Making education a priority a hallmark of Chickasaw history

This article appeared in the November 2014 edition of the Chickasaw Times

“Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime.”

That saying captures the Chickasaw Nation’s dedicationto education. For generations, our tribe has made quality education a cornerstone of our efforts to serve Chickasaw people fully and well.

Even before Removal, Chickasaws were engaged in education. Chickasaws were known as adept students and people with a thirst for knowledge. We understood early in the game that education would be a key to our survival and success.

Chickasaws were known not only as talented and successful warriors. We were also skilled negotiators and politicians. We learned how best to deal with outside forces and our leaders recognized the rewards of a good educational background.

Following Removal, we put our basic educations to use as we built new communities, schools, businesses and churches. We understood our new land would have to be developed properly, and that education would serve as a foundation of our efforts.

We, of course, encountered countless hardships in the approximately 150 years that followed Removal. The Chickasaw people faced poverty, joblessness, discrimination and much more. The Chickasaw Nation government experienced repeated attempts to undermine its history and authority. But throughout all the challenges, the tribe never lost its focus on the importance of getting an education.

As more Chickasaws completed high school and moved on to advanced education, the ability of the tribe to accomplish important tasks improved. With a growing base of educated citizens, we began to expand our horizons and reach out to develop new ways of doing things that would help all Chickasaws.

Many Chickasaws with advanced educations returned to work with the Chickasaw Nation during our developmental period, beginning in the 1960s. Having skilled Chickasaws in position to make a positive difference was very helpful to us as we began to modernize our tribe. We worked a lot in those days with the federal government and it was important that Washington view us as a tribe that could effectively manage its programs and services in the modern era.

As we developed our own tribal commercial structure, beginning in the 1980s, we needed educated citizens with business backgrounds to help us along the way. Like virtually all new business ventures we had our ups and downs. But with the skills and talents of Chickasaw business people, we developed a robust commercial presence that continues to grow and diversify today. "

There is no greater pleasure for me as Governor of the Chickasaw Nation than when I encounter Chickasaws who have earned their degrees and are now in the world of work. It is very rare that I meet with a recent Chickasaw college graduate who doesn’t tell me how pleased he or she was with the education assistance from the Chickasaw Nation. These young people understand how important their educations are, and they understand how expensive college has become. They appreciate the support of the tribe and we appreciate what they are giving back to the Chickasaw Nation, the country and the world.

Each year our tribal education budget increases. This reflects the increasing cost of quality education and the growing number of Chickasaws who take advantage of our education programs. We invest millions of dollars annually in Chickasaw education. This investment reflects our institutional commitment to helping every Chickasaw improve his or her education, and it is consistent with our fundamental mission to enhance the quality of life for all Chickasaws.

The tribe provides an array of education assistance that ranges from flash cards to computers, home school curricula to grad school tuition. And there is so much more! We are completely dedicated to clearing a path to improved educations and better lives for all Chickasaws.

Being a good student and maintaining the discipline to make it all the way through is not easy. The challenges our students meet are many. Our job at the Chickasaw Nation is to always help our students and provide them every opportunity to learn, grow and succeed.

We truly are an education tribe! And each one of us benefits every time one of our students crosses that stage and collects a diploma. That’s a moment all of us can celebrate!