E10 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks January 3, 2001 care of for life if they served a minimum of that appears in Indian Country Today. As the else. They were among the poorest share- twenty years of active federal service. piece points out, Chief Phillip Martin of the croppers in a poor state, acutely discrimi- Well, those military retirees served their time Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians has for nated against. They were basically just hold- ing on to a tribal base, having come through and expected the government to hold up its more than a quarter of a century used the free end of the bargain. They are now realizing a very dark historical period as a people of market as a tool to better the lives of his fel- color in a racially polarized South. Suffering that these were nothing more than empty low tribe members and neighbors. from 80 percent unemployment, 90 percent promises. Those who served in the military did Self-reliance and not government depend- lived in poverty and the tribe averaged a not let their country down in its time of need ency is the secret to prosperity. But there is sixth-grade education. and we should not let military retirees down in no need to tell Chief Martin that fact. He has Appreciably, Martin returned home of theirs. It's time military retirees get what was lived his life promoting the economic vitality of sound mind and character and applied him- promised to them and that's why I am intro- his people and they have reaped the benefits self to the betterment of his people through ducing this legislation. self-sufficient enterprise. Martin led an early of his progressive thinking. I salute Chief Mar- flight to construct and operated the first f tin for all he has done to further the cause of high school on the reservation in 1963, begin- HONORING JUNE PINKNEY ROSS freedomÐfor his people and for our nation. ning a trend that has seen consistent im- [From Indian Country Today, Dec. 27, 2000] provement in the educational level of the reservation population. He began the plan- MISSISSIPPI CHOCTAWS: THE BENEFITS OF HON. NICK LAMPSON ning that would lay out a modern commu- PEACE CHIEFS OF TEXAS nity infrastructure with good housing. He If a people are going to strive to achieve IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES pursued and constructed an industrial park economic prosperity, the reduction of con- Wednesday, January 3, 2001 and after 10 years of chasing contracts, flict, the acceptance and understanding of began a successful 20 years of economic Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, today I salute peace, is a most useful strategy. Mutual un- growth. General Motors, Ford Motor Co., Ox- and honor the indomitable June Pinkney Ross derstanding, common cause and unity of ac- ford Speakers and other companies have lo- of Galveston, Texas. tion become possible. Little ever improves cated manufacturing plants in the Choctaw’s I was recently honored to have contributed from virulent conflict and nothing moves 80-acre industrial park, which boasts 500,000 forward in war. Leadership with vision often square feet of manufacturing space. to the ``Book of Letters'' being presented next works actively to reduce conflict while put- week to Ms. Ross in celebration of her twenty- By 1994, the year when their enterprises di- ting its major efforts toward the positive versified and accelerated with construction seven year career as Executive Director of the building of fair community governance and of a casino and entertainment center, the na- Galveston County Community Action Council. efficient enterprises. At this moment of tion ran a total payroll topping $84 million. The residents of Galveston County, particu- shifting political climates, when the future It had sound management and was ready to larly the disenfranchised and the children who of Native nations is clouded by uncertainties take on the complexity of gaming. The na- could not speak for themselves, have been on the national level, it seems proper to sa- tion’s Chahta Enterprises is now one of the well served by June Ross' unselfish acts of lute a consistent peace chief, one who led his 10 top employers in Mississippi. Its enter- caring, sharing, kindness and understanding of own people from severe poverty and obscu- tainment complex receives more than 2.5 rity to sustained prosperity and regional po- their plight. million visitors a year and the tribe has litical prominence. built more than 1,000 new houses, con- It is well known that June Ross will literally He is Phillip Martin, long-time chief of the fight to the bitter end for the right thing, is structed a major hospital, schools, nursing Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. A man home, shopping center and day care center. bluntly and sometimes frighteningly honest of great perseverance, the 75-year-old Martin In what used to be the poorest county in about how to address the needs of the poor has led and guided his 6,000-member Choctaw the poorest state in the United States, in one and does not mind sharing her unedited opin- tribe since 1959. Periodically, yet consist- of the most conservative states in the union, ion on any subject that is placed on the table. ently reelected to the tribe’s highest office the Choctaws led an economic revolution. We who know her and have been privileged to for more than 40 years, Phillip Martin is uni- Today, with nearly universal employment, work with her always knew that we could versally credited for the success of the Choc- only 2.7 percent of household income comes taw, who are well posed to enter the 21st cen- count on her to go after grants for which her from social services and this mostly involves tury as a self-determined people. While elderly and handicapped. The tribe’s manu- agency qualified and, once the money was re- other, more conflictive tribes have deepened ceived, to disburse it where it was most need- facturing plants, still going strong, consist- their economic dependencies and allowed spi- ently win high qualify awards. They employ ed. I have enjoyed working with June Ross rals of violence to weaken their body politic, some 8,000 people, mostly non-Natives. and always felt that she would make a fair as- the Mississippi Choctaws have built steadily Most interestingly, a stroll down the res- sessment of any situation that she was con- for more than 30 years. A well-entrenched ervation’s main elementary school will re- fronted with and react accordingly. tradition remembers the attitude of histor- veal a lot of students speaking fluent Choc- My one regret during our relationship is that ical chief, Pushmataha, who in 1811 reasoned taw. I never got a chance to sample her cooking. against war with their neighbors while Te- ‘‘Tell the other tribes’’ Martin says, ‘‘we Ms. Ross' radio cooking class was quite suc- cumseh appealed to the Choctaw warriors to can all do this. If you really want to do it, join his war parties. While he had been a and get your act together, you can do it.’’ cessful and listeners would bombard the sta- great warrior as a young man, Pushmataha This is a generous thought, but such progress tion for her recipes. I am sure that she ap- opted for peace as he aged as a chief. will also require vision, and political acu- proached that job with the same diligence and While Tecumseh has come down through men. To Martin’s credit, when the political commitment that she has given to the State of the history as the greater leader, and winds turned right in 1994, he was positioned Texas and Galveston County throughout the Pushmataha is the lesser known. Interest- to solidify friendships with such Republican years. I want to also take this opportunity to ingly, the response of Pushmataha, who cool- powerhouses as Sen. Trent Lott, R–Miss. let her know that I am grateful for her service ly analyzed the horrible suffering war would Hiring quality lobbyists as their new bring, was actually quite sophisticated and to our great nation as a member of the United wealth allowed, the Choctaw leader per- just as completely dedicated to the preserva- suaded a good sector of Republicans to the States Military. tion and survival of his people. He pointed righteousness of the Native nations sov- Mr. Speaker, I salute June Ross for all she out how his own tribe had painstakingly ereignty from taxation. In particular, the has done to make the community better worked out friendly relations with their Choctaw initiative convinced the country’s (United Way, one of the original founders of white neighbors. Their relations were recip- major anti-tax organization—Americans for Hospice) and hope she knows how much she rocal and as a result, things were going well. Tax Reform, whose 500-plus organizations is respected and loved. To start killing their neighbors with whom network and 90,000 activists supported the f they had such relations did not seem a good Indian case as an anti-tax strategy. idea to Pushmataha, who kept his people out Politics is the art of achieving your CHIEF PHILLIP MARTIN—CHAM- of the war and guided them for another 14 group’s self-interest, and it certainly makes PION OF PEACE AND PROS- years. for diverse bedfellows. But always the proof PERITY Like Pushmataha, Phillip Martin came is in the pudding. The Choctaw strategy, pre- home from war to embark in a career that cise and proper for their geopolitical con- would build education and civic action and text, is pragmatically brilliant. In the hold HON. TOM DeLAY economic opportunity for his people. He was of the old South, this Mississippi tribe pro- OF TEXAS one of those from what has been called ‘‘the vides a welcome signal, an example of where IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES greatest generation.’’ A World War II Air visionary leadership can make a huge dif- Wednesday, January 3, 2001 Force combat veteran who lost a brother in ference to the future of a people. An appre- the war, Martin served in the military until ciation and salutation is due Choctaw chief Mr. DELAY. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to in- 1955. When he returned home, his people had and statesman, Phillip Martin, visionary, troduce to the RECORD the following editorial their pride and their language, but little quiet building, steady helm.
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