A Gathering of Our People

Governor Chris Anoatubby

Chokma, Chokma!

Greetings to and from the great unconquered and unconquerable Chickasaw Nation.

Good morning, everyone here today, and to those of you listening on the radio or streaming online.

Welcome to the 66th Annual Meeting of the Chickasaw Nation. Some of you have traveled a long, long way to join us. We appreciate you being here. Your presence lifts our spirits, truly. We hope everyone has enjoyed this week’s festivities.

Ladies and gentlemen, fellow Chickasaws, it is a privilege to gather with you once again for our Annual Meeting and Festival. The Annual Meeting has been fundamental to our tribe’s self-determination and unity for more than 60 years.

At Seeley Chapel, located just north of here, and every year since at locations throughout the Chickasaw Nation, our people gathered in celebration of our self-governance and tribal sovereignty. The Annual Meeting is a celebration of you, the Chickasaw people, our shared heritage and the spirit of community that has guided our tribe through every challenge and triumph.

Each year, this gathering reminds us that while our nation will continue to grow and adapt to an ever-changing present and ever-widening future, the values that we have carried for generations, the principles and ideals that have defined us will always remain the same.

This is who we are. Chikasha poya! We are Chickasaw!

We are a people united by family and faith, by fortitude and community, and a deeply held commitment to one another. Our ancestors faced uncertainty with courage and met adversity with determination. They refused to let our identity disappear or our government be dissolved. Instead, they preserved our language, prioritized our culture and values, and protected our sovereignty so that we would, one day, inherit a history to remember, a journey to honor, and an unbeaten, unbroken, uncompromised, unconquered Chickasaw Nation. A representative government comprised of and responsive to our people, a government of the people, by the people and for the people.

We gather today as citizens of a strong and thriving Chickasaw Nation with gratitude for our predecessors and a deep sense of responsibility for generations to come. We honor our past by being well-prepared for the future. And we are proud to work together with the legislative and judicial departments to uphold the Constitution and Code of the Chickasaw Nation in all that we do. It is this continuous and solid working relationship within our three governmental departments that ensures the strength and longevity of our government.

We have provided a copy of the Constitution in each of your registration bags for you to keep and familiarize yourself with. And we have enhanced the searchability of the online Constitution and code.

Last year a committee comprised of an executive department team and a legislative department team formed to find a better way to publish and maintain our tribe’s legal materials. The result of these efforts has modernized how our tribal laws are maintained and accessed. These documents have always been available. They have been online for some time. They are now more comprehensibly accessible in a user-friendly format.

Our constitution is the foundation of our government, asserting our sovereignty, protecting our civil liberties and providing a framework for our self-determination. The code encompasses the laws, rules and policies that guide the day-to-day operations of our government. The soundness of these documents ensures the highest standards of conduct and service to the Chickasaw people.

Another reason the Chickasaw Nation remains strong is because our financial condition is sound. We directly employ more than 15,000 team members. It takes a lot of teamwork to manage 15,000 team members.

Due to the long-term strategic planning, solid investments and financial stewardship, our tribal economy continues to flourish. As it grows, we remain committed to upholding the highest levels of financial accountability, following the standards for government transparency laid out in our constitution and code. The rigors of this process include an annual, independent audit and nearly 50 more specific compliance audits performed by outside entities. And we take great pride in our consistently strong outcomes achieved under this high level of accountability.

Our budgeting and accounting involve the cooperation of all three departments of government to provide a robust system of checks and balances that ensure our financial resources are allocated, stewarded and reported properly.

Each year, we include a financial report in your registration packet. I encourage you to review the financial report to see how our business success is directly linked and correlated to the success of our mission to enhance the overall quality of life of the Chickasaw people.

A key to our financial strength and our ability to serve citizens everywhere is a portfolio of diverse and thriving economic ventures. Revenues generated by these successful businesses allow us to reinvest in resources and opportunities that meet the needs of Chickasaws of all ages.

Today, nearly 400 programs and services are available to Chickasaw citizens. And these are programs in vital areas like education, healthcare and housing. These resources positively impact lives and empower citizens — programs and services that will help secure the long-term success of our tribe.

The state of our nation is strong, and we are well positioned to maintain and further solidify our long-term financial standing.

By building and owning our own broadband network, Trace Fiber Networks, we are safeguarding our sovereignty, accelerating innovation and providing enhanced internet access to our citizens and families. Trace Fiber provides blazing fast, reliable broadband services to thousands of homes as well as schools, hospitals and public safety organizations.

This is just one example of how investing in our tribe’s progress benefits our communities, our state – and our state as a whole. Like one of our newest ventures, the Okana Resort and Indoor Waterpark, which employs more than 700 people and continues to attract guests from across the country. Since opening last year, more than a half a million visitors from all 50 states have enjoyed the experiences and the excitement of Okana in the beautiful Horizons District.

In addition, Chickasaw Nation Industries has grown to 164 contracts across 27 federal agencies with a workforce of more than 1,200 professionals. While economic markets may fluctuate, our diverse financial foundation is durable. And more importantly, it is sustainable. We have the plans and resources to withstand and overcome any future challenges, and that is exactly what we will do.

We continue to allocate tribal earnings across all areas of service. This year, we celebrated the opening of several facilities dedicated to child development and broke ground on multiple sites that will aid in providing support for families through expanded healthcare opportunities. Three new child development centers were opened this year in Ada, Purcell and right here in Tishomingo.

These new centers are the result of feedback and requests directly from you. We appreciate listening to your ideas and hearing your concerns. And we will continue to pursue ways to implement strategies that meet the needs of our people.

We also broke ground on a new stand-alone pediatric clinic that will offer general pediatrics and integrated pediatric specialty services.

Here in Tishomingo, we began construction on a new Chickasaw Youth Club. Our youth clubs are an excellent resource for families and a great way to provide education about Chickasaw culture, health and nutrition, essential life skills and leadership development. We also recently opened the new active aging facility in Ada for Chickasaws age 55 and older. We are very pleased to get this new initiative off the ground.

These new facilities are more than just buildings; they are investments in our people and our future. Preserving and promoting our vibrant heritage, history and culture is a responsibility we embrace. We continue to dedicate significant resources to preserve historic sites and build new avenues for Chickasaws to connect with language, history and culture.

There are many moments in our history that have brought us to where we are today, and it’s important to understand their impact on our tribe.

We are thrilled to report that the new Chickasaw Heritage Center in Tupelo, Mississippi, is set to open next spring. When it opens, the heritage center will be a First American educational experience sharing accurate accounts of our history and culture from a uniquely Chickasaw perspective.

Our preservation efforts also reach far beyond the physical places that connect us to our past. Congratulations to Chikasha Bak Bak, our youth stickball team, for winning the championship at the 2026 Choctaw Nation Youth Stickball League. All of our teams that competed, I want to say congratulations on your success this year – because they did have success and they earned some respect.

The men’s, women’s and youth teams combined have more than 300 members from across the state. We appreciate all who are playing and keeping this important traditional game alive.

We are proud to announce that Rosetta Stone Chickasaw, Level 4, was released this year. Thank you to our fluent speakers and language committee for your invaluable contributions to this resource and others that are assisting our language learners.

We’ve had several anniversaries this year. Congratulations to the Chickasaw Press on 20 years of promoting history and culture through the release of 83 titles. And also, the Dynamic Woman of the Year Award celebrates its 20th anniversary.

To ensure our tribe’s bright future we are supporting Chickasaw students at every level of learning and education. Scholarships, educational assistance, tutoring, career development and other programs are benefitting thousands of Chickasaws across the country. This year, the higher education and career tech programs awarded more than 6,800 Chickasaw students with scholarships and other educational support.

The student support program awarded 4,170 college and career tech students with general financial assistance. Chickasaw camps, clinics and academies provide hundreds of youth with meaningful learning opportunities in areas ranging from sports and space camp to the arts, culture and STEM.

The Toksali SMART program partners with dozens of local businesses to invest in youth career development training and mentorship. This summer, more than 800 youth received on-the-job training through the program.

The Chickasaw Institute of Technology offers employment prep for an increasing range of in-demand careers. Since 2017, more than 400 students of the program have gained employment after graduating, with more than 350 choosing to serve right here in the Chickasaw Nation.

In June, we hosted our first Youth Leadership Chickasaw conference for incoming high school juniors and seniors. The weeklong conference provided a wealth of opportunities for future leaders to gain new skills, develop confidence and form connections.

Just as we are investing in our next generation, we remain committed to supporting our elders. This year’s elders conference welcomed more than 460 elders. The annual event continues to be a special time to hear from our seniors and to share how we are working to provide opportunities to stay active, healthy and engaged. Another program that came from a direct request from citizens at the listening conference is the elders clothing program, which continues to grow and served more than 8,300 Chickasaw seniors this year.

We are also honored to serve our modern-day warriors. This year, nearly 300 veterans attended the Chickasaw Veterans Conference. Veterans share a unique bond and sense of community that we are pleased to support through the Chickasaw Warrior Society. The warrior society began with a suggestion from Mr. Gene “Nashoba” Thompson. Mr. Thompson wanted to connect with other Chickasaw veterans and suggested creating an organization that would help promote a sense of community amongst its members. It has now grown to more than 1,800 members from around the country and across all military branches.

Our dedication to quality and accessible healthcare remains a priority and continues to reach new heights. This year, Chickasaw Nation Health had more than 1 million patient encounters, filled more than 1.5 million prescriptions, mailed more than 575,000 prescriptions across the country, welcomed more than 1,000 babies and had nearly 50,000 pediatric patient visits.

We also celebrated the opening of the new Integrative Medicine Clinic on the Ada South Campus. The clinic includes a variety of therapy programs, including physical, speech, occupational, aquatic and others that greatly benefit the people we serve.

This summer, we broke ground on the first of three phases for the Chickasaw Nation Health Newcastle Medical Center. The event was attended by federal, state and community officials, including U.S. Congressman and our own Chickasaw citizen Tom Cole, Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator of U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and many other Indian Health Service officials, highlighting the significance of and collaboration on the project. Once all three phases are complete, the campus will include 12 buildings and more than 23 medical specialties. It will also support nearly 5,500 jobs in the area and greatly increase access to healthcare across the region. The first phase of construction will include 50 inpatient beds, an emergency department, surgical suites, labor and delivery, pediatrics, pharmacy, dental and many other important specialty clinics.

It will also include the beginnings of a research program that will grow and improve First American health for decades. The research program is the first of its kind anywhere in the world. First Americans will be conducting research on conditions that adversely impact the health of First Americans. We are also developing medical residencies and fellowships to train our next generation of doctors. The Chickasaw Nation Health Newcastle Medical Center will transform care for First Americans by creating jobs, emphasizing research and delivering access to quality specialized services.

Extending from our health services, we also continue to prioritize nutrition and nutrition education, particularly among children. These nutrition programs provide meals and groceries to hundreds of thousands of Oklahoma children and families each year.

We have continued to invest in programs and services that support healing and long-term wellness, particularly around mental health. We continue to develop integrated services that support both physical and mental wellness at every stage of life.

We recently opened the new Chickasaw Nation Nan-aiya Aboa House of Peace. This facility brings together multiple mental health and substance use programs in one centralized location, making it easy for people to connect with the right services and allowing our professionals to communicate and collaborate much more effectively. Strong family development, foster care, child support services and other family services uplift families during difficult circumstances, promoting healthy behaviors, safe relationships and individualized assistance. That strong foundation can help citizens move forward in other areas of their life as well.

Resources available through employment access and adult learning help citizens prepare for success and overcome barriers to employment. We are providing ongoing investments and accessible, coordinated care for Chickasaw people. These services support strong minds, strong homes and strong families for generations to come.

The Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act, also known as NAHASDA, was passed 30 years ago. This influential act bolstered our ability to serve First Americans, and it remains the driving force behind our sovereignty and self-determination. Each year under our NAHASDA grant, we are only able to construct about 10 new homes due to funding constraints.

Demand for homes has increased exponentially. To meet that increased need for housing we have developed new strategies to help reduce and hopefully eliminate our overall housing waiting list much more quickly. Working with our legislature, we have amended the tribal code to allow our housing department to utilize a new mechanism. We are committed to quality, affordable housing. And this next year, using the new methods, we have plans to begin construction of 30 new homes for Chickasaws to live and grow in.

Today, thousands of Chickasaws benefit from a variety of housing services. This year, the down payment and closing cost assistance grant served more than 600 Chickasaws with more than $3 million in assistance. Additionally, more than 1,900 Chickasaws received a grant of up to $7,500 to make improvements to their homes. The homeowner preparedness program continues to assist in preparing for severe weather. This year, the program served more than 2,300 across the country. We remain committed to offering and expanding the reach of our housing services and our ability to support strong communities.

For the Chickasaw people, now more than 84,000 citizens living across the country and around the world, our profound sense of family reaches far beyond the boundaries of the Chickasaw Nation. Regardless of geography, Chickasaws are creating connections and fostering community everywhere they call home. We now have 43 Chickasaw citizen groups serving 41 states. These groups meet to share and receive news and updates from our representatives, and we get to hear from you.

We now have more resources, more engagement, more opportunities than ever before. And we want everyone to be able to easily access and benefit from them. With that in mind, we are launching a new online platform designed to make it easier to find and apply for programs and services. Chokwaa, a Chickasaw word meaning “to come in,” was created as a direct result of citizen feedback at the most recent listening conference.

It has been 20 years since we hosted our first listening conference. From that conference, many programs and services were created to serve citizens at large. Since that time, we have had more listening conferences, gatherings, Chickasaw citizen groups and many other opportunities to listen and receive feedback. And today, we are still listening and working to enhance access to resources and opportunities that have come from you. Chokwaa allows you to browse programs, discover services and submit applications from the comfort of your home. We believe the convenience of this new platform will make it easier to connect with the opportunities that best fit your needs.

We have achieved much and reached many milestones throughout the past year. But there is always more to do, and more we will do. We have a model that works, a model led by our core values, our vision and our mission. We are always striving to be our best, and we know there are still areas to improve upon. We are working hard to be better, guided by you and your input. Communication is critical. It is vital that we hear from you and continue to learn areas in which we can still meet your needs.

So, we are continuing to strengthen our connections. We are continuing to focus on quality and performance, and we are committed to stewarding and growing our resources. We have plans in the works and much more to celebrate in the future, our future.

As we take a moment to reflect on all that has been accomplished over the past year by working together, it is necessary that we also continue to look forward with new goals, with clear strategies into this next year, into a bright future. And we do so with gratitude for what we have and where we are and with optimism. The growth we celebrate today is the result of decades of thoughtful planning, innovation and a unified vision that has guided the Chickasaw Nation across generations. Those plans remain in motion, that vision clear, unchanging, and the mission that has defined our modern nation continues to propel us forward with purpose as a people, as a government, as a sovereign nation forever unconquered and unconquerable.

Together, we stand on a strong foundation built by those who came before us, a foundation reinforced by the commitment and resolve of those serving today. A foundation built to last, to endure, that will help fulfill the promise of those who will lead us into the future. This foundation is not taken lightly. It has been carefully preserved and we will continue to build on it and steward it for those to follow.

Together, as the Chickasaw Nation, we are united and bonded as a people, as a government and as family. Our leadership is united, our commitment is steadfast and our direction is clear. We will continue to embrace new opportunities and ideas while staying true to the values that have always defined us as a people. Our economic foundation is solid, our culture flourishes, the heart of our nation beats strong and our commitment to one another is unyielding.

Together, we have accomplished extraordinary things. And together, we will continue to build a brighter, stronger and healthier future for every Chickasaw citizen.

It is my great honor to report to you today the state of the Chickasaw Nation is strong, and we have a bright future ahead.

May God continue to bless the Chickasaw Nation, our friends, our neighbors and our families. May His will be done.

Yakoke! Chipisala'cho! Illiyya'!