Celebrating Easter with Choctaw Nation

This year, the Choctaw Nation celebrated Easter with two fun-filled events.

On April 1, the Choctaw Cultural Center hosted its annual Easter Eggstravaganza.

This BYOB (Bring Your Own Basket) event included an egg hunt, photos with the celebratory chukfi (bunny), storytelling, Easter ornament making and much more.

In addition to the activities, visitors were able to explore the Choctaw Cultural Center and dine in Champuli Café.

Hundreds of visitors, young and old, attended Chief Batton’s Easter Celebration on April 8 on the capitol grounds in Tvshka Homma.

The event was a day filled with fun in the sun, with events for everyone to enjoy.

The day kicked off with the April Tribal Council Meeting, held in the historic Choctaw Capitol Building. The meeting was held in the Capitol Building due to the current construction process of the new Council House.

The youth stickball tournament was held throughout the day, with kids from across the Reservation showing off their skills on the field.

The Easter event itself began with speeches from Chief Batton, Assistant Chief Jack Austin, Jr. and Chaplin Olin Williams, followed by lunch and a gospel music performance by the McNeills.

Once again this year, over 11,000 candy and prize-ticket-filled eggs were dropped from a helicopter onto the softball fields for young visitors to hunt.

Elders weren’t excluded from the hunting festivities. Elders, ages 55 and up, could hunt eggs on the Capitol Lawn.

Visitors were also able to take photos with live Easter bunnies.

During the prize-egg drawing at the end of the event, one lucky individual from each age group was chosen to win the grand prize.

To stay up-to-date on all upcoming Choctaw Nation and Cultural Center events, follow them on all social media platforms. You can also visit choctawnation.com or choctawculturalcenter.com for more information.

Photos by Kendra Germany, Krislan Garside and Rylee Tollett

Photos by Kendra Germany, Krislan Garside and Rylee Tollett