Chickasaw Nation Gov. Bill Anoatubby discussed water rights, language efforts, and the tribe’s economic development during his annual State of the Nation address Saturday.
He told the crowd gathered in Tishomingo the August agreement between the state, the city of Oklahoma City, and the Chickasaw and Choctaw Nations maintains tribal sovereignty and resolves long-standing issues over water rights and regulatory authority.
“Through this settlement process we were able to find a way to preserve and protect the water resources essential to economic growth and quality of life in south-central and southeastern Oklahoma while still providing water needed to meet the needs of the people of Oklahoma City,” Anoatubby said.
He also said dozens of Chickasaw language interactive video lessons will be available to tribal members by the end of the year. A mobile application is expected to be unveiled next summer.
“Chickasaws everywhere will benefit from Rosetta Stone’s proven language-immersion model,” Anoatubby said.
Anoatubby also said even with Oklahoma’s economic downturn, Chickasaw Nation business income increased by 7 percent in the past year, while the tribe’s net assets grew by 10 percent.
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