Choctaw Pride is Every Day; Take Special Notice in November

Nittak Moma Kvt Chahta Ilahninchi Nittak; Hohchvffo Chito Hvshi ya Aiokpanchi Fehna Ishi

Published October 28, 2024

By Chief Gary Batton

Audio in Choctaw Language

The Choctaw Nation and the rest of the United States celebrate Native American Heritage Month in November. It is a time that has been set aside to recognize cultures, traditions, and histories while also acknowledging Native Americans’ contributions to the world. We call this month Native November within the Choctaw Nation.

Native November is also a time to educate the public as many tribes including the Choctaw Nation work to raise awareness about the challenges the Choctaw people have faced, and how our tribe has been fortified to meet those challenges.

As Chahta, we celebrate our tribe each day, but in November we take this time to educate tribal and non-tribal members on the great successes, culture and heritage of the Choctaw Nation. Our tribe’s history is proud and strong; our ancestors fought hard in a constant struggle to maintain our language, self-empowerment and sovereignty after being forced off our ancestral homeland and forced to take part in the Trail of Tears to a new home. The Choctaw story is one of heartbreak, struggle and resilience, to overcome and create a viable, successful tribe of today. We are thankful that Native November gives the Choctaw Nation and all tribes a special opportunity to highlight our many successes.

In addition, the hard-fought battles to maintain our language, self-empowerment and sovereignty should also (and always) be remembered every day and spotlighted during Native November. The very existence of our tribe is a story worth telling and should be echoed during Native November.

The Choctaw Nation has a full list of Native November events that will take place during the month of November to highlight our proud heritage. For instance:

Nov. 1- 3: The Choctaw Nation Powwow will take place at the Choctaw Event Center in Durant. This three-day event will showcase Choctaw culture, handcrafting, dance, foods and heritage education. This is one of our largest events each year on the reservation and we hope everyone comes out and enjoys this fun and educational event.
Nov. 4-8: The Choctaw Cultural Center’s Week of Giving raises funds to help school groups be immersed in the Choctaw experience. Last year was the first year for this giving event and more than $9,000 was raised from your donations and matching contributions from the Chahta Foundation. All the donations will be used toward free or reduced admission to the Choctaw Cultural Center for schools on the reservation. My challenge to you this year is to increase donations to allow more schools to have access to our Choctaw culture. For more information, visit the Choctaw Cultural Center.
Nov. 11-15: Veterans Day is Nov. 11 and tribal government offices will be closed, but our Veterans Day Ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. at the Choctaw Capitol grounds. As for the rest of the week, it will be Rock Your Mocs Week and you are encouraged to wear your tribal moccasins to announce your heritage and be Chahta proud.
Every Wednesday in November there will be a new Webex training session that will highlight Choctaw Nation events, culture and heritage, and you are invited to watch. For more information, visit Native November.
Nov. 19: Wear Red Day. This is a day to remember Indigenous people who are missing or have been murdered. It helps bring awareness to cold cases that are still unsolved and to remember Indigenous lives that have been lost to senseless violence.

My hope is that everyone will take something from Native November that you will keep with you throughout the year. Whether it is something new that you learned, a craft item you purchased at Powwow, the comfort of a great pair of moccasins, helping our school children to learn about Choctaw culture or remembering the life of an Indigenous person who is either missing or lost their life to violence, Native November provides unique opportunities to remember our past as we look excitedly to our tribe’s bright future.

Native November has something to learn for everyone. The more we know and appreciate our heritage, the better equipped we are to understand our fellow citizens, tribal members and humanity.

Yakoke and God Bless!

Hohchvffo Chito Hvshi ya Chahta Okla micha United States vt Native American Heritage Month holitoblichi. Im aivlhpesa, nana vlhpisa, anonti hopaki isht anumpa atokoli i hvshi kanvlli. Miliki Aiasha im ibafoka aiena aiokpvchi. Chahta Okla anukaka ya hvshi ilvppa Aivtta Hochvffo Chito Hvshi e hochefo.

Aivtta Hohchvffo Chito Hvshi yvt okla moma ikhvnanchi i hvshi kanvlli. Okla yvt paffi asvnni tuka okla lawa kvt toksvli hosh okla moma hvklochi. Chahta Okla yvt paffi ma afama chi kvt holihta kvllo ishi.

Chahta hvpia kvt, nittak aiyuka ya pim okla e holitoblichi. Hohchvffo Chito Hvshi vno, Chahta Okla im aiahli, im aivlhpesa, anonti immi ya okla ibafoka micha okla ibafoka kiyo aieninchit il ikhvnanchi. Pim okla i hopaki isht anumpa yvt ahninchi micha hlampko. Pim anumpa, pim ilatohnuchi, micha pi kucha pehlichi iksho il esha chi ka pi hattak tikba yvt pim ittbi tuk. Pim okla ya yakni pimmi akanvllichi na ittanohowa hosh yakni himona aiona tuk. Chahta i nan vnnoa yvt nukhaklo atopa micha komunta aieninchi, kia imaiya tuk osh okla aiahli toba tuk. Chahta Okla yvt im aiahli na fehnvcha chi ka Aivtta Hohchvffo Chito Hvshi yvt aivlhpiesa fehna ima ka yakoke il ahni.

Chitolit ittibi yvt pim anumpa, pim ilatohnuchi, micha pi kucha pehlichi iksho eshi tuka Aivtta Hohchvffo Chito Hvshi takla ikhaiyanvt e na fehnvcha he tuk. Aivtta Hohchvffo Chito Hvshi takla pim okla im okchaya nan vnnoa yvt annovt hobacha he tuk.

Chahta Okla yvt Aivtta Hohchvffo Chito Hvshi yvmohmi isht anoli ishi. Ohmi kvt:

Hohchvffo Chito Hvshi nittak achvffa hiket nittak tuchina ona ka: Chahta Okla Ittvhoba yvt Choctaw Event Center aiasha chi. Yvmohmi ilvppvt Chahta im aivlhpesa, ibbak isht toksvli, hihla, illimpa, micha immi nan ikhana ya na fehnvcha chi. Afvmmi aiyuka, pi yakni ilatomba ya yvmohmi ilvppvt yvmohmi chito i shahli achvffa. Ihlauvlli anonti ikhana yvmohmi ilvppa moyumvt ant pisa chi ka il ahni.
Hohchvffo Chito Hvshi nittak ushta hiket nittak untuchina ona ka: Holisso apisa lukoli yvt Chahta imomaka akostinincha chi ka Choctaw Cultural Center’s Week of Giving vt iskvli ittvhobit apelvchi. Afvmmi ash, ilhpita micha Chahta Foundation im ittibafoka yvt tvli holisso tahlepa sipokni chakkali atampa ittvhobi tuk. Holisso apisa lukoli yvt Choctaw Cultural Center chukkoa chi ka ilhpita moma kvt ivlli isht apela. Himak afvmmi ya ilhpita hvsh i shalihcha chi ka hvchi paffi li. com ont pisvt vnnoa i shahli ishi.
Hohchvffo Chito Hvshi nittak awah achvffa hiket awah tahlapi ona ka: Tvshka Tikba i Nittak a okla im apehlicheka atoksvli yvt vlhkvma chi. Tabokoli ik ono hvshi kanvlli awah achvffa onak ma Chahta Chukka Hanta yakni ya Tvshka Tikba i Nittak nana kanoihmi yvt asha chi. Nittak Hullo atampa kvt Rock Your Mocs Week achi. Hvchi tvlhko lvpushki shulush hvsh holachi ka hvchi yimintvchi.
Hohchvffo Chito Hvshi takla Nittak Hullo Iklvnna aiyuka Webex ikhvnanchi anumpulit asha himona yvt asha chi. Chahta Okla aiyvmohmi, im aivlhpesa, micha immi ya na fehnvchi ka hvsh pisa chi ka hvchim ashilhha. ona cha Aivtta Hohchvffo Chito Hvshi hvsh hoyok mvt vnnoa i shahli hvsh isha chi.
Hohchvffo Chito Hvshi nittak vbih chakkali: Ilvppvt Na Fohka Homma Fohka Nittak. Nittak ilvppa, Aivtta okla iksho anonti hattak vbi ya il ikhaiyana pulla. Hattak vbi ik haiakacho vhleha ya ikhana apelvchit isht vla. Aivtta okla yosh nan okpulo isht illi tuka ikhaiyana!

Aivtta Hohchvffo Chito Hvshi ya nana hvsh aiishi tukvt hvsh eshi na afvmmi hlopulla chi ka ahni li. Aivtta Hohchvffo Chito Hvshi yvt aivlhpiesa atahli ho moyuma kvt na himona ikhvna, nana chompa, anonti vlla vhleha ya pim aivlhpesa apelvt ikhvnanchi. Aivtta okla iksho anonti hattak vbi ya il ikhaiyana chi ka hvpi ikhvnanchi.

Aiyuka kvt nana ikhvna chi ka Aivtta Hohchvffo Chito Hvshi yvt im ishi. Pimmi ya i shahlit ikhvnvt il aiokpanchi cha pim okla achvffa vhleha, okla ibafoka, anonti hattak i kana ya il akostinincha chi kvt pim vlhtaha i shahli.

Yakokie anonti Chihowa hvt hvchi holitoblashke!