Hollis E. Roberts facts for kids

Hollis Earl Roberts (born May 9, 1943 – died October 19, 2011) was an important Native American leader. He served for 19 years as the Chief of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. Hollis Roberts was born in Hochatown, Oklahoma. His parents were Laura Beam Roberts and Darrell E. Roberts.

He went to Holly Creek Elementary and Idabel High School. He finished high school in 1961. In 1963, Roberts married Helen R. Rodriguez. They had three children together. Hollis Roberts passed away in 2011 when he was 68 years old. His time as Chief of the Choctaw Nation ended in 1997. He led one of the largest Native American tribes in the United States. This tribe included over 195,000 members. About 79,000 of these members lived in Oklahoma.

Early Steps in Politics

Roberts started his political journey in Hugo, Oklahoma. He was a city council person there for 14 years. After that, Roberts served six years in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. He represented Choctaw County. Only about six percent of the people in Choctaw County were Native American. This made his election victory very impressive. From 1975 to 1978, Roberts worked as an assistant. He helped Chief David Gardner of the Choctaw Nation.

Becoming Chief of the Choctaw Nation

In 1978, Chief David Gardner passed away. Hollis Roberts was then elected as the Chief of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. His election happened near the end of the Red Power movement. This movement was a time when Native Americans worked for their rights. Roberts was a young and energetic leader. He showed the spirit of the Red Power Movement. He became a strong voice for change. This was a time when Native American independence was very important across the country.

Roberts ran against Charles Brown. Brown was a popular and respected older politician. Roberts won the election by a small number of votes. He won by only 339 votes.

Key Achievements as Chief

The year 1983 was very important for Roberts and the Choctaw people. Roberts suggested a new constitution for the Choctaw Nation. A big part of this new constitution changed how people became tribal members. It removed the need for a certain amount of Native American ancestry. This change helped more people become members of the Choctaw tribe.

The new constitution also gave women the right to vote. This new constitution was approved on July 9, 1983. The vote was 2,253 in favor and 780 against. As chief, Roberts chose the tribal judges. In 1983, he appointed Juanita Jefferson. She was the first female Choctaw judge. Roberts was reelected as chief in 1983.

Another important year was 1992. In that year, the Choctaw, Cherokee, Chickasaw, and Seminole tribes signed an agreement with Oklahoma. This agreement meant that Native Americans paid a fee to the federal government each year. This was instead of paying taxes on tobacco products. These products were sold to non-Native people on their reservations. This agreement helped the Choctaw Nation. They paid 75% less to the federal government. This allowed them to earn more money from products sold on their lands.

Roberts worked hard to make health better for his people. He also worked to increase the tribe's population. He wanted to help the economy grow. During his time as chief, health problems like tuberculosis became less common. The number of babies who died also went down greatly. Roberts used his skills to get money from the government. He also set up programs to help his people.

Under his leadership, the Choctaw Nation improved health care. The tribe's population grew. They also started strong plans for economic growth. Many people saw Roberts as a leader who brought important changes to the Choctaw Nation.