Phyliss Anderson, the first female chief of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, was the Global Gaming Women luncheon’s keynote speaker Thursday, and she couldn’t help but compare the progress of her tribe with the recent #MeToo movement.
“The women’s movement easily parallels the efforts under way in Indian country,” Anderson said. “We seek voices to be heard, and we only want justice, representation and fairness.
“As a female in leadership, and a mother and grandmother to girls, I tell you that I celebrate and cheer these women on as they speak out.”
Anderson, one of seven girls raised by a single mother, was elected chief of the 11,000-member tribe in 2011. She’s currently in her second term.
The Choctaws negotiated their first compact with the state in 1993 and now operate the Silver Star, Golden Moon and Bok Homa casinos, but Anderson focused Thursday’s talk at the Southern Gaming Summit more on the tribe’s overall challenges and business dealings. She shared a 16-minute video depicting the history of the Choctaws in Mississippi, a tribe that almost went extinct after many of its members were forced to migrate to Oklahoma on the Trail of Tears.
The Choctaws operate the largest consolidated school district in Indian Country, consisting of a high school, middle school and six elementary schools. The tribe operates other educational and job training programs for adolescents and adults, and government gambling revenues fund tribal services, including childhood and elderly care centers, scholarships, medical facilities and public safety.
Anderson was introduced by GLI VP of Global Marketing Christie Eickelman, the vice president of Global Gaming Women. Eickelman announced that the organization has relaunched its Great Women of Gaming program and is currently taking nominations in five categories. Go to GlobalGamingWomen.org for more information or to submit a nomination.
“It’s my hope that we continue to support each other,” Eickelman said.
Anderson is also gaining nationwide prominence as an indigenous leader, working to build relations with other tribes and with federal, state and local governments. She was chosen to introduce President Barack Obama at the annual White House Tribal Nations Conference in 2011.
She said the issue of gender never came up during her campaign.
“Obviously, history was made, but I didn’t choose to run for this position so I could be the first at anything. I felt the Lord was calling me to this position because of the lack of leadership of the Choctaw people,” she said.
Anderson gave credit to her predecessor, Phillip Martin, who served for 32 years before being ousted in 2007. She considers Martin a mentor, and drew applause from the audience – which was about two-thirds women – when she relayed a saying that Martin was fond of:
“Chief Martin often said, ‘If you want to get something done, get a woman on it.’”
