Overcoming adversity nothing new to the Chickasaw people

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

Overcoming adversity is an important component of good character. Those who can face challenges and come out on top possess a quality that is uncommon.

The Chickasaw Nation has faced more than its share of adversity throughout history. Meeting with serious problems is a real test, and our tribe has navigated many challenges successfully over time.

Our tribe had staked out a large and prosperous territory prior to European contact. Chickasaws were good providers and traders, and great warriors. We had a great Nation.

With European contact, our world began to change. Slowly at first, then with much more speed. Our existence would change radically as the land’s non-Indian cultures established footholds and the tapestry of European alliances and conflicts would be spread across what is now the eastern U.S. We were constantly adapting and holding fast against the many challenges we faced.

The Chickasaw Nation comported itself admirably during the American Revolutionary War. Our leaders analyzed the situation on the ground the best they could and were recognized as important allies by the new country. However, by the 1830s our contributions were overlooked. We were removed from our homelands in the Southeast. We would once again face tremendous adversity with great strength and dignity. Our people were removed to the west and our new home.

We built communities, businesses, schools, churches and more as we also fought off attacks from our west. We established our constitution and our distinct Chickasaw Nation, but the effort had really only started.

More pressure came from the east. Non-Indians entered our nation without consent and railroads gained access across our lands. We were steadily dealing with one challenge after another.

By the end of the 19th century, the Chickasaw Nation moved into the period of allotment. As good-hearted as some of the allotment proponents were, there were plenty of other people who simply looked forward to grabbing land, minerals and other property.

Once allotment had occurred, the Chickasaw people suffered through tremendous poverty and other adversities. Conditions among Chickasaw families were often terrible. Chickasaw families suffered even as they worked ever harder to support themselves.

While there was some relief directed toward Indian people by the federal government in the 1930s, the remainder of the period from the turn of the century to the 1960s was extremely difficult. Our tribe was threatened with termination at least twice and the seemingly relentless pressure to simply make us “go away” was withering.

With the slow 1960s realization that Indian sovereignty was a positive for the tribes, the people and the country, things very slowly began to change. Our tribal sovereignty, which had always been our bedrock, became recognized as the fundamental support that would propel Chickasaws, and all the tribes, to success.

The Chickasaw people had endured tremendous adversity. It is difficult to imagine a longer period of challenge.

The wonderful and encouraging thing about the Chickasaw Nation is that we not only survived the many trials, we also pulled ourselves up by our bootstraps! Part of overcoming adversity is charting the right course after defeating the challenge that was before you. I am very proud to say that, together, we have charted that good course and stayed on the right road throughout.

The Chickasaw Nation is arguably one of the more exciting tribal success stories in the country!

We must always remember to thank those Chickasaws who came before us and kept our tribe alive and vital. It is they who met adversity as no others in history.

We will no doubt encounter adversity ahead, and we will meet it head on.  

Working together as Chickasaws, there is little we cannot accomplish!