Five cities asked to bid to become home to tribe

ADA, Okla. (AP) -- Chickasaw Nation Gov. Bill Anaotubby is shopping around for a new home for the tribal government and five southern Oklahoma cities are interested. <br><br>Anaotubby says the tribal

Monday, March 20th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

ADA, Okla. (AP) -- Chickasaw Nation Gov. Bill Anaotubby is shopping around for a new home for the tribal government and five southern Oklahoma cities are interested.

Anaotubby says the tribal members want a central home with a grand Capitol as a showpiece.

"We hope to make it as grand as we can make it," said Anaotubby, although no price has been set for the project by the newly appointed New Capitol Building Ad Hoc Committee. "We want our Capitol to make a statement. Presently, we have a headquarters. "We had a Capitol long before statehood. We are a government. We need a Capitol."

The cities of Ada, Ardmore, Davis, Sulphur and Tishomingo haveb een asked to submit bids by 3 p.m. April 3. Tishomingo and Ada have some history with the tribal government. Tishomingo was home to the tribe until 1971, when the headquarters were moved to Ada.

"This means a tremendous amount to me," Anaotubby said. "To me, this means we're coming of age. We're strongly beginning to develop. Years ago our government had few people, few employees. Right now we're busting at the seams."

The relocation of the tribal government seat could affect at least 200 employees and would involve the potential to add 25 to 75 other local jobs. The tribe also is promising to expand.

The tribe had 15 employees in 1975. It now employs 1,800 tribal members with offices scattered throughout south-central Oklahoma. Tishomingo Mayor Rex Morrell portrays hi s town as "the sentimental favorite." It is regarded as the traditional home ofthe Chickasaw people since their removal from Mississippi. The Chickasaw Nation's museum is there and showcases the original log structure of the first council house.

"We heard through the grapevine last year the Chickasaw Nation was looking for a place to build a new Capitol," said Alan Muse, Tishomingo's city manager. "We've been courting them ever since November. "We feel like the Chickasaw Nation's Capitol should be the center of attention no matter what town it's in. In Tishomingo, it will be. Everyone in the county wants this. We're running on a slogan that the Chickasaw Nation needs to come back home."

Muse said five or six potential sites for the capitol have been identified in Tishomingo.

Mark Willis, president of the Ada Chamber of Commerce, said Ada's best chance rests in having been the headquarters for the Chickasaw Nation for the past 29 years. "The Chickasaws are already established here," Willis said. "We realize they have to put this out for bid, and we'll put out the best bid we can." "The Chickasaws have been helpful partners on many projects in the past," Willis said. "We hope to see more of that in future partnerships."

Ardmore City Manager Blaine Hinds said he is skeptical of the Chickasaw Nation's intentions and confused by its criteria for a new Capitol location. "What we heard from them was all pretty vague," Hinds said. "So I don't know how all this will play out because I don't know what they're really looking for. I don't even know why they want to leave Ada."