Governor Bill Anoatubby
Drawing on foundational tenets, our tribe values its people, resources
By Bill Anoatubby, Governor, Chickasaw Nation
At the Chickasaw Nation, we are always on the move.
We are on the move on many fronts – government, business, social, cultural, and so much more.
This type of movement keeps us engaged in the important issues that impact the lives of Chickasaw citizens, and often the lives of our friends, neighbors and partners.
We are honoring our ancestors with this approach to the world. Our history tells us those who came before us were good at operating in changing environments and with different groups and entities. They had to be good at it as it was often a matter of our peoples’ survival.
A basic part of being successful in today’s society is standing on a solid foundation. The Chickasaw Nation has over the generations built a foundation of integrity, resourcefulness and quiet strength. This foundation has served us well.
Any successful organization rests on its bedrock beliefs. Our foundation was formed many generations ago, and we continue to build on that foundation today. We consistently draw on the wisdom our long-term foundational values provide.
We frequently deal with issues that require us to come up with innovative and inclusive solutions. It takes more than one perspective, in most cases, to arrive at a decision that best serves our citizens and others.
To increase our capacity for thought, and to grow innovation in our future Chickasaw leaders, we are continually thinking about ways to empower Chickasaw people. We want to provide Chickasaws the tools needed to assist with our efforts and help attain our tribal goals.
We are pleased to report our efforts are paying dividends!
For many years we have focused on offering Chickasaws all manner of education, training and knowledge enhancement. We now have a Chickasaw population armed with a high level of skill and information to help our tribe make headway in the increasingly complicated world that lies ahead.
As we navigate today’s world, we also make it a priority to be good stewards of our resources.
It is of prime importance that we protect and nurture our resources - natural, financial, cultural and human.
Acting as good stewards also honors those who preceded us.
In the early post-Removal era, a tribal government that was a poor steward was living dangerously. Resources were exceedingly scarce, and the people counted on their tribe often to provide the most basic essentials.
Our history reminds us that fundamentally good, conservative stewardship virtually always serves the people well.
Today, we build and care for our resources with an eye on the future. The important resources we foster today will serve not only today’s Chickasaws, but those of our future generations.
The world has cast many challenges our way – war, Removal, strife, allotment, attempted termination and more. Yet our tribe has not only survived – we have flourished!
We constantly work on following the tried-and-true fundamentals that have served us so well throughout times both good and bad. With your help, your tribe is enjoying much success in this modern era.
You are invited to learn more, do more, enjoy more through the many avenues offered by the Chickasaw Nation. The more you learn about your tribe, the more you will want to be involved.
Please stay in touch. It is an honor to be of service to you.