Springtime brings promise of growth, new opportunities


This article appeared in the April 2017 edition of the Chickasaw Times

Spring is a time of growth, of vibrant colors and vitality. The land around us awakens and everywhere plants and trees are in bloom. A sense of excitement and renewal comes into people’s lives as winter exits and warm breezes invite us to enjoy the natural world around us.

Spring is an exciting time of year as we open our minds to the many possibilities before us, and we give thanks for the blessings we have received.

The Chickasaw Nation reflects this vibrancy and awakening as we work together to turn our hopes and dreams into reality.

For generations, the Chickasaw people survived at a subsistence level. With removal to the new lands, the people were pressed to begin new lives with very little. They were, of course, resilient and incredibly persistent. Looking back on that era, it is amazing to consider the conditions they endured. Yet, they survived and eventually prospered.

In this modern era of the Chickasaw Nation, we have learned from those days, and we have moved forward with resolve. Never before in history has our tribe experienced the growth we enjoy today. And along with that growth come benefits for the Chickasaw people.

We have achieved commercial success, and we have committed those resources to the benefit of Chickasaw people.

We are very proud of the modern health care we are providing Chickasaws, as well as other Indian citizens. We have committed major resources to our health care because it is so fundamentally essential to the happiness and quality of life of Chickasaws. We are proud of our Chickasaw Nation Medical Center in Ada, and of all the professional providers in our flagship facility, and in our many clinics. We are pleased to be providing the very best Indian health care in the country, and we are building on that foundation. New specialties, equipment, processes and professionals will produce huge, life-giving benefits.

We are also proud of our Chickasaw Cultural Center in Sulphur. The Cultural Center is ground zero displaying our dedication to preserving and sharing our Chickasaw culture and history. We celebrate our culture and history with this unique facility, and we share our traditions with those who seek to know more about us.

We continue to build tribal commercial facilities, and upgrade our existing businesses. We are mindful of the ever-changing needs and desires of our customers and patrons, and we invest in those elements that make our facilities favorite destinations.

Brick-and-mortar projects are important, and they are material signs of our tribal growth. But it is the Chickasaw people who are the source of our most significant, and most satisfying, tribal growth.

With the essential building blocks of quality education, housing, nutrition, cultural enrichment, health care and opportunity, Chickasaws have made tremendous strides over the course of a single generation.

We are regularly producing growing numbers of Chickasaw professionals with bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees, law degrees and medical degrees. Additionally, the number of highly-trained Chickasaw tradesmen and skilled workers has greatly expanded.

Housing conditions for Chickasaw families have been improved many-fold over a generation. Nutrition services help our children grow up strong and healthy. And Chickasaw people now benefit from greatly enhanced job choice and overall economic opportunity.

When it comes to the “bottom line,” our greatest investment – and the investment that produces by far the greatest return – is in the Chickasaw people.

Spring is on the way and we are thankful for the change of seasons and this annual time of growth and refreshment. Let’s also be thankful for our tribe, our families and our friends.

Together, we have accomplished much. Together, the possibilities are endless