The Chahta Language is a Large Part of a Strong Tribe

Chahta Anumpa yvt Pi Kucha Pehlichi Iksho anonti Isht Ahlampko Ahlichi

Published February 3, 2025

By Chief Gary Batton

Audio in Choctaw Language

The Choctaw Nation must preserve, protect and promote our Native Chahta language for our tribe to remain sovereign and vital. We have made great efforts to support this focus on the language of our ancestors through language classes, language promotion and including Chahta language and traditions in all we do throughout the Nation.

Did you know there are other areas throughout the state that are aiding in the promotion of Native American language and traditions? For instance, the Sam Noble Museum and the Department of Native American Studies in the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Oklahoma have launched a new Native Language Fair Honor Fund.

The fund honored the legacies of Choctaw language speakers Brenda Samuels, Virginia Espinoza and Curtis Billy. The fund was established to honor the Choctaw speakers and past Native speakers, ancestors, and relatives of the past, present, and future who have worked closely with the language fair.

The goal is to continue their legacy of the Choctaw and Native speakers by creating a sustainable future for the fair. This fund contributes toward an endowment for the event that will generate consistent and stable funding, enabling the museum to provide students with a venue to share their Native languages and support broader language revitalization across Oklahoma.

At least 14 elders who have been longtime supporters of the language fair have passed away in recent years.

Their loss is deeply felt both at the museum and in their communities. The goal is to carry on their legacies and their passion for the preservation of Native cultures and languages through the fair.

Visit the website to contribute to the Native Language Fair Honor Fund. To honor a specific elder, select “this is an honorary or memorial gift.” Information about the specific individuals honored through the fund will be made available online and at the language fair.

Promoting our language not only ensures our culture remains vital, but it also announces that ours is a sovereign nation that is proud and strong and honors its heritage. Our language is just a part of the important culture that our ancestors have passed down to us. Our historic battles for our rights, sovereignty and language were hard fought, and we should never turn our backs to the sacrifices of our ancestors. Preserving our language connects us to our historical past while also enhancing our sovereign present and future as a tribe.

This past year the Choctaw Nation graduated a record 15 new apprentices from our School of Language, Chahta Anumpa Aiikhvna. The Assistant Chief and I were there to proudly congratulate our newest ambassadors of the Chahta language. While this is a great accomplishment, my challenge for this year is to increase the number of apprenticeship graduates who will help promote the Chahta language both on and off the reservation.

The school was established to promote and preserve the language, history, and culture of the Chahta people. To apply go to the Chahta Anumpa Aiikhvna website serves as a language database connection to provide information about the school and various opportunities available to learn the Chahta language and culture.

The Chahta Anumpa Aiikhvna website serves as a language database connection to provide information about our school and the various opportunities available to learn the Chahta language and culture.

The Choctaw language is the heart of the Choctaw people’s identity. It encompasses the native spirit of our celebrated ancestors and awakens the desire in younger generations to persevere.

The language program has grown from offering one class via satellite at the University of Oklahoma in 1998, to currently employing 21 teachers and serving approximately 3,000 people per week through the website, community classes, public schools, colleges, online Internet classes, early childhood and elementary classes.

Together we can promote the Chahta language and keep the Choctaw Nation a vital, strong, sovereign nation for many generations to come.

Yakoke and God Bless!

Chahta Okla yvt pi Chahta Anumpa ya okchalinchit, attukuchit, apelvchi pulla kako pim okla yvt i shahli cha aiokchayvt antta. Anumpa ittibapisa micha anumpa apelvchi hlopullichi hosh pi hattak tikba im anumpa iklvnna ya ibawichi ikbit il aiahlichi. Okla mominchit nana moma e kaniohmi kvt Chahta anumpa micha aivlhpesa il aieninchi.

Ulhti inla yakni mominchi kvt Miliki Aivtta im anumpa micha aivlhpesa apelvchi ya apepoa ka hvsh ikhana ho? Sam Noble Museum anonti University of Oklahoma ya Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences anukaka ya Department of Native American Studies vt Native Language Fair Honor Fund himona isht ia tuk.

Chahta anumpa anumpuli Brenda Samuels, Virginia Espinoza, anonti Curtis Billy ima ya tvli holisso yvt holitobli. Chahta anumpuli anonti Aivtta anumpuli chamo vhleha yvt Anumpa Aiittvtoba Chito iba toksvli tuk mako holitobli hosh tvli holisso yvt vlhpisa tuk.

Aiittvtoba chito ya himak pilla vlhpesa i toba kvt Chahta micha Aivtta anumpuli ima ya mahayachi. Tvli holisso ilvppvt yvmohmi i hvlbina ibafoki na iskvli atahli kvllo micha kamvssa ikba chi. Ilvppvt aiikhvna ya atahli na holisso pisa ya im Aivtta anumpa akvshkoli im atahli. Oklahoma okhoatachi hosh anumpa hlakoffi auata i shahli aiahlichi.

Afvmmi cheki kash, asvnonchi awah ushta foka hosh Anumpa Aiittvtoba Chito ya aiahlichi na hopaki tuk osh ont kvnia tuk.

Aiikhvna anonti im okla ya i kvnia yvt ikhana fehna. Ima anonti Aivtta im aivlhpesa micha anumpa ya okchalinchi im aiyimita yvt Anumpa Aiittvtoba Chito hlopullichi hosh mahaya.

Holisso ya pisa cha Native Language Fair Honor Fund ibafoki. “this is an honorary or memorial gift” atokoli cha asvnonchi fehna holitobli. Achvffa fehna im vnnoa yvt ittvtakvli anonti Anumpa Aiittvtoba Chito ya aiikhvna hinla.

Pim aivlhpesa yvt vlhpesvt antta ka pim anumpa apelvchi yvt ahlichi. Pim okla i shahli yvt hlampko cha immi holitobli ka miha. Pi hattak tikba yvt aivlhpesa na fehna pi onuchi tuka pim anumpa yvt atushafa. Pim vlhpesa, pi kucha pehlichi iksho, anonti pim anumpa i hopaki ittibi yvt kamvssa tok. Pi hattak tikba im isht aiokpvchi ya il i filvmmahe tuk kiyo. Pim anumpa okchalinchi yvt pi chamo, pi himak nittak, anonti pi himak pilla ya pi ittvtakalechi.

Afvmmi ash, Chahta Okla yvt anumpa isht ia awah tahlapi ka aiikhvna hlopullichi tuk. Pi Chahta anumpa im anumpa shali himona ya Miko Apelvchi ittvtuklot ont ashwvt il aiokpvchi tuk. Ilvppvt vlhtaha chinto kia afvmmi pa a paffi yvt anumpa isht ia aiikhhvna hlopulli holhtina i shahlichi. Yakni ilatomba anukaka anonti yakni ilatomba kucha ya Chahta anumpa achakvli ya apela chi.

Chahta Anumpa Aiikhvna imma i shahlichit hvsh ikhvna chi kvt choctawnation.com hvsh ona cha ‘about’ hvsh atebli cha ‘language’ hvsh atebla chi ka hvchi yimintvchi li.

Chahta okla im anumpa, i hopaki isht anumpa, anonti im aivlhpesa ya apelvchit okchalincha chi ka holisso apisa yvt hikia tuk. Chahta Anumpa Aiikhvna i holisso yvt anumpa ahli alokoli ittvtakvli atia. Holisso apisa imma vnnoa atahli cha anumpa micha aivlhpesa ikhvna ya aivlhpiesa aiikhvna imma vnnoa atahli.

Chahta anumpa yvt Chahta okla im isht atokoli ya i chukvsh. Pi hattak tikba, holitopvt isht anumpa ya im aivtta shilombish afohlichi anonti unchololi himitthoa ya achunanchi bvnna im okchvli.

Tahlepa sipokni achvffa, tahlepa chakkali, pokoli chakkali akucha untuchina yash, anumpa aiahni yvt University of Oklahoma ya yakni apakfopa hlopullichi hosh ittibapisa achvffa imissa tuk. Himaka, nan ikhvnanchi pokoli tuklo akucha achvffa toksvlechi. Nittak hullo aiyuka, i holisso, okla ittibapisa, okla moma holisso apisa, holisso apisa chito, ittvtakvli Ikhana Hina ittibapisa, vlla tomba tikbali anonti achvfa ittibapisa ya hlopullichi hosh okla tahlepa sipokni tuchina foka atia.

Ittvpehvt Chahta anumpa il apelachi na Chahta Okla yvt okla i shahli aiokchaya cha hlampkot antta na unchololi lawa chi.

Yakoke anonti Chihowa hvt hvchi holitoblashke!