Governor Bill Anoatubby
We look forward to seeing you at Annual Meeting and Festival
By Bill Anoatubby, Governor, Chickasaw Nation
We are coming up on that very special time of year once again!
Our 49th Annual Meeting of the Chickasaw Nation and 21st Annual Chickasaw Festival begin September 26. As is traditional, our meetings, events and celebrations will be centered on our historic capitol city of Tishomingo.
The Annual Meeting and Festival are always a great way to share experiences with our family and friends. We have the great opportunity to reconnect
to our Chickasaw history, traditions and culture.
And for 2009 we will be gathering in venues throughout the Chickasaw Nation for some unique, first-time visits. We will be sharing long-hoped-for dreams that are now becoming realities for Chickasaws.
Friday, October 2 will be a wonderful day in Chickasaw history. We will gather in Sulphur to experience our new Chickasaw Cultural Center, a huge and important project that promises to make an impact on Chickasaw culture, knowledge and understanding for generations.
The facility itself is impressive. The theatre, traditional village, amphitheatre and galleries are each tremendous accomplishments. The Cultural Center is a wonderful representation of our past, even as it presents a progressive view of our tribal future.
The clearinghouse for Chickasaw scholarship, study and research, our Cultural Center also represents the importance and uniqueness of our tribal history, and our tribe’s stamp on Native, U.S. and world experience.
Don’t miss this great opportunity!
This year will also feature the September 26 golf tournament in Thackerville. If you are a golfer, you won’t want to miss the opportunity to play on the D.A. Weibring-designed course at our WinStar Casino. This course is beautiful and challenging, and is already drawing golfers from across the country. This is our first year for the golf tournament at WinStar, so please take advantage.
Be sure and attend this year’s Chickasaw Princess Pageant September 28 at the Ada High School Activity Center. Our young Chickasaw ladies are outstanding, and the pageant is a wonderful experience that includes traditional dress and culture. If you have never attended this event, you are in for a real treat.
Of course, there will be all the events and venues that have become traditions to us over the years. These include the Junior Olympics, Senior Olympics, softball and horseshoe tournaments, the youthful celebration, cultural demonstrations, cultural tours throughout the week for our area school children, Chickasaw White House tours and so much more!
Isn’t it time you made your plans to attend the Annual Meeting and Chickasaw Festival? I guarantee you will be glad you made the trip.
There is nothing more precious than our families, our friends and our fellow Chickasaws. We share a history that each of us carries deep inside. Make time this year to renew that wonderful connection. I look forward to seeing you this year!