Marshall Ralph Gover

Pawnee Nations’s former President Marshall Gover’s impressive career, he has fought at the front lines of Direct Service Tribes, tribal public health issues, and veteran’s affairs issues. President Gover is a Marine combat Vietnam Veteran who served two tours in Vietnam honorably. During his tenor, President Gover has proven himself as a fearless leader as a Councilman, Vice President, and former President of the Pawnee Nation, proving to the United States Congress that Pawnee Nation meets all definitions of a Federally Recognized Reservation in the State of Oklahoma, confirmed and approved by the BIA Field Solicitor, which began the first ever tribal Road Maintenance Program created and owned by a reservation in Oklahoma. He worked with IHS officials on the HHS Secretary’s Technical Advisory Committee, served as a member of the Pawnee Service Unit Health Board, served on the Southern Plains Tribal Health Board, the Direct Service Tribe Advisory Committee, and various other national committees. President Gover was one of few Tribal Leaders who met with President Obama on Health Disparities concerning American Indians and Alaska Natives. He worked with IHS to prove line item monies can be moved the same as Self Governance in three line items: dental, mental health, and clinics and hospitals.

Because of his work with
Direct Service Tribes and American Indian Veterans, he was awarded the IHS
Director's Special Recognition Tribal Leadership Partnership Award, AARP Indian
Elder Award, he has been honored by the U.S. Veterans Affairs and in 2016 the
Direct Service Tribes Advisory Committee honored him with the Carole Anne Heart
award at their national awards ceremony. President Gover has been a small
business owner and is a master silversmith and artist, with his work currently
being displayed in the Chicago Field Museum. He served as a two-time drum
keeper and Vice President for the Pawnee Indian Veteran’s Organization, a
lifetime Tail dancer for the Skidi war dance, and sat on the Advisory Committee
of tribal leaders and veterans for the Smithsonian’s National Native American
Veterans Memorial that is located prominently on the National Mall in
Washington, D.C. His strength comes from his lovely wife, Jaci.

Marshall is survived by his
wife Jaci Gover, his two daughters; Jacqui Robb and her husband Kent and
Jenifer LittleSun and her husband David; his sisters, Joy White and her husband
Bob, and Ada Barber and her husband, Robert; step-children Crystal DeLeon and
her husband Gilbert, Jay Zito and his wife Brenda; grandchildren, Logan Robb,
Taylor Robb, Carter Robb, Alexia Zotigh ShieldChief, Kaydee Zotigh, Nicole
Alcorn, Shelby LittleSun, Anthony DeLeon, Dylan DeLeon, Dominic DeLeon, and
many, many other great grandchildren, nieces, nephews. He is preceded in death
by his parents, Stephen G. Gover, Vera F. Gover, his brother Stephen C. Gover,
his sister Aline A. Hyatt and his step-son Michael-Paul Culbertson. In his free
time, he loves to laugh and tease with family and friends, as well as
participate in Pawnee ceremonies and war dances.