Subject: white House/Choctaw
President Bill Clinton announced recently steps his administration is taking to improve health care, education, and economies of Indians and rural America, and the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma is being awarded the first economic initiative.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced the Choctaws will lead the way with the first demonstration project under the BRAVO Initiative. BRAVO means Bringing Rural America Venture Opportunities. Chief Gregory E. Pyle said he was proud that the tribe would be awarded the first contract in this broad federal initiative to bring jobs to rural America. The Choctaw Nation will develop software programs under this $5 million contract that will help
manage USDA programs. The Choctaws will team with UNISYS, a high-tech firm, who will serve as a mentor for the initial project and will also work in conjunction with Little Dixie Community Action Agency to accomplish this enterprise.
The "BRAVO Initiative" will result in increased use of American Indian-owned business by USDA and increased employment in rural areas and on Indian lands. This initiative will, by creating jobs in small communities, revitalize and enrich those communities and will, in turn, provide opportunities for other businesses and jobs.
"This is a terrific accomplishment for the Choctaw Nation and one that we are enormously proud of," said Chief Pyle. "It gives us the chance to show what tribal governments can build through business development. USDA will be getting top-quality results and we will be creating high-tech jobs and economic growth."
President Bill Clinton and Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman have renewed the Federal government's commitment to actively pursuing civil rights goals. As a result, agency administrators are now responsible for showing tangible results in five categories, one of which is procurement. Secretary Glickman has also advanced the idea of creating 100,000 jobs in rural America by the year 2000.
This project is a result of the BRAVO initiative, which will increase the use of American Indian owned business by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and increase employment in rural areas, and on Indian lands.
The goal of BRAVO is to create technology-based jobs on Indian Lands and in surrounding economically disadvantaged rural areas. Tribal entities will establish small start-up technology companies.
Initial services provided will be software development for USDA. Employees will be recruited/trained from Indian Nations and economically disadvantaged people from surrounding areas.
Large technology companies currently doing business with USDA will provide mentoring and support to the start-up companies. These large companies will provide business development, technical training and technical support.
The Choctaws have an 8 (a) company (Choctaw Management Services Enterprises) CM/SE and are working with UNISYS and with Little Dixie in Hugo for business establishment and for in-depth technical support. Risk Management Agency has been active in BRAVO and has identified contracts that will be utilized for this first site.
Farm Service Agency and Rural Development are also investigating potential contracts that can be directed to this program.
"The Choctaw Nation Tribal council and I consider jobs for our people one of our greatest priorities," said Chief Gregory E. Pyle. "The tribe has about 2,000 employees, most of them in Southeastern Oklahoma. The Choctaw Nation provides employment through businesses and/or service programs in McCurtain, LeFlore, Choctaw, Bryan, Haskell, Coal, Pushmataha, Atoka, Pittsburg and Latimer Counties. We also have some employees outside the United States
boundaries, thanks to CM/SE, which stands for Choctaw Management Services Enterprise, an 8 (a) tribal business.
"I have heard from many of our tribal members who live outside the boundaries of our Nation who have moved from Oklahoma over the years in order to find jobs to support their families. A great number of these Choctaw people have expressed a desire to move home to Oklahoma, some saying if they could only find a good-paying job, they would return to be close to their parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles.
"We are very proud of the 8 (a) status that enables us to work on government projects and contracts."
The Council and I look forward to working with UNISYS, Little Dixie and the Department of Agriculture through the BRAVO initiative," said Chief Pyle. "This will give the Choctaw Nation an opportunity to offer high-tech jobs with good wages to our people.
"Profits from the tribal businesses, such as travel plazas, smoke shops and gaming centers, are used to support existing service programs such as the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), health services, education scholarships, emergency assistance, and housing for the needy. Business revenue is also used to start up new business, creating more jobs for more Choctaw people," said Chief Pyle.
The Hugo, Oklahoma demonstration model is especially suited to further the goal of BRAVO to develop economic opportunities in rural communities and create a significant number of new, highly skilled, technology-based rural jobs on Indian Lands and in surrounding economically disadvantaged rural areas.
The Hugo area is recognized as an ideal example of an Economic Community; it is a designated SBA One Stop Capital Shop, and is actively pursuing Empowerment Zone and SBA Historically Underutilized Business Zone designation.
The Department of Agriculture has expressed their intent to incorporate the advantages of these programs wherever possible for the development of Native American business.
Participating USDA agencies will direct a small percentage of already budgeted and approved software development contracts to this initiative. Therefore, there will be no added cost to USDA and will be budget neutral.
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