Governor Bill AnoatubbyAs we go through life, fundamental truths become clear to us through instruction and through experience.
We learn that actions often have consequences. As children, we learn that being untruthful misleads and hurts others. We learn that doing a good deed is positive not only for the recipient of the act, but is also personally fulfilling.
As we mature, the lessons can appear more complicated, but in reality, each experience can be boiled down to one of a few fundamental truths.
We have learned at the Chickasaw Nation that proper planning, adaptability and perseverance are rewarded. These are not new lessons, but rather truths that have been passed from generation to generation among Chickasaw people.
Our ancestors had highly developed governments and communities to ensure the proper support of all our citizens. Plans were made among councils for the common defense, housing, feeding and caring for the people.
We carry on those traditions today.
Long-range planning is critically important. We are responsible for projecting what issues may impact our tribe in the future, and how we will manage those issues. It is possible, through discussion and analysis, to discover the sparks that have the potential to create flames –either of challenge or opportunity.
Once we have identified the issues, we can then make intelligent plans for the future.
We also understand that what we project does not remain universally accurate as time passes. Things change, issues evolve and the impact on the tribe and the people can moderate or intensify. For these reasons, we know we must be adaptable.
Adapting to today’s issues can be extremely challenging principally because the issues come at us faster and change more quickly in the modern world. However, that is our environment and we understand we must operate successfully in it. We conduct ongoing conversations and analyses on scores of issues that present themselves to us. We are always prepared to alter our course, just as our ancestors were in their communities.
Finally, we continue our heritage of perseverance. Perseverance comes from having a good plan, a worthy goal and confidence in what we are doing. When those elements are in place, we overcome obstacles, opposition and discouragement as we seek to achieve our goal.
In reality, we function very much as our ancestors did. These fundamental truths served them well, and they serve us well.
The environment may have changed, but the commitment to succeed has remained constant.
