Governor Bill AnoatubbyRecall, adapative nature have served Chickasaws well
The great British wartime prime minister Winston Churchill paraphrased philosopher George Santayana when he said, during the war, "A nation that forgets its past is doomed to repeat it."
Churchill was most likely referring to the unresolved issues of World War I, which led to Germany's attack on England and the onset of World War II.
When I consider the history and progress of the Chickasaw Nation, I am frequently reminded of Churchill's statement. Our tribe, unlike so many other sovereigns, has displayed a true dedication to recalling our past in great detail.
As a long-established sovereign nation, the Chickasaws first met the challenge of European entry by defeating the adventurer Hernando De Soto in 1541. Of course, this was just the beginning of many changes to come over the generations.
The Chickasaw Nation was particularly adept at analyzing the actions of the French, Spanish, British and, eventually, the young American state. Learning from past experience and putting those lessons to good use proved to be a great strength of Chickasaws.
During the period of Removal, Chickasaw leaders were diligent in negotiating the best terms and conditions with the United States. The experience was obviously not a positive one, but the Chickasaw people came through the tragic event better than most.
If Chickasaws are anything, we are adaptable. Once in Indian Territory, Chickasaws were soon about the business of tribal government, community building and sharing the resources that were available. Not pleased with the integration of our tribe with the Choctaws, the Chickasaws soon established a new constitution and re-energized the uniqueness of the Chickasaw Nation.
Throughout our history, we have adapted to times of plenty, and times of want. Throughout the 19th and much of the 20th Centuries, we had to adapt seemingly all the time. Our survival, and eventual re-emergence as a powerful tribe, are tributes to our perseverance and commitment to each other.
Chickasaws were subjected to allotment of tribal lands, and persevered through very tough times. One thing the Chickasaw Nation would never accept was the dissolution of its unique and sovereign status, even though unilaterally declared by the U.S. The Chickasaw people knew that throughout the generations, they had always counted on each other. That tradition would never be relinquished.
In our modern Chickasaw era, we have continued our process of learning lessons from previous experiences, and putting those lessons to good use.
We learned that education was a primary factor in both personal and tribal success, so we emphasized school to our children. Our traditions called for honoring our elders, so we built programs and structures to make their lives healthy and rewarding. The well-being of our people was critically important, so we committed tremendous resources to health care for all Chickasaws.There is, of course, so much more. We have together built a solid foundation for those of us living today, and for our future generations.
We honor our past, and we learn from it. We never forget what has transpired before, because as a people, we have encountered more than our share of battles. We take the best of our experiences and build on those.
To forget our past is unimaginable to Chickasaws. To learn from our past is the key to our present, and future.
