Halito (Hello) from Dr. Evan Whitley, Executive Director of Agriculture.
Over the “summer” months, I attended several conferences which resulted in what I think are some noteworthy experiences I’d like to share. Not necessarily due to any one revelation, more toward the end-result benefits of membership in “grass roots”-type organizations which leverage stakeholder viewpoints and/or offer opportunities for education and continued professional development.
This past July, the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association (OIGA) and the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association (OCA) held their annual conventions in Oklahoma City and Norman, respectively. As you can imagine, the information consumed at these meetings was, to say the least, “different.” However, the root of each organization’s mission statement is to further Oklahoma’s economic development and have a positive quality-of-life impact on the state’s constituency.
This was an opportunity for the Choctaw Nation’s Agriculture and Natural Resources Department to represent its agricultural endeavors in a tribal gaming venue, something not often done, and to embody tribal culture, heritage and sovereignty at the state’s most prominent agriculture conference, again, not often done.
At OIGA the Choctaw Nation handed out countless packages of beef sticks, jerky and an incredibly well-written newsletter about Choctaw Ranches (nudge, nudge) to folks who very well may be clueless as to the overall importance of agriculture.
At OCA, the Choctaw Nation was represented on several boards and provided support to the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Foundation Youth Scholarship and Education Program.
In anything and everything we do, I’ve always felt it important to look for the common ground. At face-value, these two organizations would seem to be at the far ends of the spectrum; however, as I hope you agree, the Choctaw Nation’s participation helped to advance both tribal and agricultural awareness, key pillars to Oklahoma’s economic future. I encourage everyone to seek out participation in causes reliant upon the “wholes” rather than the “parts.” How? Well, friend, you might just have to get out of your comfort zone and meet some new folks.
It’s really not that hard. Just look for some common ground.