Native OK 3/1 Weekly Newsletter

An artist’s rendering of the new Cherokee Nation hospital, announced in December, which will replace the 40-year-old W.W. Hastings Hospital in Tahlequah. Under revisions to the Buy Indian Act, the IHS and BIA were required to create a uniform approach to procurement procedures. The act also has been expanded to all construction, including construction of healthcare facilities. Photo provided by Cherokee Nation.

Tribal leaders expect economic boost from Buy Indian Act

By Mikaela DeLeon

Gaylord News

WASHINGTON – Oklahoma tribes are hopeful an update to a century-old law will spur tribal economies and the new rules will create a uniform approach to contracting procedures.

The Buy Indian Act was created in 1910 to set aside government procurement contracts for Indian-owned businesses. The Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Indian Health Service are the sole federal departments the act applies to. Still, in 2015 the Government Accountability Office reported only 12 to 15 percent of IHS contracts went to Indian-owned businesses, and suggested sweeping reform is needed to increase contract opportunities.

Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) sponsored the Indian Community Economic Enhancement Act of 2020, which amended three federal economic laws. It requires the IHS and BIA to create a uniform approach to Buy Indian Act procurement procedures to "reduce red tape that limits Indian business promotion." The bill also expanded access to capital for tribes and increased opportunities for Native business promotion.

On Jan. 13, the IHS released its final rule on the Buy Indian Act in response to the BIA's final rule, which was released in December 2021. The IHS says benefits of its final rule would include expanding the Buy Indian Act to all construction and removing regulatory burdens by allowing Indian economic enterprises (IEE) to increase subcontracts, removing construction restrictions for IEEs and clarifying the language of the act and its procedures.

Oklahoma tribal leaders say the new regulations could provide the economic boost they've been seeking.

"These new provisions are a step in the right direction and I believe many tribes, including our business arm, may want to take advantage of the opportunity," said Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr.

Hoskins said updated Buy Indian Act procedures will energize Native businesses. One of the largest updates expands the act over all construction. This includes construction of health care facilities, personnel quarters, water supply and waste disposal facilities. The final rule by BIA and IHS also emphasizes the commitment to purchasing Native products and hiring Native labor without the typical “competitive process.”

"By prioritizing federal contract awards to Indian-owned firms, the Buy Indian Act can fuel job creation and boost economic development across Indian Country,” he said.

Over the past decade, Cherokee Nation Businesses have generated $728 million. In northeast Oklahoma, the nation and its businesses make an annual economic impact of $2.16 billion. The CNB website states the tribe is "committed to changing the Oklahoma community through economic growth."

The IHS's final rule is expected to generate $200 million in contract opportunities, an estimated $145 million above last year's yield of $55.9 million.

Choctaw Nation Chief Gary Batton said he is "pleased with the IHS's commitment to providing economic opportunities for Indian-owned and controlled businesses."

The anticipated revenue increase is expected to come from "set-aside procurement contracts,” which would prioritize Indian-owned and controlled businesses for BIA and IHS government contracts. The new rules from the IHS would also create more opportunities for non-tribal businesses to partner with tribal businesses. A tribally-owned business is any that is at least 51% owned by an Indian tribe.

"The Buy Indian Act's improved regulations will help our Chahtapreneurs (Choctaw business owners) and our tribally-owned businesses to expand and grow, ultimately helping our tribe and its members to thrive," Batton said.

Choctaw Nation's website states that Choctaw businesses "generate hundreds of millions of dollars annually" and "create more than 6,000 jobs for tribal and non-tribal Oklahomans." The revenue generated by the tribe is dedicated to tribal assistance programs such as health care and education.

In 2020, Harvard researchers estimated that Native businesses could lose up to $50 billion during COVID-19. The pandemic would also put 1.1 million tribal business workers, Native and non-Native, at risk of losing their jobs. With IHS and BIA prioritizing Buy Indian set-asides instead of businesses that are not IEE, Native companies and employees could see a chance to recoup from pandemic-related economic losses.

The IHS's final rule is set to go into effect on March 14. The updated policies will allow for collaboration between the IHS and the BIA to effectively enforce the new procedures.

Choctaw Casino & Resort nominated for Academy of Country Music award

DURANT – Choctaw Casino & Resort – Durant has been nominated for an Academy of Country Music award. This year the casino is up for its first "Casino of the Year – Theater" award in the 57th annual awards.

"For five consecutive years we’ve been nominated as casino of the year, small and medium capacity, so it’s truly an honor to be nominated for another ACM Award," said Frank Deal, assistant general manager at Choctaw Casino & Resort – Durant.

"We pride ourselves on delivering world-class country performers, and this nomination proves that we’ve created and will continue to create memorable experiences for our guests."

The Grand Theater at Choctaw Casino & Resort has hosted several top country performers, including Academy of Country Music Award nominees Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, Dan & Shay and Old Dominion.

Other nominees for Casino of the Year –Theater include: Agua Caliente, Rancho Mirage, Calif.; Deadwood Mountain Grand in South Dakota, Resorts World in Las Vegas and Soaring Eagle Casino, Mt. Pleasant, Minn.

Choctaw Casino & Resort in Durant is a three-level convention/entertainment venue offering more than 100,000 square feet of meeting and convention space. Resort amenities include swimming, shopping, dining, a spa and the region’s premier entertainment complex, The District, with dining, drinks, 20 bowling lanes, a 70-game arcade and a state-of-the-art movie theater. In August, a major expansion added the Sky Tower: 21 stories high featuring 1,000 new luxury hotel rooms, 3,300 additional slot machines, table games, a new poker room, new restaurants, movie theaters and three acres of swimming pools

The 57th Academy of Country Music awards show is scheduled for March 7.

Cherokee Nation seeks citizen input on water quality issues

TAHLEQUAH — The Cherokee Nation is asking citizens who live within the tribe’s 14-county reservation to participate in a water quality study as part of the Wilma P. Mankiller and Charlie Soap Water Act signed last year by Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr.

Under the act, at least $2 million in additional funding is being invested annually into improving access to clean water across the reservation, effectively doubling the amount Cherokee Nation spends from the tribe’s own revenues.

“Last year, Deputy Chief Bryan Warner and I asked the council to support this critical legislation. They jumped on board and we are already making great strides in addressing water quality needs of Cherokee citizens across the reservation,” Hoskin said.

“One of the next steps is to ask citizens living within the reservation to participate in a short online survey intended to help us understand which homes are experiencing water quality issues. This feedback is an integral part of the Cherokee Nation’s ongoing effort to address barriers to clean, safe water.”

The survey is accessible by visiting the Gadugi Portal at https://gadugiportal.cherokee.org and selecting “Applications” from the top blue navigation bar. From the Applications page, select “Water Survey” from the list of available programs.

The survey takes about five minutes to complete and responses are anonymous. Participants will be asked what type of water supply they have, whether they face any water quality concerns or problems such as low water pressure, and other water- and wastewater-related questions.

“Chief Hoskin and I wanted to name this legislation in honor of the legacy of former Principal Chief Wilma Mankiller and former Executive Director of Community Service Charlie Soap, who worked to create and improve water access in Cherokee communities in Adair County. They understood that access to water was critical to Cherokees, and they worked hard to make that happen 40 years ago,” Warner said.

Another aspect of the legislation will identify the number of Cherokees within each county of the reservation whose access to water is limited to a well water supply, and develop strategies to bring rural water access to as many citizens as possible.

Chickasaw citizen, Catie Hamilton, director of cultural enhancement for the Chickasaw Nation.

Chickasaw citizen named director of cultural enhancement

Gov. Bill Anoatubby has appointed Chickasaw citizen Catie Hamilton to director of cultural enhancement for the Chickasaw Nation.

“Catie Hamilton brings both the cultural knowledge handed down through her family and formal education in First American leadership to her new role,” Anoatubby said. “Her education, life experience and commitment to our mission will enable her to serve the Chickasaw Nation well in this position.”

Hamilton served the Chickasaw Nation previously as heritage preservation senior manager. Her promotion expands her duties while retaining previous managerial tasks. She will continue managing the Chickasaw Nation Internship Program, the Chickasaw Explorers Program and preservation of the Chickasaw Bank Museum, located in Tishomingo.

Additionally, Hamilton will oversee the staff located at Washita Farms and the bank museum through management agreements between the Chickasaw Nation, the Johnston County Historical Society and the Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge.

While attending East Central University in Ada, Hamilton worked part time for the tribe. In 2015, she earned a bachelor’s degree in business management and began her career as a program manager with the Chickasaw Nation. In 2017, she earned a master’s degree from Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant in Native American leadership.

Hamilton is the granddaughter of Chickasaw Hall of Fame inductee Rose Shields Jefferson, the oldest of 13 children born to Joseph and Minnie Allen Shields, whose parents were original Dawes Commission enrollees. She is married to Clovis Hamilton, director of the Chickasaw Language Revitalization Program. They have a daughter, Emersyn.

“It is an honor to be promoted by governor and to assist Chickasaw citizens in experiencing their heritage through our programs,” Hamilton said. “Internships prepare our young citizens with the hands-on experience they will need to enter the workforce while also learning more about their Chickasaw culture through cultural activities and presentations. It’s also a privilege to help young adults find their cultural identity with the Chickasaw Explorers Program as they reflect on our ancestors and visit sites in our Chickasaw Homeland.”