District 10, September 2022

Published September 1, 2022

By Councilman Anthony Dillard

Tribal leadership recently held a strategic planning session to set the direction for the Tribe for the next five years. During this meeting, we partnered with Choctaw Nation’s Education Department for the annual Superintendents’ luncheon. Over 50 schools and more than ten vendors were present to discuss the educational opportunities for the Choctaw Nation.

One major focus was on STEM curriculum, which is the foundation for jobs of the future. We were excited to share resources about Esports, Drones, Coding, Robotics, NASA and Project Lead the Way with public schools in our reservation. Vendors present opportunities, including Air Force, Army, Navy, Fatcap, NASA, Oklahoma Career Tech, Project Lead The Way, FAA and AISES. Ten schools that attended the luncheon received grants to implement Project Lead the Way (STEM curriculum) in their schools this year. Caney Schools won two complete gaming systems to implement Esports! With education as a top priority across our reservation, we pray this is a successful year for all our area schools this upcoming year.

Council Member Anthony Dillard and Choctaw Nation Language faculty pose for a photo with July's First Language Speaker of the Month, Issac Sexton.

Caney Public School faculty pose for a photo with their new Esports equipment.

During our July Tribal Council meeting, I had the opportunity to recognize District 10’s Veteran of the Year, Mr. Willard Harrison. Mr. Harrison began his career in the Marine Corps, where he nobly earned the Purple Heart Award. Mr. Harrison continued his service in the Army Reserves as a drill sergeant, serving in Fort Leonardwood, Fort Jackson, Fort Sill and Fort Polk. Mr. Harrison retired from the military in 2000. We are thankful for his duty and all of our veterans’ continued sacrifices.

Choctaw Nation Tribal Council recognizes the importance of perpetuating and protecting the Choctaw language, which is vital to the nation’s sovereignty. Mr. Isaac Sexton was recently recognized as the First Language Speaker of the Month for District 10. He has been instrumental in helping preserve our language in our district and community center.

As we close out this summer season, we look forward to an exciting Labor Day festival and we hope you can all attend.