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27-454: In the 1960s, Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby decided something had to be built to preserve Chickasaw culture. The nation was not in a position to make that happen at the time, but in 1980 Price Waterhouse conducted a feasibility study to determine whether a Chickasaw/Native American theme park could be built in the Arbuckle area. The study concluded that there was not enough population in

54-529: A Democrat, Anoatubby endorsed conservative Republican and fellow Chickasaw T. W. Shannon in the 2022 United States Senate special election in Oklahoma . In addition to serving as governor, Anoatubby has been a member of numerous civic and governmental organizations at the local, state, regional and national levels. As of June 2018, he has served as member and past president of the Inter-Tribal Council of

81-474: A favorable location for the Center's campus. The symbolic breaking of the ground of the Center was started two days later on September 30, 2004. Construction began shortly after in 2004, took six years to complete, cost $ 40 million, and opened in 2010. The Chickasaw Cultural Center features different seasonal exhibits, some of which are listed below. The buildings and other structures on the campus were designed by

108-521: A largely rural nature, and is populated with many small towns and ranches. It also contains a large portion of the Cross Timbers region, transitioning from a heavily wooded area (with native oaks, elms and other eastern varieties) to a rolling savanna in the west, occasionally broken by cedar and mesquite trees. In addition to abundant water resources latent in the Arbuckle-Simpson Aquifer ,

135-534: A modest, almost self-effacing politician who seems happy to share the credit for the Nation's successes. He has achieved the following: Anoatubby decided to run for national office in the 1998 election , he sought the Democratic Party nomination for the 3rd District U.S. House seat. At the time the district took in territory in the rural southeastern region of the state, including the area historically reserved for

162-927: A museum, is in Tuskahoma . The Chickasaw Nation lies within the region, with the tribal capitol building located at Tishomingo and its headquarters in Ada . The Chickasaw Nation , which runs "Chickasawcountry.com" . , promotes the idea of Chickasaw Country as the 13 south-central Oklahoma counties that comprise the Chickasaw Nation, being the Tourism Department’s seven counties plus Coal , Bryan , Jefferson , Stephens , Grady , and McClain counties. The region, also known by its former Oklahoma Department of Tourism designation, Arbuckle Country or Lake and Trail Country , has three distinct centers of commerce and culture, Ardmore , Ada and Durant , though it retains

189-515: A position he has held since 1987. From 1979 to 1987, Anoatubby served two terms as Lieutenant Governor of the Chickasaw Nation in the administration of Governor Overton James , after being popularly elected to office. He is a member of the Democratic Party . Anoatubby was born in Denison, Texas , the youngest of six children of Opal Faye ( née Mitchell; 1912–2006) and Joseph Morris Anoatubby (1906–1948). After his father died, his widowed mother moved

216-570: A seven-county region including Pontotoc , Johnston , Marshall , Garvin , Murray , Carter , and Love counties. A ten-county definition might also include Coal , Atoka , and Bryan counties, although the Department of Tourism includes those in Choctaw Country . The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma covers the eastern third of the region. Its headquarters is in Durant , and its capitol building, now

243-651: Is an amorphous region in the state of Oklahoma , perhaps encompassing 10 counties. It is centered on the Arbuckle Mountains , an ancient, eroded range traversing some 70 miles (110 km) across the region, and surrounded by rivers and lakes, notably Lake Texoma , Lake Murray and Lake of the Arbuckles . For tourism purposes, the Oklahoma Department of Tourism has more narrowly defined South Central Oklahoma, which they refer to as Chickasaw Country , as being

270-603: Is home to several popular Oklahoma casinos . Per the 2000 census, the region had 209,569 people. Nearly one-quarter of these residents (45,621) live in Carter County , of which Ardmore is the county seat. The growth of the southern portion of the region rivals that of both the Oklahoma City and the Tulsa metropolitan regions, with Bryan and Marshall counties (areas surrounding Lake Texoma) adding greater numbers of residents due to

297-664: The Choctaw Nation , and some of the lands belonging to the Chickasaw and Muscogee Creek nations. After the Civil War, following strong migration by European Americans from the South, this area was later also known as " Little Dixie ." Anoatubby placed third in the four-candidate field in the Democratic primary. Following his defeat, he endorsed state senator Darryl Roberts, who eventually won

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324-579: The Oklahoma Army National Guard . He attained the rank of staff sergeant and command of a light truck platoon, before his honorable discharge in 1971. From 1972 to 1974, Anoatubby was employed as an office manager for American Plating Company. From 1974 to 1975, he was employed by the Little Giant Corporation, working in the areas of accounting, budgeting, financial analysis, and electronic data processing. In July 1975, Anoatubby

351-933: The Arts Board of Directors, OU Price School of Business Board of Advisors, Task Force on the Future of Higher Education, and the Goddard Center Primary Board. Anoatubby was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 2004. In 2017, he was awarded the Harland C. Stonecipher Award for Entrepreneurial Vision, the James R. Tollbert III Crystal Orchid Award, the World Experiences Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award in Global Citizenship, and

378-560: The Democratic nomination. But Roberts was defeated by the Republican incumbent, Wes Watkins , who won re-election at a time of shifting political alliances by people in the state. (In 2003, the 3rd congressional district was totally redefined as taking in territory in the northwest part of the state rather than the southeast.) In 2014, Anoatubby was mentioned as a possible candidate for the U.S. Senate special election that year to replace Tom Coburn , but he decided not to run. Despite being

405-1144: The Five Civilized Tribes, the American Mothers Advisory Council, the American Indian Cultural Center Foundation, the Arkansas Riverbed Authority, the Dean A. McGee Board of Trustees, Murray State College Foundation, past chairman of the Harold Hamm Diabetes Center Board of Advisors, chairman of the Native American Cultural and Educational Foundation, the Oklahoma Business Roundtable Executive Committee, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation Board of Directors, Oklahoma State Fair, Inc. Board of Directors, Oklahoma Hall of Fame Board of Directors, Oklahoman's for

432-584: The Lee B. Brawner Lifetime Achievement Award. Awards and honors include: Anoatubby lives in Ada, Oklahoma with his wife, the former Janice Marie Loman, who he married in December 1967. They have two sons, Chris, who was elected in 2019 as Lieutenant Governor of the Chickasaw Nation on a ticket with his father, and Brian. Chris and his wife Becky have three children, while Brian and his wife Melinda have two children. South Central Oklahoma South Central Oklahoma

459-415: The Nation's programs and businesses and, indirectly its more than 13,500 employees. There are more than 200 tribal programs and services, and more than 100 tribal businesses. Anoatubby has devised a multi-pronged approach to improving conditions for the tribe in the areas of tribal finance, education, business and economic development, environmental protection, and healthcare. Anoatubby has been described as

486-545: The United States, as determined by the U.S. Corps of Engineers. Other draws in the region include Oklahoma's tallest waterfall, Turner Falls , as well as the restored historic downtowns of Ardmore , Durant and Ada . The region's proximity to the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex makes it a popular weekend destination for those searching for a respite from the increasingly congested North Texas region. The area

513-473: The architectural group Frankfurt Short Bruza (FSB) who have also done multiple other projects with the Chickasaw Nation. One of the biggest features of the Cultural Center is the historically accurate recreation of a traditional Chickasaw village. The Center hosts cultural re-enactments and daily Stomp dances in the village on the campus. The campus also has an outdoor amphitheater, sky bridge overlooking

540-672: The area to support it. This was followed by a survey conducted by the Chickasaw government in October 2000, for over 1,200 members of the nation to provide suggestions regarding the creation of a cultural center. U.S. Representative Tom Cole (a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation) drafted a land exchange agreement between the Nation, the City of Sulphur , and the National Park Service , which was approved on September 28, 2004 in order to provide

567-594: The family to Tishomingo, Oklahoma , the first Chickasaw capital. In 1964, Anoatubby graduated from Tishomingo High School, where he played football and was active in student government . He attended Murray State College in Tishomingo, before transferring to East Central University in Ada , where he earned a bachelor's degree in accounting. Anoatubby undertook additional studies in business and finance at ECU and Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant, Oklahoma . During his college years, he also served in

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594-405: The irregular topography of the underlying Arbuckle range. Larger manmade lakes include Lake Texoma , with over 89,000 acres (360 km ), and Lake Murray , a 5,700-acre (23 km ) lake impounded about 10 miles (20 km) south of Ardmore. Fishing, boating and swimming are popular throughout the region, especially on Lake Texoma , the second most popular lake in terms of annual visitors in

621-460: The recreated tribal village, hiking trails, plants native to Oklahoma and Mississippi, and a statue by sculptor and former Oklahoma state senator Enoch Kelly Haney . 34°29′34″N 96°59′45″W  /  34.49278°N 96.99583°W  / 34.49278; -96.99583 Bill Anoatubby Billy Joe Anoatubby (born November 8, 1945) is the 32nd Governor of the Chickasaw Nation ,

648-461: The region has some of the highest oil and gas production in the state, with Carter County seated as the largest producer in the state. The Arbuckle Mountains are the defining geographical entity in this region, with peaks (once taller than the Rockies ) eroded down to their current elevation of 200-300' above the surrounding terrain. Many lakes are also located throughout the region, often shaped by

675-408: Was appointed as special assistant to the governor and controller. He provided program and personnel management, including supervision of tribal department directors. The following year, Anoatubby was popularly elected as the first Lieutenant Governor of the Chickasaw Nation, serving with Governor Overton James . He was re-elected alongside James for a second four-year term in 1983. In 1987, Anoatubby

702-477: Was elected as the Governor of the Chickasaw Nation, the twelfth-largest tribe in the United States. This began the 32nd administration of Chickasaw Governors and he is the 22nd person to serve in the office. He is now serving his 10th consecutive term in office, having been reelected in 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019, and 2023; on five occasions he faced no opposition. As governor, he administers all

729-456: Was hired by the Chickasaw Nation government, then based in Sulphur, Oklahoma , to serve as Director of Tribal Health Services. He managed tribal health programs in a 13-county region of South Central Oklahoma . The following year, he accepted appointment as director of the tribal accounting department, where he was responsible for development and improvement of tribal accounting systems. In 1978, he

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