Chickasaw elders, veterans gather

This article appeared in the August 2016 edition of the Chickasaw Times

THACKERVILLE, Okla. - Chickasaw elders celebrated those who “Blazed the Trail” during the 23rd annual Chickasaw Elders Conference at WinStar World Casino, June 28-29.

Governor Bill Anoatubby welcomed more than 350 elders and presented awards to senior center staff and elders.

“Supporting the elders in our community is one of the most important things we can do,” Gov. Anoatubby said. “We are grateful for all you have been able to do for us. You helped blaze that trail to help us. You are the foundation of the Chickasaw Nation.”

Gov. Anoatubby announced the 2017 Chickasaw Elders Conference will be in the new WinStar Convention Center. The facility is currently under construction.

“The Elders Conference has grown over the years,” he said. “We have 350 people at this conference this year, and I expect even more at next year’s conference.”

Gov. Anoatubby also announced the tribe was breaking ground in July on a new senior center in Oklahoma City. Additionally, he announced the new Tishomingo Senior Site will open in October. This site replaces an older facility.

The conference featured inspirational speeches from Oklahoma State Rep. Lisa J. Billy and Special Assistant for Culture and Humanities Secretary Colleen Chadwick. Training sessions and information booths for programs and services were offered to Chickasaw elders at this year’s conference.

VETERANS GATHER

The Chickasaw Nation’s plans to construct a special meeting place for Chickasaw veterans are well under way.

Gov. Bill Anoatubby updated 190 veterans and guests on the Chickasaw Nation veterans’ lodge June 27 at Thackerville. The group gathered for the second annual Chickasaw Veterans Conference at Winstar Casino and Resort.

More than 60 Chickasaw veterans attended a May 11 groundbreaking ceremony at Chickasaw Nation Medical Center complex in Ada, Okla., where the new facility will be situated.

 “I think you will agree that this veterans’ lodge is well designed,” Gov. Anoatubby said. “It is designed to be a place you can call your own – a place where you can comfortably relax and enjoy the camaraderie of your fellow veterans and brothers in arms.”

Gov. Anoatubby said a dedicated and well-trained staff would provide counseling and assistance in applying for veterans’ services and benefits on one side; and recreational amenities, including card tables, a pool table and a ping pong table, on the other side. Other features include a kitchen and dining area capable of supporting large gatherings and events.

The lodge will encompass about 15,000 square feet.

“It’s a place to go and have fun and kick back and just enjoy each other’s company, he said.  

“The front courtyard will showcase the five military flags and seals and feature our largest Chickasaw Warrior statue. This statue symbolizes our Chickasaw warrior tradition, a tradition that you’ve carried on and kept alive.”

The new veterans’ center will also serve as a meeting place for the Chickasaw Honor Guard and house their rifles and equipment.

“For many years our Honor Guard has represented Chickasaw veterans at activities across the United States,” Gov. Anoatubby said. “They meet regularly to serve at funerals, parades and a myriad of events.”

Construction, he said, was expected to be completed by autumn of 2017.

“This conference center exists to recognize you as the greatest soldiers and the greatest citizens in the world,” Gov. Anoatubby said. “It’s really impossible to give you a gift as great as the freedom you have given us. The Chickasaw Nation will do what it can to honor your dedication and your sacrifice.”

Formation of the Chickasaw Warrior Society that was announced at last year’s veterans’ conference has been completed and more than 1,000 Chickasaw veterans have joined. Benefits include a special decal to place on Chickasaw veterans’ vehicles that grants preferred parking at Chickasaw Nation service facilities and certain Chickasaw businesses.

Maj. Ed Pulido, who lost a leg to a roadside bomb in Iraq, spoke to the gathering. Maj. Pulido is president of Warriors for Freedom Foundation that grants educational scholarships to children of veterans.

Other speakers included Maj. General Miles Deering, Chickasaw and executive director, Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs; Rebecca Owens, Ph.D. Candidate Veterans of Foreign Wars, appeals agent; and Kerry Inhofe, who discussed a Veterans Choice Act designed to improve access to health care for veterans.

Bill and Jerry Brown, both U.S. Navy veterans, said they very much enjoyed the conference.

“I think it’s a great idea,” Jerry Brown said. Bill Brown is from Frederick, Okla. Brother Jerry drove over 700 miles to attend the conference from Gulf Shores, Ala.

“I’ve attended both conferences,” Bill Brown said. “Being around Army people, Navy people, it’s good for relationships.”