Choctaw Nation works to preserve the stories of its tribal elders

Elders have told the stories of the Choctaw people for many generations. The stories are of origins, cultures, families and customs.

Tribes like the Choctaw Nation recognize the importance of preserving the stories of their elder for future generations and recorded history.

Several departments focus on preserving the histories and stories of our Choctaw people, specifically our elders.

A number of Choctaw Nation departments record and preserve stories, memories, histories and legacies in one way or another.

Below are just some ways Choctaw Nation works to ensure that elder stories are protected and preserved.

Biskinik

The Biskinik has recorded the stories of countless Choctaws over the decades.

Past issues since 2004 are available on the tribe’s website. Older issues not available online are archived at the Choctaw Cultural Center.

In addition, the Biskinik has printed obituaries and obituary photos of Choctaw tribal members for many years.

Chahta Anumpa Aiikhvna (School of Choctaw Language)

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the School of Choctaw Language received a grant for the Endangered Language Preservation Program, a program to begin recording authentic language speakers.

“The department’s goal was to gather these stories in Choctaw,” said Teresa Billy, Assistant Director.

They also had to find people who understood the language and could write it out in both Choctaw and English.

“As far as we know, we only have two or three people in the Nation who actually can do transcription. One is 80 and one is 70.”

Twenty-six Choctaws were interviewed and recorded. They were asked to share several short stories in the Choctaw language.

“The importance is one day when all the speakers are gone, you should be able to go and listen to authentic language spoken with different verbs, and listen to the inflections and nuances of how the vowels and the language are supposed to sound like and how you pronounce your words.”

Billy explained that the recordings leave behind the right inflection and tones you look for in teaching the Choctaw language.

Additionally, all audio clips recorded for lessons and the website are spoken by Choctaw elder first speakers.

A new online Choctaw dictionary was recently released with corresponding audio clips and corresponding sentences spoken by Choctaw elders.

The dictionary is available here.

Elder stories are also used for curriculum reasons.

Students can listen multiple times, and instructors can have them hone in on specific pronunciations and ways words are used.

The department has also begun an apprentice program.

Five apprentices spend each day interacting in the language with Choctaw elders.

The year-long program will open up for more participants and plans are to bring in more fluent speakers representing other regional dialects. “There’s opportunity for other fluent speakers who will call in and be a part of this as we move along,” Billy said.

The new Choctaw Language Nest is launching soon. Families are invited to join in a multi-generational effort to save our ancestral language.

Participants will practice and learn the Choctaw language within their individual families and with other families.

“In order to preserve the language, they have to learn the language,” Billy said.

Community visits have been very positive in tribal members wanting to be part of the program.

“They’re opening up their hearts. They know there is a need. We are very excited about it,” said Billy.

More information is available here.

Additionally, a Choctaw first speaker is recognized each month by the Choctaw Nation. They receive a citation and plaque and their biographies are recorded and preserved.

Chahta Foundation

The Chahta Foundation has recorded and preserved elder stories for several years.

Scholarship Director Scott Wesley said the program works with individuals and tribal programs in scheduling interviews, some even during the Choctaw Labor Day Festival.

“Ultimately what we want to do is try and preserve these for the families in the future so they have access to them so they can reach out and get to listen to their loved one once again.”

Wesley said, “It’s extremely important. We’ve lost so many individuals that we haven’t recorded their stories that we don’t know it from their perspective anymore. World views are so unique.”

The foundation has completed around 65 interviews so far, and sadly many of those interviewed have now passed away.

“It’s painful to see this many Choctaw lives that have passed on, but at the same time, I can pull up a video and listen to their voice and listen to their Choctaw legacy,” Wesley said.

To view some of the videos which have been recorded, go to this link.

Participants do not have to be an elder to participate in the program to get stories preserved.

A loved one is strongly encouraged to be with the person being interviewed.

“Our goal is to have the elder or the individual being interviewed be interviewed by a loved one, whether it be a child, whether it be a grandparent, whether it be a grandchild or a husband or a spouse,” said Wesley. “We want someone who is familiar with them that they are comfortable with to be able to have that conversation so that it leads to further questions.”

This process usually goes into more depth and sparks questions and memories.

“You don’t get that if it’s just a standardized interview with someone you don’t know,” Wesley said.

Choctaw Cultural Center

The Choctaw Cultural Center (CCC) was built upon 14,000 years of stories of the Choctaw people.

“Because those stories were preserved, this is our way to share those stories,” Executive Director Seth Fairchild said.

CCC encourages families to visit and learn the stories that the tribe has been built upon, and they also encourage families to record their own family histories.

Fairchild spoke in a Ted Talk about the importance of recording elder stories.

“It seems like every single week, we hear about another tribal elder, a first speaker who has passed away, and with them all the knowledge that life’s experience had taught them.” He said, “If we fail to pass on this generational knowledge, we do a great injustice not only to our tribe, but we do a disservice to our children and grandchildren.”

Fairchild pointed out the importance of knowing where you come from and more about your story.

“Every single person who has Choctaw blood running through their veins has a Choctaw story. It’s important to capture those as much as we possibly can because that is the Choctaw legacy,” Fairchild said.

Community Centers

Elders attending the Choctaw community centers are always happy to share their stories. Youth Advisory Board (YAB) members and other youth are invited to various centers for opportunities to get to know elders and hear their stories. According to Callie Youngblood of the Smithville community center, the interactions between YAB members and elders allow their stories to be passed on for generations.

Each year, Outstanding Elders are selected from tribal districts to vie for the title of overall outstanding male and female elder for the Choctaw Nation. These elders are active members of their community and participate in events held at Choctaw community centers. Written biographies are collected on each candidate.

Historic Preservation

The Historic Preservation Department records elder stories in several different ways.

Because they work in the communities, they can visit with tribal members about traditional art and food and hear family stories.

Senior Director Dr. Ian Thompson said the department works with the Chahta Foundation to record the individual’s story.

“We have an individual who is a community liaison in the Historic Preservation Department, and he works with community centers a lot and elder groups, does tours of historic sites, does videos online of some of these historic sites that are protected so people can connect with them,” said Dr. Thompson. “And in doing this, he interacts a lot with the elders and takes audio recordings of the elders talking about the specific memories that they have, different information and he documents all of those and has an archive of all of those.”

Dr. Thompson said he interacts with elders quite a bit in his work. He can share, with their permission, the information he learns from their interactions in the department’s publications.

During the pandemic, the department put together a how-to guide for talking to elders and recording their stories.

The guide is available here.

The department also works with the Wheelock Academy Historic Site, and an alumni reunion is held each year.

Some alumni have had the chance to record their stories and much of their histories are maintained at the site’s museum.

Databases of Choctaw landscapes (GIS-based work), of locations of Choctaw homes and homesteads have been created and are maintained.

They are recorded and kept in the event state work needs to be done in the future and roads constructed so the tribe can ensure those things are considered.

They conducted a project on Choctaw homesteads, reaching out to the community to see if they had memories of old homesteads.

The department worked with community members to record the memories, locations and importance the homesteads hold to them.

Also, the Chahta Tosholi Speakers Series is produced to focus on conversations of history and with elders.

Recordings are available for online viewing here.

Other videos are located on the Choctaw Nation’s YouTube channel.

The department also works with the Cultural Center providing historical information for exhibits.

Dr. Thompson said they set up several interviews with elders for the video and audio at CCC. There is an orientation gallery set up with vignettes with members from each district that help to tell their stories.

For questions or more information, readers can contact the department by calling Joseph Wolf at 800-522-6170.

Historic Projects Department

Memory Keepers is the tribe’s newly published collection of stories of the Choctaw people. Readers are introduced to Choctaw families and culture in different areas of the nation, learn how they were raised and what they have learned through their experiences.

Memory Keepers is available at Choctaw Nation gift shops for $59.

The Historic Projects Department collects stories of elders for Choctaw Nation archives.

Anyone wishing to share their story can write and submit it or contact the office for an interview.

Historic Projects has a special focus for a new project – Choctaw Veterans’ stories.

The stories of the life and military career of Choctaw warriors will be placed in Choctaw Nation archives, with a portion of the stories in an upcoming book about our Chahta Tvshka.

The upcoming Choctaw Veterans book will also feature chapters on sovereignty and the Native American vote and citizenship.

A previously published 134-page book featuring Choctaw elder stories was printed in 2018.

Our Legacy was a joint project  between the Historic Projects and Public Relations Departments.

Choctaw elders or Choctaw veterans who wish to contact the Historic Projects office to participate in interviews may contact Judy Allen, P.O. Box 1210, Durant, OK 74702, call 580-513-7984.

Tribal Membership and Genealogy

The Choctaw Tribal Membership and Genealogy departments hear many family stories relating to the lineage of Choctaw families and assist countless Choctaws in becoming tribal members.

Records are considered confidential to anyone outside of the direct lineage. However, any tribal member can get a copy of their own CDIB 8×10, which is the federal document that lists the full direct lineage going back to the Dawes Commission enrollee(s) by contacting the Tribal Membership or Genealogy department.

Veterans Advocacy

Each month, a Choctaw Veteran is selected to be honored as the Choctaw Veteran of the Month.

In addition to being recognized by the Chief, Assistant Chief and Tribal Council, their story is highlighted in the Biskinik newspaper, and their individual story recorded.

The Veterans Advocacy Program works with the Historic Projects Department to preserve the histories of Choctaw Veterans.

History Books, Museums, Family Recorded Histories

The stories of the Choctaw people are widely known and many books have been published.

One only has to do an online search to see the massive amount of recorded stories and histories available.

Most are available online through the Choctaw Store or other bookstores and sellers nationwide.

There is also an enormous amount of Choctaw stories available to view and read through various museums and online databases.

Additionally, countless Choctaw members are working hard to preserve and honor their families’ stories, memories and legacies through their research and preservation efforts.

Through collective efforts to collect elder stories, more are coming to light each day and being recorded for future generations.

The Choctaw Nation’s history is made up of many stories.

Through preservation efforts, the tribe honors its past, celebrates its present, and looks forward to the future.

Learn more about ways the Choctaw Nation is preserving culture.