marie Antone, Chairman Robert Miguel, Vice Chairman Gabriel Lopez, and Alvin Antone. (Courtesy of The Runner)

One of the most visible symbols of this team’s success is the multi-million dollar expansion at Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino. Completed areas include the spa, a conference center with multiple ballrooms and meeting rooms, a parking garage, additional restaurants and more than 200 additional rooms. The resort’s new tower is 17 stories high and is joined to the casino by a pedestrian bridge called the Skyway. Throughout the casino, the gaming floor was refurbished with games restored on a new floor.

As part of the expansion, the Harrah’s Ak-Chin Hotel and Casino will be upgraded to a bigger, more attractive location.

Two new restaurants on site offer specialty food in comfortable atmospheres. Oak and Fork features quality wine paired with small plates. And Chop, Block and Brew specializes in gourmet burgers, steak and seafood cooked over a wood-burning mesquite grill.

Another accomplishment, the Ak-Chin Indian Community Tribal Transit started in winter 2017, offering free transportation to all within the community. Riders can use regularly scheduled routes or call for demand-response service within Community boundaries.

Ak-Chin Indian Community Tribal Transit (Courtesy of The Runner)

Members of the Ak-Chin Community Council also represented the Community at sponsored events. One of the best-known local events is the Waste Management Phoenix Open presented by the Ak-Chin Indian Community. The Community served as the event’s presenting sponsor since 2016.

Ak-Chin Indian Community Is The Local Presenting Sponsor Of Waste Management Phoenix Open

The 2017 Waste Management Phoenix Open Presented by The Ak-Chin Indian Community pumped $389 million into Arizona’s economy according to an economic impact study by the Arizona State University W.P. Carey School of Business.

Another popular event hosted in part by the Community Council, the Native American Basketball Invitational (NABI) happens each summer. Teams travelled to represent Native American tribes from across the country and around the world. In addition to exciting basketball competition, the event also strives to support Native American youth with programs that encourage higher education, sports, health and wellness and community.

Native American-Basketball Invitational 2017

The Ak-Chin Community Council also oversees the Ak-Chin Endowment, benefitting the Indian Legal Program at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University. The endowment provides scholarships for anyone interested in learning about and pursuing a career in Indian law, according to a Pinal Central article.

While the scholarship is open to non-Native Americans, Ak-Chin Chairman Robert Miguel noted in the article that he hopes it will increase interest in studying law among members of the area’s Indian tribes.

Your Ak-Chin Community Council members are Chairman Robert Miguel, Vice Chairman Gabriel Lopez, and members Alvin Antone, Ann Marie Antone, Delia M. Carlyle. Here’s to a job well done by this outstanding team!

Carolyn Sostrom

Carolyn Sostrom is a long-time Arizona resident who loves desert sunsets, warm weather, Zumba, and the Western lifestyle. She attended Saguaro High School in Scottsdale and then Arizona State University, earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Similarly to the protagonist in *The Devil Wears Prada*, Carolyn moved to New York City right after college. She started working for the fashion magazine company Conde Nast but never transitioned to the dark side. After a few years, she left New York in the rearview mirror and returned to her home state, taking a reporter job at the *Apache Junction Independent*. With over 30 years of freelance writing experience, Carolyn especially enjoys writing about community events and profiling individuals who are making a difference in their communities. She had the pleasure of interviewing a variety of cowboy personalities for an article she wrote for the *Scottsdale Independent* about the history of DC Ranch and its roots as a working ranch. Now, her Western adventures with CLN have her diving into the rugged automotive scene, exploring the trucks and rigs cowboys rely on for work, home, and play, a niche where grit meets horsepower. She works at Raising Special Kids, a nonprofit resource center for families of children with disabilities and special healthcare needs. Carolyn also volunteers with the Autism Society of Greater Phoenix. Carolyn believes that everyone has a story, and she loves connecting with others to hear their stories. She’s dedicated to ethical journalism and accurate reporting, which shines through in her storytelling.