Gary McAdams

Gary McAdams served as President of the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes for four terms: July 1992-July 1996; July 1996-July 2000; July 2000-July 2004; July 2004-2008.

Gary McAdams currently serves as the Cultural Program Planner for the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes. He graduated from Gracemont Public Schools in 1973 and attended Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford, Okla. for two years majoring in English with a minor in Political Science before obtaining training as a mason from the Indian Action Team Trade School in Apache, Okla. Thereafter, he worked as a masonry subcontractor for the next ten years.

Mr. McAdams began his career in tribal service in 1986, when he was elected to the tribe's governing body and was subsequently hired as the Wichita Gaming Commissioner. In 1988, he was elected as the tribe's Vice-President and, in 1990, he became President and remained in office until 2008. In 1992, he began his long association with the language preservation activities of the tribe when he learned to read and write the language using the orthography developed by the linguist, Dr. David Rood. It was also at this time that he became immersed in the tribe's culture and history.

In 2009, Mr. McAdams came back to work for the tribe as a part-time language consultant to transcribe audio samples of the language and to assist with language classes. In 2010, he was hired as the tribe's Cultural Program Planner. As such, he is involved in all aspects of the cultural affairs of the Tribe. His main duties are to teach or facilitate language and other cultural education classes; provide language transcription services; give lectures on Wichita history; facilitate requests for academic studies and research related to the ancestral Wichita; respond to inquiries concerning Wichita history and culture; and to consult on matters related to various cultural resource protection laws.

Education:

• Gracemont Public Schools-High School Diploma, 1973
• Southwestern Oklahoma State University-1973-1975
• Indian Action Team Trade School, Apache, Okla.-1975-1976

Employment:

• Masonry Subcontractor-1976-1986
• Wichita Gaming Commissioner-1986-1990
• President, Wichita Tribe-1990-2008
• Language Consultant, Wichita Tribe-2009-2010
• Cultural Program Planner, Wichita Tribe-2010-Present

Other Past Experience:

• Wichita Tobacco Man-1994-2004 and 2010-Present
• Second to the Tobacco Man-1988-1994 and 2004-2010
• Chairman of the Wichita Annual Dance Committee-2004-Present
• Vice-President, Wichita Tribe-1988-1990
• Wichita Executive Committee Member-1986-1988
• Chairman, Lawton Service Unit Intertribal Health Board
• Chairman, WCD Enterprises, Inc.
• Member, Wichita Tribe Industrial Development Commission
• Anadarko Area Vice-President to the National Congress of American Indians
• Anadarko Area Representative to the PL-638 Negotiated Rule-Making Committee
• Oklahoma City Area Representative to the Indian Health Service Re-Design Committee