Bureau of Indian Affairs head Dave Anderson regaled students at Sequoyah High School in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, on Wednesday with talk of commodities, personal success and hope.

Anderson, who took over the BIA in February, said he was embarrassed that his family received commodity food from the government. "I would invite kids over to my house to play and my mom would fix a snack and she would go to the pantry and she would pull back the curtain and there would be boxes with white labels on them and cans that were silver and gold -- you know what I'm taking about -- and they would say USDA on them," he said, The Native American Times reported. "As a kid, I wanted those cans to say something like Campbell's or Jiffy."

Anderson said every kid has a chance to succeed regardless of background. He overcame substance abuse to found successful businesses, including the Famous Dave's barbecue chain of restaurants.

Get the Story:
Famous Dave talks to the kids (The Native American Times 4/22)

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