April’s InterTribal Council hosted at WinStar

This article appeared in the May 2015 edition of the Chickasaw Times

THACKERVILLE, Okla. – During his remarks to the April 10 meeting of the Inter Tribal Council of the Five Civilized Tribes, Governor Bill Anoatubby announced 3,200 Chickasaw citizens had purchased Chickasaw Nation license plates statewide since Feb. 2.

“While we offer a rebate to citizens who buy Chickasaw license plates, most of those who purchase them do it out of a source of pride,” Gov. Anoatubby said.

Those attending the public relations and communications session April 9 were treated to the award-winning documentary First Encounter. The Chickasaw Nation-produced film won first place in short documentary competition at Duncan’s Trail Dance Film Festival in January.

First Encounter explores the winter of 1540-41 when the Chickasaw Nation faced off against Spanish conquistador Hernando De Soto. It was the first time Chickasaws living in the Southeast ancestral homelands had laid eyes on Europeans. The film documents how the Chickasaws initially resisted De Soto’s expedition, tolerated the Spaniards through the winter and then virtually destroyed them when demands for Chickasaw slaves – men and women – were made by De Soto.

Gov. Anoatubby said the film was the first of several planned for the Chickasaw Heritage Series.

Gov. Anoatubby also announced the Nation’s feature film “Te Ata” was in post-production status. The film follows the early life of Mary Francis Thompson Fisher, a Chickasaw actress and storyteller who was honored as Oklahoma’s first “State Treasure” in 1987, was inducted in the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 1957, and also is an inductee into the Chickasaw Nation Hall of Fame.

During his remarks, Gov. Anoatubby also said the tribe had plans to build a new convention center at WinStar World Casinos at Thackerville.

Groundbreaking for the new 60,000 square-foot facility is expected to take pace this spring.

Leaders of the Five Civilized Tribes and members of the Inter-Tribal Council passed eight resolutions at the April meeting. Seminole Nation Principal Chief Leonard Harjo took over the reigns as president of the organization at the meeting. He will serve for one year.

Resolutions passed unanimously by voting members included:

Support for passage of Oklahoma House Bill 1034, which will amend the Oklahoma Charter Schools Act currently introduced in the Oklahoma Legislature. The council said it supported the amendment and “opportunity provided (in the bill) as charter schools would provide tribes the same educational accreditation as state and local education agencies.”

Backed the nomination of Cherokee Nation Treasurer Lacey Horn to the Unites States Treasury Tribal Advisory Committee. Citing a multitude of tax codes that could adversely affect Native people, Ms. Horn’s nomination was seen as critical so she could advise the committee of Native concerns.

Opposed easing federal rules for tribal recognition by the federal government. The council said it believed such a measure would allow groups who have not enjoyed government-to-government relations to abandon the process of showing they were tribal communities and had political authority before 1790.

Supported federal legislation that restores respect for tribal labor sovereignty of tribal governments in the National Labor Relations Act. The council is seeking the Act “clarify tribal governments have parity with state, local and territorial governments” with respect to the Act.

Favored SoonerCareResearch and Demonstration Waiver Amendment request by the Oklahoma Health Care Authority for the Insure Oklahoma “Sponsor’s Choice” Option. The council said allocations of resources create a disparity and underfunding to Native Americans, and the amendment would correct funding eligibility and patient acceptance if adopted.

Opposed relocation of the Bureau of Indian Education office out of Oklahoma City. The council is opposed to removal of the office to Flandreau, South Dakota. The council argued the current plan reduces educational services to Indian students and tribal citizens residing in Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas.

Supported the Fiscal Year 2016 budget of President Obama for Congress to establish a mandatory appropriation for contract support cost. Essentially, the council argued the Oklahoma City area had been in the bottom 25 percent of funding of Indian Health Areas and believes a stable budget for all Bureau of Indian Affairs and U.S. Indian Health Service programs strengthened the government-to-government relations enjoyed by the federal government and recognized tribes.

Called for development of a “memorandum of understanding” between the Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs and tribal government systems to provide comprehensive, restorative justice programs for Native youth. The council said research has shown tribal juvenile justice system support prevention, intervention and reintegration into tribal communities provides an equitable safety net for Native youth.