District 6, November 2023

Halito! November is a busy month, and we are thankful for so many things, like our new community center, where we will be able to better service our district. The District 6 Community Thanksgiving dinner will be held there on November 8 at 11:00 a.m. The community is invited to be with us as we come together to give thanks for our many blessings.

We had a ribbon cutting for the new Specialty Clinic at the Choctaw Nation Hospital in Talihina on October 13. Our Choctaw singers and princesses were there as we celebrated this much-needed clinic that will provide for the health needs of the people. The $8.5 million project expanded the Residency Clinic and remodeled the Specialty Clinic. The Residency Clinic added 10 exam rooms, an infusion room, an OMT room, a procedure room, and a room with a decompression table for spinal decompression therapy.

Several spaces are also available for the residents to use for learning and collaborating. The Specialty Clinic remodel included nine exam rooms, two ENT (ear-nose-throat), three cardiology, two pulmonary, one room for Holter sets ups and a room for stress tests and echoes, and more workspace was added. The expansion opens additional appointment space for our patients, decreasing the wait time for both clinics. Provides space for additional services for both clinics, reducing the referrals to other facilities.

We hosted a ‘come and go’ Human Trafficking Awareness meeting at the center on October 23, and the ROC (Rolling Oklahoma Classroom) was on-site to be toured. The bus provides hands-on safety and security and addresses human trafficking awareness and prevention across the state.

On October 27, we held our ribbon cutting for our newest Affordable Rental homes in Wilburton. This is always a joyful time for the new renters who get their keys and get to start moving into their safe and affordable new homes. The addition of these 20 new houses makes a total of 60 units, including 20 Independent Elder homes in the Wilburton area alone. We have completed the remodeling project of the 14 rental homes in Red Oak and are making good progress on the remodeling project of the 24 homes in Quinton. We are still taking applications for the new LEAP homes we will be building in Red Oak. Please contact us to get an application.

Our CHRs and Community-Based Social Workers have been going to Quinton once a month to assist tribal members in the area with applying for services. This time allows members to get information or learn resources for other needs they may have. The meeting is held at the Community Center located at 1020 Main Street. You can contact our center or the Town of Quinton to find out the date of the next meeting.

We celebrated Halloween on October 30 with our big candy giveaway. It is always a fun, family-friendly time to give out candy and treats to the area’s children. It’s so good to see so many families together enjoying the festivities.

We will host our District 6 children’s Christmas Party on Saturday, December 2, at 2:00 p.m. Please mark your calendars and bring your children to see Santa and get a gift.

We will hold our Veterans Day ceremony in Tuskahoma on November 11 to honor and recognize our veterans. If you are a Choctaw veteran or know a veteran, please make plans to join us during this event.

Our seniors will join other seniors for pecan picking in Idabel on November 14. This is a great time for our seniors to pick pecans, fellowship with other seniors and enjoy a hamburger cookout.

We are also having a monthly cultural activity at the center, so please check the activity calendar for details on when the activity will be held and what the activity will be. We provide a monthly activity calendar that also shows our weekly lunch menu at the center.

We are honored to serve District 6. My door is always open to help my tribal members in any way that I can.

Yakoke and Chi Pisa La Chike.