A Message from the Oneida Nation Representative and CEO

Shekoli.

In challenging times, it’s easy to lose sight of the good things around you. But that does a disservice to all the men and women who worked so diligently in the past year to make good things happen for the Oneida Nation. In these pages, you’ll find not tales of woe, but the latest chapter in the Nation’s story — a story that spans untold millennia, telling of our people’s courage, spirit, determination, and success in the face of daunting odds. As always, it is my profound pleasure to share the latest highlights of the Nation’s journey.

One of the biggest highlights of 2008 was our sponsorship of “The True Spirit of Thanksgiving” float in the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade®. It marked the first time that a tribal nation has sponsored a float in this iconic American event, and the response of the crowd was exhilarating. So many people were thrilled to see the first Americans honored and recognized. According to Macy’s officials, as many as 3.5 million people saw the parade in person, and another 50 million watched it live on television.

To be sure, the Nation and its business enterprises, like everyone else in Central New York, faced challenges in 2008. But challenges are good; we know, from our own history, that challenges stimulate our creativity and resourcefulness and lead us to truly remarkable accomplishments.

Turning Stone Resort and Casino is just one example of such accomplishments. In 2008, the resort celebrated its 15th year of operation, and few would recognize the original modest gaming hall in today’s world-class campus. The Tower, The Lodge (winner of the 2007 Condé Nast Johansen “Most Excellent Resort” award) and Wildflowers all earned Four Diamond ratings from AAA in 2008, and Turning Stone’s golf facilities again garnered recognition from several golf magazines. Shenendoah, Kahluyat, and Sandstone Hollow also were recertified as Audubon International Signature Sanctuaries in 2008.

Speaking of golf, the second annual Turning Stone Resort Championship, the first regularly scheduled PGA TOUR event to be held on American Indian lands, generated more than $228,000 in revenue for local charities through the Upstate New York Empowerment Fund. The weather played tricks on the fans, but the pros took it in their stride and reiterated their admiration for Atunyote Golf Club and all the work the Nation and hundreds of volunteers put into making the tournament such a success.

We opened the new and improved SāvOn at the intersection of Routes 31 and 365 in Verona.

Four Directions Media, which includes Indian Country Today, Four Directions Productions, and the First Allies Living History Project, had a busy and exciting 2008. ICT revamped its web site and again earned kudos from the Native American Journalists Association. Four Directions Productions, which created the 3-D animated short “Raccoon and Crawfish” in 2007, earned more film festival awards in 2008. And First Allies was recognized for its volunteer service at National Park sites.

The Nation also launched its redesigned web site (OneidaIndianNation.com) in 2008, combining news features and information about Oneida history and culture in one virtual stop.

Once again, our business enterprises shone as one of the few bright spots against a dim economic backdrop for the region. We remain the largest employer in Oneida and Madison counties, pumping millions of dollars into Central New York through our spending with other businesses (more than $118 million in Oneida County; $22.5 million in Onondaga County; and $9.2 million in Madison County). Our employees earned more than $126 million in wages in 2008, which in turn was spent with other businesses in the region.

In addition, the Nation contributed $4.6 million to the employee 401(k) plan and paid more than $22 million in medical and dental claims for its workers and their families in fiscal 2008. And the Oneida Nation Foundation made some $50,000 in grants to various organizations whose missions focus on helping youth and others in need, both locally and in Indian Country.

We accomplished all this at the same time that we continued to fulfill our main responsibility as a government: providing for the health, education, and general well-being of our people with tools and incentives that allow individuals to realize their full potential.

I always take a great deal of pride in pointing out how traditional Oneida values have helped both the Nation and those around us prosper in good times and safely weather the inevitable storms of life. All the successes we have had are a direct result of remaining true to our core values — of doing what we know is right and just, regardless of what may be going on around us. To me, there is nothing more inspiring or uplifting than seeing this kind of success and knowing that its influence reaches further than we ever imagined it would.

What we have done so far, of course, is only the foundation for what we can do tomorrow. We are not merely the heirs of our ancestors. We are the caretakers for our descendants. No matter what happens, we never lose sight of our most important task: creating a better future for the faces yet unborn.