The Inauguration of Barack Obama [02.03.09]

Halito! It is with optimism that I return to the Reservation from Washington D.C. and the inauguration of the new President of the United States, Barack Obama.

I was accompanied by an outstanding delegation from Choctaw including nine members of our Tribal Council. All of us were proud to be a part of the celebration and ceremony and thrilled to witness the beginning of a new chapter in American history along with over a million other people from across the country.

On Tuesday night, the entire Choctaw delegation attended the American Indian Inaugural Ball. Entitled “A Celebration of Many Nations - One People,” it was put on by the American Indian Society of Washington DC. Native Americans representing tribes from all over the country were in attendance.

It was held at the Hyatt Regency in Crystal City and this was also the site of the National Congress of American Indians’ Tribal Leaders Strategy Meeting. This meeting provided an overview of the opportunities tribes have to improve federal policies during the Obama Administration and the 111th Congress.

Most of our delegation attended the Southern Regional Ball, one of the official balls at which President Obama appeared. There we had a chance to see him and speak with the Mississippi Congressional delegation and other members of congress from around the South.

I also had an opportunity on this trip to further my relationships with some influential members of the United States Senate. Democrats control that chamber and I was invited to a reception held by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

I used the opportunity to remind Senators, their staff and other policy makers that the economic stimulus package under consideration by Congress must include adequate funding for Indian Country priorities such as health care, education, roads and other programs administered by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

I also discussed some of these BIA programs with the Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawaii and discussed tax policy in Indian Country with the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Max Baucus of Montana.

Along with the rest of Indian Country, I have high hopes for this new administration. I was fortunate to have an opportunity to meet with then Senator Obama in Albuquerque last year. In response to a question I asked him about Native American economies he made several promises. Senator Obama pledged to have a senior advisor on Native American affairs in the White House with whom all policy decisions affecting Native Americans would be discussed. He committed to convening a meeting of tribal leaders to discuss tribal issues at least once a year and stated that an Obama administration’s relationship with Indian Country would be one based on “respect and mutual regard.” I for one will be watching and doing what I can to ensure he keeps his promises.

The new President delivered an inaugural address that was inspirational. But it contained a healthy dose of realism as well. One section in particular stuck in my mind because it rang as true for our reservation as it did for the country as a whole:

“Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America - they will be met.”

The challenges we face in Choctaw are real, serious and many as well. Poor planning and the over expansion of Pearl River Resort caused by the building of the Golden Moon have cost us much needed revenue every year since it was built.

There is the matter of the Silver Star re-finance which is a massive burden also left over from the prior administration. That agreement was set up to fail and is costing us a great deal of money in fees and higher interest rates due to covenant breaches. And while the Resort is where most of the focus has been lately, it is not the only area of concern.

There are more problems like the slanderous attacks on the Tribe by outsiders (aided by a few tribal members) and the damage done to our reputation in Washington through our association with Jack Abramoff that have been festering for years and have prevented us from devoting our energy and resources to moving the Tribe in the direction we want to go.

But the time of putting off making tough decisions has passed. In this new year we must rally, repair old mistakes, make those tough choices and move our Tribe forward. We have begun this process.

We made the tough decisions we had to make at the Resort and are presently in negotiations that will put us in a better position with regard to the Silver Star refinancing. Every chance I get, I am making progress in re-building the Tribe’s relationships with federal lawmakers.

It will take all of us working together to get our Tribe past this bumpy stretch of road we are on now. For that reason, I will always try to be honest with you about the challenges we face. I believe that the more information I can share with you, the better you will understand how we need to proceed and help us progress. If we are all pulling in the same direction and moving toward the same goal, the less time it will take us to achieve it.

A New Vice Miko and a New Council Member [02.03.09]

At our first regular meeting of 2009, Tribal Council elected a new Vice Miko, Harrison Ben of Standing Pine. They chose wisely. Vice Miko Ben has been in Tribal government for 13 years. He was Director of Family and Community Services and in charge of Tribal social service programs for almost 20 years. He has a Bachelor of Science degree from Tampa University and a degree in Social Work from Mississippi State University.

Before that, Harrison was in the Air Force for 20 years, stationed in Panama City, Tampa, Charleston and Saudi Arabia and attaining the rank of Master Sergeant. He has six children, Gary, Tim, Gwen, Karen, Gregory and Marion Sockey.

I also appointed a new representative to serve the remainder of Eddie Sam’s term on the Tribal Council. Lola Parkerson will represent Pearl River until elections are held to fill the seat later this year.

Lola worked at the Choctaw Health Center as a medical social worker for over 11 years and before that was a social worker at Choctaw Central High School. She has lived in Pearl River all her life, has a master’s degree in education and counseling from Mississippi State University and is a licensed social worker.

She and her husband, Terry, have been married for 30 years and have three sons and eight grandsons. Lola wants the people of Pearl River to be confident that they have a representative who will look at and work to meet their social and economic needs.