District 6, August 2024

Halito from District 6, the Heart of the Nation.

The heat of this summer has been extreme, but it hasn’t slowed us down much. We had a wonderful Independence Day celebration, not only with Boom In The Valley in Tuskahoma but also with the parade and fireworks show after the Relics and Rod Car Show in Wilburton that we helped sponsor, as well as the Red Oak parade and fireworks.

The District 6 princesses, Aiana Holman, Sr. Princess, Isabella Muncy, Jr. Miss Princess, and Omba Ramsey, Little Miss Princess, helped us represent our district in the parades.

We are very thankful to be a part of this great nation and to be able to celebrate our freedoms.

Our seniors have been very busy for the past few months traveling all over the reservation playing chair volleyball as well as touring the Three Rivers Meat Company in Octavia, Oklahoma and the new Choctaw Landing Resort in Hochatown. They are already preparing for the Labor Day Festival, where they will set up their Indian taco concession trailer. It takes a lot of preparation and volunteers to be ready for the sale during the festival. We appreciate all their hard work and dedication to having a successful Indian taco sale which helps provide the finances they need for the trips they enjoy throughout the year.

We want to encourage our seniors ages 55 to 74 with individual incomes less than $40,000 and elders 75+ at all income levels to apply for the Elder Food Security card. Federal law requires the Choctaw Nation to obligate all ARPA funding for this program by the end of December 2024. Approved applicants will be issued a new card for October and November payments of $200 each. For the December payment, the Nation will load the card with a lump sum of $2,000 that is meant to cover elders through September 2025 at a rate of $200 a month. You have until September 30, 2024, to apply on the Chahta Achvffa Portal.

If you need assistance in applying for any service on our portal, please contact the District 6 Community Center, where our staff is available to assist you.

Chief Gary Batton and I had the privilege of attending a “Meet and Greet” in Quinton, Oklahoma. We had a good visit with the people in the community and loved hearing the stories they shared. We appreciated the Jones Academy summer youth for serving during the meeting. Yakoke to all those who attended.

Photo Provided

Council Member Jennifer Woods pose for a photo with two members of the Choctaw Honor Guard.

Photo Provided

Council Member Jennifer Woods and Chief Gary Batton pose for a photo with a group of students from Jones Academy.