Chairperson
LaRue Martin Parker's
message to the Caddo membership (Membership meeting, 1 October 2005)
Thank you for being here today - it means you care about your tribe and
its welfare.
Thank you for your trust and support over the years, I'm truly honored.
You have elected a very hardworking council and we have been busy
reclaiming our programs and it had not been easy. We have sent
resolutions to the Agency for:
- Aid to Tribal Government
- Social Services
- Higher Education
- Adult Education
- Bison Program
- Firefighters Programs
- Tribal Housing from HUD
- Burial Funds
We are closer to having some
programs in service than others.
Hopefully within a month all will be in place.
Three Council members have been removed from this Council for crimes
against the people. The Anadarko Representative, the Ft. Cobb
Representative, and the Secretary position have been declared vacant.
We still have a quorum of 5 and we all work very well together.
We have hired an Administrative assistant to help the Chairman and
Council. We have a very qualified Executive Director of Housing and a
new Indian Child Welfare Director with a Masters Degree, both are very
innovative, self starters and professionals.
We have hired a new Museum Director who is also very qualified; she
spent 2 years at the pentagon in her field of work. These people are
examples of the personnel we plan to fill any other positions with our
tribe.
We saved some money because we didn't get to spend it, now we have what
we didn't spend last year on top of what we still will get later in
October. So we now provide Health Insurance for our employees -- very
few tribes do that for their staff.
We are caught up with all audits - first time I can remember that this
has happened. Same is true with the In-Direct Cost proposals.
Several programs have submitted new grants and we have received a new
grant for Injury Prevention. We have allocated Motor Fuel monies for
Education, Health, Museum, and Historic Preservation. All budgets have
passed.
We have come a very long way since the election, and we have a very
long way to go and we will with your help, the Caddo people's help.
Soon we will focus on economic development and gaming, but first we
must establish a sound government, get back our credibility and restore
our good name. By the next quarterly meeting I hope to bring you even
more progress for this great nation of ours.
Thank you and God Bless!!!!
LaRue Martin Parker
Chairperson, Caddo Nation of Oklahoma