[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 122 (Tuesday, September 15, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1720]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                   A TRIBUTE TO CHIEF PHILLIP MARTIN

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                   HON. CHARLES W. ``CHIP'' PICKERING

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 15, 1998

  Mr. PICKERING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a man 
whose leadership and hard work has made the Mississippi band of Choctaw 
Indians a success story--that man is Chief Phillip Martin.
  Chief Martin has served the tribe for over 40 years--during that time 
he has strived to improve the health, wealth and welfare of the tribe 
by promoting self responsibility, self reliance and self governance. 
His mantra has been ``Choctaw self determination.''
  Rather than rely on the Federal Government to address their needs, 
Chief Martin began to instill the values of self reliance in his tribal 
members and educate American businesses and industries about the 
economic opportunities available to them on tribal lands.
  As the Democratically elected leader of the Mississippi Band of 
Choctaw Indians, he has pursued a ``dual track'' to ensure that the 
tribe he leaves behind will be better than the one he was born into.
  First, Chief Martin has made enormous investments ensuring 
educational opportunities for the children of the tribe--including 
state of the art classrooms and scholarships for college-bound 
students.
  Next, he cultivated a business-friendly environment on tribal lands 
and developed more than a dozen commercial enterprises. These 
businesses now provide over 6,000 jobs to tribal members and their 
neighbors in the surrounding area--making the Choctaws the fifth 
largest employer in Mississippi and virtually eradicating unemployment 
among the Mississippi Choctaws.
  By believing in the abilities of the tribe and engaging businesses in 
the local economy, Chief Martin has proved that ``Choctaw self 
determination'' has worked.




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