Neal McCaleb, a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation who dedicated his life to Indian Country and public service, passed away on January 7. He was 89 years old.

Born in 1935, just a year after the passage of the Indian Reorganization Act, McCaleb first rose to prominence during the era of self-determination. He was a member of the Oklahoma Indian Affairs Commission from 1967 through 1972 before being appointed to the National Council on Indian Opportunities by then-president Richard Nixon from 1972 through 1974.

“In 1975, Congress finally passed the Indian Self-Determination and Education Act, Public Law 93-638, which really began to change things for Indian governments,” McCaleb said in a 2011 interview with the Oklahoma Historical Society.

By that time, McCaleb had already begun a new phase of his own political career. He won election as a Republican to the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 1974, and served as a state lawmaker for nearly a decade, eventually leading his fellow Republicans as their House Minority Leader from 1978 to 1983.

McCaleb then attempted to make history in 1982 when he ran for governor of Oklahoma. At a time when there were few Native people in politics, he was seeking to become only the second Native person to hold the highest executive position in a state that’s home to 39 tribes.

Though McCaleb lost the primary to another Republican, his campaign opened the doors to yet another chapter in his public service career. In 1987, he became Oklahoma’s very first Secretary of Transportation, a state cabinet-level role he held for a total of 10 years during two separate gubernatorial administrations.

“When the Chickasaw Nation was engaged in negotiations with the state government of Oklahoma to arrive at an historic agreement for motor fuels taxes, Neal McCaleb was instrumental in the process,” Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby would later tell the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs.

“While being a sitting state official, he provided great educational services to other state officials relating to tribal sovereignty, walking the tightrope of being both a state official and a citizen of a Native American nation,” Anoatubby continued. “His integrity not only served Native Americans, but the state as well, since his allegiance to his official responsibilities never wavered.”

The praise for McCaleb came as he rose to an even higher level of prominence, this time on the national stage. In 2001, he was nominated to serve as Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs by then-president George W. Bush, and he would go on to lead the Bureau of Indian Affairs during one of its most challenging eras.

“Certainly, there is the trust fund mess, law enforcement and crime reduction in Native communities, the trust fund mess, improving the health status of all Native Americans, and the trust fund mess, building private sector economies, and a host of other things — including the trust fund mess,” then-Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-Colorado), a citizen of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, said as he chaired McCaleb’s confirmation hearing for the position in June 2001.

In making repeated references to the federal government’s failure to account for the billions of dollars owed to individual Native Americans, Campbell inadvertently predicted McCaleb’s foray into the mess. In September 2002, some 14 months after becoming the eighth Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, he was declared “unfit” to manage the Indian trust fund.

McCaleb — along with then-Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton, who was the first woman in the cabinet-level post — was held in contempt of court by Judge Royce Lamberth for violating federal law and numerous judicial orders. Days later, he spoke frankly about his predicament at an emotional and heated meeting with tribal leaders just outside of Washington, D.C.

“The last 12 days have been very difficult for me,” McCaleb said on September 26, 2002. “I’m not accustomed to reading my name in the paper as being in contempt of court — a fraud upon the court.”

“I didn’t lie to anybody,” he continued, Indianz.Com reported at the time. “I’m not going to have that happen again if I can possibly prevent it.”

McCaleb eventually took matters into his own hands by announcing his resignation as Assistant Secretary in November 2022 as it became clear that he would face even more scrutiny over handling of the Individual Indian Money (IIM) trust. A federal appeals court later cleared him and Norton of contempt but by that time, he was already heading into the next phase of his career –serving the Chickasaw Nation in a number of capacities, including as his tribe’s Ambassador At-Large.

“Neal McCaleb was a man I admired, trusted, emulated, and treasured,” Rep. Tom Cole (R-Oklahoma), a fellow Chickasaw and one of the few tribal citizens serving in the U.S. Congress, said on Friday. “I will miss his wisdom, his wit, his political acumen, and his unmatched devotion to our country, our state, and our tribe.

“I extend my deepest sympathy to his devoted wife Georgann, his loving family, and his many friends, associates, and admirers,” Cole continued. “Neal McCaleb led a life of success, service, and distinction. He will be deeply missed by all who were fortunate enough to know him.”

Tributes to McCaleb poured in from a slew of political figures as word spread of his passing. Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt, a Republican and citizen of the Osage Nation, called him a “consummate public servant and mentor to many.”

“He will be missed and we send our deepest condolences to his family,” Holt said on social media on Friday.

Sen. James Lankford (R-Oklahoma) also highlighted McCaleb’s willingness to provide guidance to others. “As Oklahoma Secretary of Transportation, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, and the Chickasaw Nation’s Ambassador, Neal had a massive impact on our state and nation, and he was a beloved friend and mentor to many,” the lawmaker said on Friday.

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, a Republican, hailed McCaleb’s tenure as Secretary of Transportation. In the 2011 interview, he said bringing the cable barrier system to Oklahoma was his “proudest accomplishment.” The system has been credited with saving countless lives.

“His years of advocating for investment in our transportation infrastructure had a profound impact that will last for decades to come,” the Drummond said of McCaleb in a statement on Thursday.

Oklahoma Rep. Cyndi Munson, a Democrat from Oklahoma City, recalled McCaleb’s service as House Minority Leader. At the time, Republicans were the minority party, and now she is in the same position

“He was elected Oklahoma House Minority Leader in 1978, and while that was when the Republican Caucus made up the minority, I can still follow his lead of extraordinary public service in my current role as House Minority Leader for the Democratic Caucus,” Munson said in a statement on Friday. “His service and hard work stands as an inspiration for us all and for those to come.”

"Neal led an extraordinary life marked by personal success & exceptional public service to his country, his state, his tribe, & his political party": Rep. Tom Cole (R-Oklahoma) mourns passing of Neal McCaleb, fellow Chickasaw Nation citizen, at age of 89. https://t.co/awZRYltOUm

— indianz.com (@indianz) January 10, 2025

According to the Crawford Family Funeral and Cremation Service in Edmond, a visitation for McCaleb will take place next Wednesday, January 15. His family is expected to be present from 6-8pm on that day.

The funeral service will be held the following day, at 2pm on Thursday, January 16. McCaleb is being laid to rest at Henderson Hills Baptist Church in Edmond.

In lieu of flowers, the McCaleb family has asked for donations to be made to the Ambassador Neal McCaleb Scholarship. The scholarship supports Chickasaw students at Oklahoma State University, where McCaleb earned a bachelor’s degree with honors in civil engineering.