BISHINIK PRSRT STD PRESORT STD P.O. Drawer 1210 U.S. Postage BISHINIK CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED PAID P.O. Box 1210 AUTO Durant OK 74702 Durant OK Durant OK 74702 U.S. POSTAGE PAID CHOCTAW NATION BISHINIKBISHINIK RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Permit #187 The Official Publication of The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma October 2009 Issue Serving 195,683 Choctaws Worldwide Choctaws ... growing with pride, hope and success Veterans Day event is November 11 The Choctaw Nation will honor its veterans with a ceremony on November 11 at Tushka Homma. The ceremony will begin at 11 a.m., but staff will be on hand at 10 a.m. on the Capitol Grounds near the War Memorial. All Choc- taw veterans will receive a token A ribbon-cutting is held for the opening of the new cafeteria on the Capitol grounds. of gratitude. A free meal will fol- low the ceremony. Tribal Council elects officers State of the Choctaw Nation 2009 Chief Gregory E. Labor Day During its Pyle delivered the Photo September 2009 State of the Gallery, regular session, Choctaw Nation at the Pages 8-10 the Choctaw annual Labor Day Fes- Nation Tribal tival – speaking of the many things to Council re- be thankful for, the current initiatives elected by of the tribe and the growth and prog- proclamation Council Speaker ress the future holds. Delton Cox as Delton Cox “We have many things to be thank- Speaker, Char- ful for, including this gathering of lotte Jackson family and friends. This wonderful as Secretary occasion brings people from both and Joe Coley coasts to our Choctaw Capitol. as Chaplain “Over the years, our people have for the year traveled to Mississippi to join in their Chief Justice James Wolfe swears in Councilmembers James Frazier, Anthony Dillard, Delton Cox, Jack Aus- 2009-10. As Fair activities. This year, the Missis- tin, Ted Dosh and Joe Coley for their new four-year term. one of his first sippi Band sent two large buses to our acts this term, Council Secretary Charlotte Jackson festival. Almost 200 years after the Speaker Cox Trail of Tears, the Oklahoma and Mis- clinic and also built a Community reappointed sissippi Choctaws are still a family, Center in Durant. We are construct- Patty Hawkins and we still enjoy gathering together ing a Head Start and Child Develop- as Recording to celebrate,” said Chief Pyle. More ment Center in Durant and a Wellness Secretary, Syl- than 70 elders of the Mississippi tribe Center and Social Services building vester Moore came and danced at the village on Sat- in Hugo. Wright City is also getting a as Sergeant- urday. new Community Center. We have just at-arms, and The Chief took the opportunity to opened new casinos in Hugo, String- Bob Rabon as Council Chaplain remind the Choctaws about the 2010 town and McAlester.” The largest ca- Parliamentar- Joe Coley Census, which will be taken in March sino is the one under construction in ian. The same and April. “Every 10 years, a Census Durant that will open in February of committees were also reappointed. is taken and it is important that the 2010. In new business, Councilmem- Choctaw people are counted accurate- Chief Pyle ended his speech with bers approved: ly. A lot of funding the tribe receives a wish for all tribal members and • 14 budgets for the new fiscal depends on the Census. It is important friends, “What I want for all of you year; that we all write CHOCTAW NA- is the same thing I want for my own • ammendments for NAHAS- TION OF OKLAHOMA. We have al- grandchildren. I want all of you and Assistant Chief Gary Batton and Chief Gregory E. Pyle are pictured DA’s 2007 and 2008 budgets; ready been told the space to write this your family to be healthy, successful, with the Choctaw Nation’s 2009-10 royalty – Little Miss Juanita Gonzalez, • the Student/Parent and Em- in is small, but it will be okay to write and self-sufficient.” Sr. Miss Ashton Rachelle DiNardo, and Jr. Miss Stephanie Tehauno. ployee handbooks for 2010 at Jones in the margins of the paper. Academy; “History shows that tribal people • application for the District At- took care of Mother Earth better than torneys Council Justice Assistance most others have. Our employees Grant for local law enforcement; have asked that our sites ‘go green.’ • a right-of-way in Pittsburg We have begun to recycle, to sponsor County in favor of XTO Energy; highway cleanups and park beautifi- • a mineral permit in favor of cations,” said Chief Pyle. Geokinetics USA Inc., also in Pitts- All year, tribal employees have burg County; been working to improve environ- • membership renewal to the mentally friendly habits – small steps, National Congress of American but continually improving ways of Indians; life to lead to a healthier future. Na- • disposal of a 1985 semi truck; tive Americans have long been the • unconditional guaranty related protector of the environment, and to equipment to be used by CMDC; the Choctaw Nation wants to create a Choctaw Defense was one of four organizations chosen to be honored at the 2009 Oklahoma Conference and more environmentally friendly atmo- on Manufacturing with the Governor’s Manufacturing Leadership Award. The event was presented by the • disposition of the arts and crafts sphere in the work place, at home and Oklahoma Manufacturing Alliance at Tulsa. building at Tushka Homma. in communities. During the State of the Nation, Choctaw Defense wins Governor’s Manufacturing Leadership Award u What’s inside Chief Pyle spoke of the Calera City Park clean up and beautification that Choctaw Defense, a business owned by the Choc- to build the next generation of medium tactical vehicle 2010 Labor Day RV reservation he attended with his shovels and taw Nation of Oklahoma, has been presented the 2009 trailers for the Marines. It is the culmination of a five- information is on Page 2. gloves. “The District Councilman Governor’s Manufacturing Leadership Award. The com- year journey that included countless hours of design and Notes to the Nation ................................2 and I arrived expecting to see about pany’s customers include the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, engineering work performed by Choctaw Defense itself. Columns ................................................3 15 people helping and found over 40 Navy and Air Force. Over the past 20 years, Choctaw Three versions of the trailers will be constructed in a Holiday calendars ..................................3 people painting, planting trees and Defense has produced tens of thousands of aluminum new 80,000-sq.-ft. facility in McAlester. Nursery News ........................................4 shrubs and cleaning up the park. The and steel shipping and storage containers. These con- “Congratulations to CEO Steve Benefield and his staff Food Distribution Calendar ....................4 community joined with us and we tainers are built to stringent military specifications and for a job well done! This is an exceptional accomplish- People You Know ..................................5 worked as a team!” are used for items ranging from guided missiles to heli- ment and I am very proud that this award with Gover- Voc-Rehab Calendar .............................7 Chief Pyle also spoke of the growth copter engines. nor Henry’s signature will be displayed in the Choctaw Obituaries .......................................12-13 that Choctaw Nation is experiencing. Choctaw Defense is the sole supplier for the Improved Nation manufacturing facility,” said Choctaw Chief With the tribal vision in mind, “to Army Space Heater, which includes sophisticated envi- Gregory E. Pyle. “It is great that several of the staff of The Mission achieve healthy, successful, produc- ronmental controls to provide filtered air in chemically Choctaw Defense were able to join Steve on stage as tive, and self-sufficient lifestyles for a or biologically contaminated conditions. The company he accepted this plaque and recognition from his peers.” of the Choctaw also manufactures a variety of ground support equip- Assistant Chief Gary Batton and McAlester area Tribal Nation of Oklahoma proud nation of Choctaws,” the goal is to better serve the Choctaw people. ment and flight critical aircraft components for the Army Councilman Bob Pate also joined the group as the award To enhance the lives of all Chief Pyle said he and the Council Blackhawk Helicopter and the Air Force C17 Cargo was presented by Oklahoma Manufacturing Alliance members through opportunities saw a great need in Atoka County for plane. President Roy Peters. “Our goal is to find the best compa- designed to develop healthy, suc- a clinic. “We allocated funds from This fall, Choctaw Defense is starting production on nies we can and honor them,” said Peters. He said it was a cessful and productive lifestyles. our business revenues to build that one of its largest projects ever – a $62 million contract See Choctaw Defense on Page 11 October 2009, BISHINIK, Page 2 NOTES TO THE NATION Tribe helps obtain education Assistance with septic system Dear Choctaw Nation, Dear Choctaw Nation, My grandmother, Pearl Paxton, was enrolled at age 6 in Au- I would like to express my appreciation for the new septic sys- gust of 1889. She was always so proud of her Indian heritage and tem that was recently installed in my home and the kindness of passed this feeling on to all of her children and grandchildren. the workers. I called Councilman Delton Cox to see if there was Now that I am a grandmother with grown grandchildren, I can a program that Choctaw Nation had in place that would be able only say that I understand her appreciation and know she would to help us. He sent me to the office in Hugo which gave me the be so thrilled to know the accomplishments of her great-great- application and told me that Hoss Ward would be calling me as grandchildren and realize that the Choctaw Nation has been a part soon as I returned the application.