Early life and career

Charles Blackwell was born at Concho Indian Hospital in El Reno, Oklahoma, on July 30, 1942.^[2] He was raised in Tishomingo, Oklahoma.^[1] His ancestry included both Choctaw and Chickasaw. As a boy, he spent most summers with his grandparents , who were educators employed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) at reservation schools on the North Plains and in New Mexico. This experience formed his deep ties to Picuris Pueblo in New Mexico and Loneman School on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. At Pine Ridge, he became fluent in the Lakota language, having already learned Chickasaw and Choctaw.^[3]

Blackwell earned a Bachelor of Arts in education from East Central State College (present-day East Central University) in 1964, where he was named "Student of the Year" that year. He served as editor of the college's newspaper, and was the founding president of the Epsilon Omega chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity.^[1] After receiving his degree, he taught English at Window Rock High School in Fort Defiance, Arizona.^[3]

In 1972, Blackwell earned a Juris Doctor from the University of New Mexico School of Law.^[1] After graduation, he first worked as a staff attorney at the American Indian Law Center from 1972 to 1974.^[1] Blackwell served as the Associate Director of the Special Scholarship Program in Law for American Indians from 1974 until 1977.^{[1][lower-alpha 1]} He simultaneously served as both an assistant dean and adjunct professor at the University of New Mexico School of Law, his alma mater, from 1974 to 1977 as well.^[1]

In 1979, Blackwell founded a group that was later named Native Affairs and Development Group. In 1985 he relocated to Washington, D.C.^[3]

Delegate to Congress and Ambassador of the Chickasaw Nation (1995–2013)

In 1990, Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby appointed Blackwell as delegate to the United States Congress, a non-voting position. In 1995 he appointed Blackwell as Chickasaw Nation ambassador to the US.^[1]

Anoatubby and Blackwell discussed how he might contribute to representing the Nation to the US before his appointments. He agreed there was a need to revive the tradition of diplomacy with other governments.^[1] According to Governor Anoatubby,

"We agreed that there was a need for the tribes to revive a tradition of diplomatic relations with other governments...Appointment of an official ambassador helped to reinforce the formal government-to-government relationship the Chickasaw Nation had with the federal government. Over the years, Charles did a tremendous job of helping that relationship grow and improve."^[1]

As noted, in 1995, Governor Anoatubby appointed Blackwell as the first Ambassador of the Chickasaw Nation to the United States.^[1] Blackwell was the first Native American ambassador to the U.S., and the first tribal ambassador from any Native American government to the United States.^[1] He took office at a 1995 ceremony held in Washington, D.C.^[2] Blackwell held the ambassadorship from 1995 until his death in office in January 2013.

During his tenure, Blackwell became a prominent advocate for Native American education, health, and economic issues.^[1] Blackwell also founded the First American Business Center, headquartered in Washington D.C., which promotes Native American economic development and entrepreneurship.^[1] He served on the Western Governors' States Drought Coordination Council from 1995 to 1997.^[1] Ambassador Blackwell contributed to the Chickasaw Times as a frequent columnist.^[1]

In 1997, U.S. President Bill Clinton appointed Blackwell to the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS. He served on as the Council's only Native American member from 1997 until 2001.^[1]