Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby and Lt. Governor Jefferson Keel presented two of the tribe's highest honors, Dynamic Woman of the Year and the Silver Feather Award, at the annual Arts and Culture Awards Sept. 30. Pictured are Gov. Anoatubby, 2010 Dynamic Woman of the Year Millie Blackmon, Silver Feather Award recipient Catherine Willmond and Lt. Gov. Keel.
One Chickasaw woman was recognized for dedication to the health of her language while another was recognized for dedication to the health of her people during the annual Chickasaw Nation Arts and Culture Awards conducted Sept. 30 at Murray State College in Tishomingo.
Catherine Willmond, who received the Silver Feather award for efforts to preserve Chickasaw culture, co-authored "Chickasaw: An Analytical Dictionary," a text that has been a foundation upon which the tribe's current language revitalization programs are built.
"Catherine Willmond has made an incredible contribution toward the revitalization of Chickasaw language," said Gov. Anoatubby. "Her work will have a positive impact on Chickasaw speakers for generations to come."
She worked with UCLA linguistics professor Pamela Munro to research and record more than 40 tribal elders to complete the dictionary and a more recently published grammar textbook entitled "Let's Speak Chickasaw (Chikashshanompa' Kilanompoli')".
"It feels good to know that my work will help create new speakers," said Willmond, who spoke Chickasaw exclusively until she was 35.
Now in her late 80s, Mrs. Willmond continues to do her part to preserve and teach the Chickasaw language.
"As long as I'm here, I'm going to speak my language," she said.
Indian health advocate Mildred "Millie" Blackmon was named the 2010 Chickasaw Nation Dynamic Woman of the Year.
Gov. Anoatubby presented the award.
"Millie Blackmon is a fine example of persistence in pursuit of a noble goal," said Gov. Anoatubby. "She is very deserving of this honor."
Starting out as a seamstress, Blackmon worked two jobs and raised a family while obtaining her bachelors degree at East Central University.
Upon graduation, she worked for both the Chickasaw and Choctaw nations as a registered sanitarian and eventually earned a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.
Blackmon is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Wewoka Indian Health Center in Wewoka, Okla.
In this capacity, she diligently promotes collaboration between federal and tribal governments and works to improve patient care.
Blackmon quoted the late Cherokee leader Wilma Mankiller in saying that individuals must trust their own thinking, trust where they are going and get the job done.
"That's what I will do," she said. "I will continue working and stay involved until I get the job done."
Blackmon is the granddaughter of original Chickasaw enrollee Abe Ned.
University of Oklahoma student Joe Thomas received the 2010 Holisso Award for Best Unpublished Manuscript for his article "The Chickasaws before Removal".
Kennedy Brown, the Chickasaw Historical Society president, presented the organization's Service Award to the family of the late Reverend Charlie Carter, a fluent speaker and talented bow maker, for his contributions to the history and culture of the Chickasaw people.
For the second year, Marvin Burcham of Brandon, MS donated portion of his chipped-stone artifacts to the tribe. William Welge, Director of the Research Division of the Oklahoma Historical Society, also presented Gov. Anoatubby with a preserved copy of the earliest known writings on the Chickasaw people shortly after they arrived in Indian Territory.
Awards were also presented to winners of the Southeastern Art Show and Market. The top winners in each category were:
The show was open to all artists of Southeast and Woodlands tribes. Artists, who were juried into the market by a panel of judges, were also able to enter the art show to compete for a number of cash awards.
Also during the ceremony, the Chickasaw Press announced the release of three new titles: "Proud to be Chickasaw" by Chickasaw artist Mike Larsen, his wife Martha and Jeannie Barbour; "Chickasaw Removal" by Amanda L Paige, Fuller L. Bumpers and Daniel F. Littlefield Jr. and "Chickasaw Lives, Volume Three: Sketches of Past and Present" by Richard Green.
