Tribal Elders Come Forward Alleging Anoatubby/Dry Corruption & Brutal Treatment of Indian Children

By James Miko
April 9, 2009

Note: This is a supplement to the Belly of the Beast investigative series used to provide additional background information on parties associated with Anita Bryant’s husband Charlie Dry.

Charlie Dry’s childhood friends, Bill Anoatubby and Jefferson Keel, are now the governor and lieutenant governor of the Chickasaw Nation. Now another former lieutenant governor of the tribe has stepped forward to Gossip Boy to convey a number of allegations against Anoatubby, Keel, Dry and others.

GOV. BILL ANOATUBBY

David Brown is no stranger to standing up to what he perceives as corruption that could endanger the Oklahoma tribe he served for a number of years and that he claims he saw while working as Chickasaw Nation’s Gov. Bill Anoatubby’s lieutenant. Besides coming to this news website, he has in the past exposed suspicious activities by Anoatubby.

According to a Native American news publication, Brown stepped forward and accused the tribe of misleading the Bureau of Indian Affairs in a number of land-into-trust deals.

In that story October 2004 story it says: David Brown, the tribe's lieutenant governor from 1991 to 1999, says the tribe would tell the BIA that the land was going to be used for a parking lot, a smokeshop or another non-gaming purpose. This allows the tribe to skip the lengthy and costly review process for gaming-related acquisitions. Then, Brown says, the tribe would use the land for gaming. "That was the whole intent, to mislead, but knowing that you're going to put gaming on it," he tells The Daily Oklahoman. The paper said Wilson Seawright, a current tribal legislator, agreed with the description of the tribe's tactics.

It further stated that George Skibine, the acting deputy assistant secretary for economic development and policy and head of the BIA's Indian Gaming Office, says he is concerned about the practice. In interviews with Indianz.Com, he says gaming-related acquisitions must go through his office. In the past four years, only one of the Chickasaw's applications for land has gone to him, and a decision is still pending.    

Brown stated to Gossip Boy, “I did serve eight years as Lt. Governor. In my opinion, things just would not pass the smell test. I am certainly not an Anoatubby fan nor do I have an axe to grind, but through whatever means necessary Anoatubby is raping the Chickasaw Nation and corrupting the governmental structure and process. I just could never go along with that. [Current Lt. Gov. Jefferson] Keel on the other hand will do whatever is necessary to stay with Anoatubby. It is true Anoatubby will not support Keel's desire to be governor, however, there is nothing like Indian politics and Keel could be just that person to be manipulated by the likes of Dry.”

Charlie Dry had revealed during our undercover operation that Keel would not be supported by Anoatubby, as well. Although Keel remains close to Dry, it is unclear why Anoatubby and Dry would not want him as governor.

Former Lt. Gov. Brown was, also, asked about past Chickasaw Governor Overton James, who was removed from office and sent to a federal prison for corruption charges in 1987. Anoatubby was serving as James’ right hand at the time and replaced him as governor. Although Anoatubby was never convicted in the case, there were stories indicating his involvement.

Brown stated, “You asked about Overton James. What I think is that Overton James took the hit for everything and served a few months in prison to protect others involved such as Anoatubby. There are today persons still with the tribe, Lynn Gibson and Stanley Foster, who are pretty much untouchable and protected by Anoatubby. It is the worst kept secret that Lynn served [as] more than a secretary for Overton and Lynn's Husband, Brent, knew it.  He retired from the Chickasaw Nation in the past five years. Stanley Foster knows where the bodies are buried. Stanley and his wife, Donna, are currently employed with the tribe.”

One of the questions brought up to Brown was the information involving James’ history and crimes seems to have been sanitized from official documents in that very little can be found about them now.

“I find it no surprise that there is not much or no information on Overton. The public knows very little or cares about tribal governments. I'm sure some kind of deal was cut with powers that be to clean the slate on Overton. What is going on now, shyster's like Dry recognize the naïveté of tribal leaders and the large amount of money with very little oversight coming through the tribes. Tribes like the Chickasaws are ripe for exploitation. Anoatubby is not a very sophisticated person in the ways of the world and tends to be gullible and can be manipulated. That is the part the public does not see,” he added.

According to the Chickasaw Nation Progress Report for 2008, the tribe had revenues surpassing ten billion dollars, mostly from gaming enterprises, of which $182 million ended back up in tribal services and programs.

In a deal brokered by Charlie Dry’s and J. C. Watt’s Government Procurement Solutions, the tribe acting under the name of CNI Aviation LLC was used as a minority front for defense contractor giant Northrop Grumman to gain a multi-million dollar contract at Tinker Air Force Base. Only 17 Native Americans were ever hired under the minority 8(a) contract. A similar venture is underway with the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

CNI Aviation LLC was founded in July 2003; just months after Charlie Dry returned to Oklahoma. It is a part of the CN Industries that was founded to achieve government contracts using their small 8(a) size and minority status to gain preferences in receiving such contracts.  An 8(a) is a federal program administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration, and is designed to afford minority businesses the opportunity to procure government contracts. By law, a major defense company like Northrop Grumman would be excluded from receiving such contracts. Not so, if they find a way to use a Native American tribe to get the contract for them.      

Brown stated, “You may know already the entity was setup as the 8(a) to do government contracts for the Chick Nation. They have been able to procure some contracts but in the last few months have had major problems. The FBI was involved in some criminal activity and the organization had a major shakeup. The CEO, Deryl Wright, moved on under what I understand was less than friendly conditions.” 

According to tribal records, Wright resigned as CNI president and chief executive officer in April 2008 and was replaced by Gregg Wadley. Wadley founded DataCom Sciences in 1989 and sold the company to the Chickasaw Nation in 2003. DataCom specialized in government contracts relating to information and aviation technology.  

The chairman of the board for CNI is Neal McCaleb, who in 2001 was appointed by President George W. Bush to the post of Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs. Previously, McCaleb had been the secretary of the Oklahoma Dept. of Transportation and a past Oklahoma state representative. He in and wife Georgann were involved in a number of foreclosed Edmond properties they bought and failed to pay for according to nine lawsuits filed against them.  

The Chickasaw Nation Industries is currently advertising for positions in the Washington DC and Arlington VA areas that require top secret clearance.

Brown also commented on Anoatubby’s involvement with anti-gay figures like State Rep. Sally Kern. As reported in a November 18, 2008 story on Gossip Boy, the tribe under the direction of Anoatubby has been a frequent and substantial donor to Rep. Sally Kern. Since last year Kern has become a national figure leading an Anita Bryant-style crusade against gays, who she claims are worse than terrorists.

“You had mentioned the tribe’s contribution to Sally Kern's campaign. My observation on that is, Anoatubby has always been suspected of being gay or at least bi. He would never come out and admit it because of possible backlash. He is such an arrogant yet weak man that to convince himself he is not gay he would contribute to an antigay person. He also grew up with [Name Withheld] who did come out as a gay man and today is on the payroll of the Chickasaw Nation in Washington D.C.. Anoatubby’s right hand man is [Name Withheld] who is openly gay and is very close to the governor. The Chickasaw Nation employs a number of gays and lesbians. My point is that many things support the speculation that Anoatubby is gay, but he will do everything in his means to convince the public he is not. What the public sees of Anoatubby is not the Anoatubby I know.”

[Note: Gossip Boy has chosen not to publish the names of the gay employees of the Chickasaw Nation, as at this point they’re not directly relatable to any segment of our story.]

Additionally, Brown addressed rumors that U.S. Congressman Tom Cole, a Chickasaw Native and mentor to J. C. Watts, would be running for Chickasaw governor when Anoatubby retires in the near future. Of that Brown stated Cole is not enough Chickasaw to qualify for the tribe’s governor office.  Other sources, however, are claiming Cole, who recently said he would not run for the Oklahoma governorship as rumored and would remain in Congress, could become eligible in the near future, if changes in the Chickasaw Constitution are pushed through by Anoatubby.

Cole’s decision to back off from the Oklahoma state governorship opened up the door for J. C. Watts, who has stated he would not run if Cole were to do so. This raises the possibility of having Watts as Oklahoma governor, Cole as Chickasaw governor, and Charlie Dry right in the middle. 

***

Brown is not the only tribal member directing allegations at Anoatubby and Dry. A Chickasaw Tribal Elder, who wants to be referred to only as Van, has made revelations about Anoatubby’s and Dry’s childhoods in Tishomingo, OK.

“Bill was the awkward strange little kid that was much too eager to please Charlie. We used to joke that it wasn’t hero worship, but puppy love. Even to this day he is Charlie’s punk. Ask anyone and they’ll tell you Bill has this unrequited love for Charlie,” claims Van a childhood associate of the pair.

Van further alleges, “Charlie was a white bully and held reign over the Tishomingo Indian kids. But he didn’t mess with the older ones; just the ones he could take. The little ones. The coward’s path. He was always beating us up and intimidating everyone. He liked to hang with the Skins, but that’s cause he thought he was the white master and we were his savages, his subjects, that he could do with what he wanted.“

During Gossip Boy’s undercover conversations with Charlie Dry in Bricktown, he revealed that in his childhood days he had a weekly fighting bout with Jefferson Keel, when they were children. He claimed they were friends through it all, but liked to rough house. The story, as related by Dry, was done so as someone having a fond, humorous recollection. Strangely, Dry is nine years older than Keel. That would amount to a tremendous difference in the ages and sizes of the two as children. Anoatubby is seven years younger than Dry. Why as a teen Dry chose to lead a small band of much younger children attests to the potentially violent and controlling nature he exhibits to this day with his wife Anita Bryant, Anoatubby, and anyone that doesn’t toe the line he draws.

“Charlie would beat us to a bloody pulp if we didn’t want to play his games or give him our food or do anything he wanted,” Van revealed.

Although there are no direct claims of sexual abuse, the aggressive bullying nature of Dry mixed with his fondness in bloodying children half his age and size can lead to some startling conclusions. It is not an atypical behavior for someone operating in such a fashion to exploit children in many ways. One can only guess if the future NASA engineer Dry’s extortive demands went beyond games, food, and obedience.

The Chickasaw Nation has been operating Space Camps where Native American youth “get hands-on training, as well as learn about the mental, emotional and physical demands astronauts must face. Fields of study include engineering, space technology and aerospace science.”

Charlie Dry has authored The Junior Astronaut Handbook and is co-founder of the Oklahoma Aerospace Academy, now known as the Sooner Flight Academy at the University of Oklahoma and Aerospace Science and Technology Education Center, an aerospace-based charter school for grades 6-10 in Oklahoma City and which conducts summer camps for pre-school to teenage participants.

Follow the full investigative series at Belly of the Beast: Undercover at the Anita Bryant Ministries