Kennis (Ken) Bellmard is a member of the Kaw Nation. Ken is a 1976 graduate of Ponca City, Oklahoma High School where he was a three-time State wrestling place winner culminating in an undefeated season and a State championship. Ken was selected to the Oklahoma All State Wrestling team and was a USWF Junior National All-American and an AAU Greco-Roman National Champion. Ken competed in Bulgaria in 1975 and Japan in 1976 as a member of the Oklahoma AAU Wrestling team.

Ken was a NCAA Division II National runner-up for Augustana College (SD) in 1977. He was a member of the Northern Oklahoma College wrestling team in 1978 and was a letterman for the Oklahoma State University Wrestling team in 1980 and 1981. Prior to entering Law School, Ken was a Junior High Wrestling Coach in Ponca City, Oklahoma where he coached a State Championship Team. He was also a High School Wrestling Coach at Newkirk, Oklahoma, where he coached a State Runner-up Team.

Ken has been a Practitioner of Native America Law since 1990. Ken received an Associate of Arts degree from Northern Oklahoma College (1978), a Bachelor of Arts degree from Oklahoma State University (1981) and a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Law (1989). Ken is presently serving as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Economic Development at the United States Department of the Interior-Indian Affairs.

A member of numerous professional associations, he has served as Chair of the Indian Law Section of the Oklahoma Bar Association and has been named as one the Best Law Firms for Native American Law in Oklahoma by US News and World Report. Ken has been on the forefront of Oklahoma Indian Gaming Development and Energy Development on Indian land.

Ken is active in Kaw Nation cultural activities and has been a member of the Kaw Nation’s Cultural Committee and was drum keeper for the Kaw I-Lon-Shka Ceremonial Dances. As a member of the Board of Directors of USA Judo, Ken attended the Beijing and London Olympics as a member of the USA Judo delegation.