Governor Bill AnoatubbyOn this July 4, United States Independence Day, we mark the 234th anniversary of our country’s Declaration of Independence from Great Britain.
This day marks the most significant annual celebration for all Americans. We recognize the day our country threw off the yoke of colonialism, and began the battlefield struggle for our fundamental American freedoms.
The American Revolutionary War began in 1776. Real independence was not achieved until the surrender of British Gen. Cornwallis at Yorktown in 1781. This American victory was followed by the official recognition of American independence with the 1783 Treaty of Paris.
For those of us who are citizens of both the U.S. and the Chickasaw Nation, July 4 marks a day of celebration. We can celebrate this day, and also recall the contributions Chickasaws have made throughout the history of the U.S.
Chickasaws, and citizens of many other tribal nations, had great impact on the outcome of the Revolutionary War. Our warriors sided with the British in our traditional homeland area of the Southeast. It was only with Chickasaw assistance that the French colonialists were forced to withdraw. With the end of hostilities between the British and Americans, the Chickasaws and Americans made peace.
With the establishment of the United States and the historic presence of the many Indian tribes, the new government quickly recognized the tribes as sovereign entities. This recognition is traced to the "Commerce Clause" of the U.S. Constitution, which empowered the U.S. Congress to regulate commerce with the tribes. Our sovereignty was and is legally derived from this commercial regulation as this element impacted exclusively sovereign foreign powers and sovereign Indian tribes.
Of course, our history as a tribe of long standing with a fully functioning government in what was to become the United States is the bedrock upon which our sovereignty rests.
Each of us understands how we exist as a sovereign nation within the United States, and enjoy the pride of being citizens of both the U.S. and the Chickasaw Nation. Despite the many hardships over the generations, Indian people have been among the most devoted American citizens. As a population, Indian men and women serve in the U.S. military in much higher proportion than the U.S. population as a whole. Indians, since the country’s establishment, have continually sacrificed to guarantee our American freedoms.
We have embraced the American nation, and all the good things she represents, since our country’s inception.
We also treasure our Chickasaw Nation. We have maintained our Chickasaw culture throughout the centuries of federal Indian policy gyrations. We have cherished and preserved our tribal government structure and ensured its survival during times of attempted elimination and total assimilation. Most importantly, we have counted on each other and nurtured the essence of our tribe with the strength of Chickasaw families, friends and fellow citizens.
It is possible to celebrate the birth of the U.S., be a patriotic American citizen, and still be completely loyal and committed to the Chickasaw Nation. People who are not Chickasaw often have trouble understanding our love of both nations.
But for us, our dual citizenship is unique, historic and completely natural.
For both the United States and the Chickasaw Nation, we celebrate the relationship, the freedoms and the sacrifices that have brought us to this point of enjoying all the blessings of being American, and being Chickasaw.
