Governor Bill AnoatubbyEvery good house is built on a solid foundation. There can be no substitute for a firm, substantial footing, and when we talk about a house, we are talking about physical elements.
When we talk about a program, a business or a tribe, we are focusing on the essential support systems that make the entity successful.
We are greatly blessed at the Chickasaw Nation to have a tribe with a rock-solid foundation.
Many of our elders will recall when we sometimes felt as if we were on shifting sands. The mid-20th Century environment in which tribal nations operated was not particularly favorable. Many would even characterize those times as a period of daily struggle – and they would be correct.
It is important to understand the small steps taken by the tribe during those challenging times.
The Chickasaw Nation was utterly dependent on the federal government for its scarce programs and services. There were no tribal businesses or other entities that might conceivably contribute to the tribe’s dreams and initiatives. There were even no tribal elections until later in the period.
The Chickasaw people could access only the barest education, housing, health care, nutrition and other programs. What we had was each other. That unbreakable connection continues to this day, and 50 years ago, it was the singular bond that held us all together. We all had the belief things could get better if we built on our cultural foundation of perseverance and achievement.
During the decades of the 1970s and 1980s, we learned how to better access and utilize the federal funds on which we depended for basic services. We became familiar with representatives and officials who could assist us on our drive to build that solid tribal foundation.
During this time, it became clear we could not, over time, sustain the healthy, robust programs and services we envisioned on federal largesse alone. For the Chickasaw people to grab hold of the tremendous education, health care, housing and other opportunities we as a tribe envisioned, the Chickasaw Nation would have to grow.
Growth, to us, equaled self-sufficiency and Chickasaw opportunity. We embarked upon a course of tribal commercial expansion with the goal of a vibrant and self-sufficient nation dedicated to improving the lives of its people.
Our growth was not without its fits and starts. Anyone who has engaged in business knows the keys to success most often lie in an organization’s ability to adapt and respond positively to challenges. Our tribe learned to adapt and base decisions on commercial reality and environment.
In the 1990s, the Chickasaw Nation began to break through and hit its stride. We built businesses on a firm base of market evaluation, conservative projections and management follow-through. We built our quality management team from within, and that has proved a strong and essential pillar in our success.
Today, our elders can recall the days of struggle, and fully appreciate our current reality. We always remember it is our people we serve, and our entities that provide the financial foundation are in place strictly to serve the Chickasaw people. The times have changed, but our mission has never varied.
It is with great pride that we point to our successes in commerce. However, the real proof of our success is the new Chickasaw university graduate; the new home welcoming a Chickasaw family; Chickasaw elders gathering for a nutritious meal and fellowship; the finest health care for our people.
Together we have accomplished much, and together the opportunities for future service are limitless.
