Since leaving office about two years ago, former Tribal Chief Phillip Martin has written an autobiography and is now eagerly promoting it with his wife by his side.
At the same time, the two are doing some long awaited traveling, particularly throughout the Southeast.
Martin signed over 200 copies of "Chief: The Autobiography of Phillip Martin" at Dancing Rabbit Press Gallery on Beacon Street last month, the first of several signings to promote the book.
While the signing was scheduled from 1 to 3 p.m. on a Saturday, Martin said it was after 5 p.m. before he signed the last copy at the book store, which was filled to capacity at numerous times throughout the day. At one point, the line spilled out onto the sidewalk.
"I was surprised and happy at the same time because so many people came out and were interested in buying the book and learning a little bit more about my life, I guess," Martin said, noting that some people were purchasing up to four books each. "I didn't want to disappoint them."
Martin said he was delighted to see many of his former employees and friends not only from Neshoba but Leake and Newton counties as well.
Born and raised in Philadelphia, Martin began his career in tribal leadership in 1957, when he returned home after serving in the U. S. Air Force for a decade. He worked to overcome the poor living conditions and lack of opportunity that existed on his reservation through an emphasis on self-reliance and ingenuity. In 1979, he was elected to the tribe's top post where he remained for 28 years.
Martin, 83, is married to former Indian Princess Bonnie Kate Bell, who retired after 52 years with the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Writing a book was a new experience for Martin, who received encouragement from a number of people including a good friend who once worked for the Tribe.
"Kendall Blanchard worked with the tribe for some time and then he went to Colorado State," Martin said. "Anyway, he kept urging me to write a book."
The two first met in Memphis to discuss the possibility of an autobiography which eventually led to getting a first draft down on paper, Martin said.
"That's how we got started. It took us about two years from start to finish because I came back home after the first draft and did some corrections and rewrites," he said.
While he is no longer involved in Tribal government, Martin remains one of the Tribe's most ardent ambassadors.
He continues to encourage young Tribal members to get a good education.
"I always encourage them to go to college," he said. "The tribe, through my leadership, set up a scholarship program that pays 100 percent of their college. All they have to do is go. I think we enrolled about 500 young tribal members in college. That's a lot. I hope they had success."
Martin's book takes a comprehensive look at how the Mississippi Choctaws became a model for economic success and regained control of their destiny despite many obstacles.
In the book, Martin recounts growing up in Mississippi and later relocating to North Carolina; his World War II years; and "courting" Miss Bonnie among other periods of his life and career.
In Chapter 9, titled "The Turning Point," Martin gives readers the insight as to how the City of Philadelphia issued industrial revenue bonds to attract American Greetings to what was then the new industrial park on the Pearl River Reservation around 1981.
"When Morton Wyman, executive vice president of the company, first came here in 1969 we didn't land a deal because we didn't have an industrial park," Martin said. "So about 10 years later I called him back to see if he would be interested in coming back to Philadelphia and the Choctaw Reservation now that we had an industrial park."
Wyman wanted to do a revenue bond, Martin said, which the Tribe couldn't do.
Martin contacted the late Herman Alford, who was the city's attorney at the time.
With the help of Alford, and then-Mayor Allen King and the Board of Aldermen, the tribe was able to use industrial revenue bonds to construct a 12,000-square-foot building on Tribal trust land to be used exclusively by American Greetings.
During its 25 years of operation on the Reservation, the company employed, at peak, between 150 and 250 people and had an annual payroll average of more than $2 million.
The company later downsized and moved into the old U.S. Motors building in Philadelphia for about two years before moving its operation to Mexico.
Martin's book also gives a detailed account of the Pearl River Resort and its two casinos.
"I was responsible for establishing the resort," Martin said. "Anytime you go into business, it's a risk. A lot of people thought that two casinos couldn't survive. I believe they can. I am sorry to see that one only operates three days a week now."
Martin enjoyed working in the hospitality industry, he said.
When it comes to gaming, he said people won't support a casino where they feel they can't win.
"If they don't win, they are not coming back," he said. "If they win and continue to play two or three more hours and then lose the money back, they are satisfied. They won't say 'you can't win.' They win and put the money back into the machine."
Martin described the Silver Star and Golden Moon casinos as equal in ranks to those in Las Vegas.
Despite the national economy, Martin is optimistic about the resort's future.
"We are in the hospitality business. People come here to enjoy themselves, to have fun and win if they can. A lot of people do win. The problem there is they don't know when to quit. But, that's the nature of the game."
While he is no longer involved in the day-to-day operations of the resort, Martin said he wished the current administration continued success in the future.
Having been involved in Tribal affairs for over 50 years, Martin is often asked about his retirement and the possibly of another run for chief.
"I tell them the next election is in 2011," he said with a chuckle. "I don't know. I kinda like what I'm doing now - nothing."
