Choctaw Nation Honored at 2010 Drum Awards the Inaugural 2010 Drum Awards Were Held Nov
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Aragon Thanksgiving Choctaw A wood named celebrations artist sculptor’s Secretary shares style of VA talents Page 5 Pages 10-12 Page 16 Page 17 BISKINIK CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED PRESORT STD P.O. Box 1210 AUTO Durant OK 74702 U.S. POSTAGE PAID CHOCTAW NATION BISKINIKThe Official Publication of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma December 2010 Issue Serving 204,350 Choctaws Worldwide Choctaws ... growing with pride, hope and success Choctaw Nation honored at 2010 Drum Awards The inaugural 2010 Drum Awards were held Nov. 1 at the Event Center in Durant. Among the honorees were the Choctaw Code Talkers and the Scholarship Ad- visement Program. At right, Chief Gregory E. Pyle and Judy Allen, ex- ecutive director of Public Relations, accept the Pa- triotism Award on behalf of the Choctaw Code Talkers of World War I. Far right, Jo McDaniel and the staff of SAP accept the Educators Drum Award. Monica Brittingham, front left, served as the awards presenter for the ceremony. Tribal Council Williston becomes District 1 Councilman holds November Newspaper marks many milestones regular session The Choctaw Nation November 1975 Makes its mark Tribal Council met Nov. Volume 1 of Hello Choctaw, the first official pub- 13 in regular session at lication of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, was Tushka Homma. New published on Nov. 1, 1975. business included several budgets and budget revi- June 1978 Name change sions for the new fiscal The name was changed to BISHINIK to better year. All were approved. reflect the culture. It was meant to be named Bis- On the agenda were kinik after the little Chahta news bird. The name Family Violence Pro- was misspelled on the council bill; however, the gram, Tribal Victim As- name stayed. sistance Grant, VOCA Grant, Vocational Re- July 2010 Corrections addressed habilitation Section 121 After 32 years, the name was corrected as part Program, Environmen- of the cultural revitalization within the tribe. The tal Office Water Pollu- council unanimously voted for the change in the tion Control Program Grant, Environmental July council session. The first BISKINIK ran as Office Tribal Air Qual- the August issue of the paper. ity Ozone Monitoring Swearing to serve October 2010 Going green Thomas Williston was sworn into office by tribal judge David Burrage on Nov. Project, Child Care De- 29 at the tribal complex in Durant. Williston was elected to fill the vacancy left velopment Fund, DHHS The first issue of the BISKINIK E-News launched after District 1 Councilman Hap Ward passed away Aug. 3. A special election was Administration for Aging on Oct. 27, 2010, and allowed tribal members held Oct. 30 and required a run-off between Williston and Matilda Paxton. He MIPPA Grant, DHHS for the chance to opt-out of receiving a paper copy received 51.6 percent of the votes in the Nov. 20 run-off. the Support for Pregnant in the mail. Also, for the first time, non-tribal Williston will fulfill the remainder of this term, which runs until the next regular and Parenting Teens and members are able to be on a mailing list to get election in July 2011. Women, Administration news and keep up with what’s going on with this Williston said he is excited and looking forward to the new job. He said his goal for Children and Fami- great tribe! Sign up today on the Choctaw Nation as councilman is to help provide a better quality of life for the people in his district. lies of the Affordable homepage! www.choctawnation.com “I’m here to help and serve,” he said. “I’m here for all our people.” Care Act Tribal Maternal, Infant and Early Child- hood Home Visiting Grant Program, the U.S. Coalgate Head Start students perform at the State Capitol Department of Justice for By LARISSA COPELAND the Services to Advocate Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma for and Respond to Youth Program Call and Con- Seven Choctaw Nation cept Papers, and the U.S. Head Start students from Department of Justice for Coalgate were invited to the Transitional Housing perform traditional Choc- Assistance for Victims of taw dances at the 2010 Na- Domestic, Dating Vio- tive American Heritage Cel- lence, Stalking or Sexual ebration on Nov. 15 at the See COUNCIL on page 14 State Capitol in Oklahoma City. u What’s inside The students danced proudly in front of hun- Notes to the Nation .......... 2 dreds of guests and digni- Columns .......................... 3 taries from across the state Nursery News .................. 4 who gathered to celebrate Food Distribution ............. 4 the state’s Native American People You Know ............ 6 culture. The event at the VocRehab Calendar ...... 15 Oklahoma Capitol Rotunda Iti Fabvssa ..................... 18 in Oklahoma City featured Obituaries ................. 19-21 dance exhibitions, informa- tion booths, traditional Na- The Mission tive American music and food, and included repre- of the sentatives from all 39 of The group takes a break on the Capitol steps after performing. Lana Sleeper, right, is joined by Rylie Blue, Jett Choctaw Nation Oklahoma’s Native Ameri- Burris, Bentley Hill, Caleb Hopkins, Kale Horton, Damian Martinez and Nekoda Wainscott. of Oklahoma can nations. Lana Sleeper, marketing “Chief Pyle had the group and their proximity for the children to learn,” Choctaw dances – the Rac- T o enhance the lives of all manager for the Choctaw event on his calendar so to Oklahoma City.” explained Sleeper. “They coon Dance and the Snake members through oppor- tunities designed to devel- Nation of Oklahoma, led I got in contact with Wil- Sleeper, who spearheaded were great and the teachers Dance. The children danced op healthy, successful and the group of young dancers son Seawright, the event the dance program late last were so helpful. Their atti- all around the large rotunda, productive lifestyles. and supervises the Choctaw committee chairman, and year, was more than happy tudes were wonderful and and in and out of the au- Nation Head Start dance the little Choctaw dancers to show off the work she, we had a lot of fun.” dience during the Snake program throughout the were added to the agenda,” the children and the teach- The group – the young- Dance, keeping everyone The BISKINIK 10-½ county area, teaching said Sleeper. “The Coal- ers have put into learning est to perform at the cel- engaged. is printed on the students the traditional gate children were chosen the traditional dances. ebration at the Capitol – “I enjoyed seeing the recycled paper. dances. because of the size of the “The dances are easy performed two traditional See HEAD START on page 17 December 2010, BISKINIK, Page 2 Reservations for Labor Day RV sites No reservations will be accepted prior to January 1, 2011 2011 RV Space Reservation -PAYMENTS -GENERAL PARKING Name_________________________________________ All 2011 reservations will be made by mail. No RVs will be allowed to park in general parking. Reservations must be post-marked Jan. 1, 2011, or later. -ANIMALS Address________________________________________ Reservations must be paid in full in the form of a money Animals will NOT be allowed in the festival area with order or cashier’s check. the exception of dogs owned by physically challenged in- City/State/Zip___________________________________ NO PERSONAL CHECK WILL BE ACCEPTED. All dividuals. Respect your neighbor and clean up after your personal checks will be returned without reservations being animal. Daytime Phone/Cell Number_______________________ made. The fee for the weekend’s camping from Thursday -SANITATION through Monday will be $75. A sign-up sheet will be provided at the RV booth for Email______________________________________ -VEHICLES WITH RVs those wishing to have on-site dumping of gray and black The payment of $75 allows one (1) RV/travel trailer and water tanks. RV self-contained camper description and length: one (1) vehicle into the RV area. A $10 fee will be charged Payment will be made to employees at the RV booth. for each additional vehicle pass requested. There will be a $50 fine for anyone caught dumping gray ______________________________________________ Due to limited space, no reservations will be made for or black water in the RV area. A local dumping station is public tables, tents, or boats in the RV area. No tents will be provided for individual dumping by sanitation personnel. ______________________________________________ allowed to hook up to an RV outlet. The $75 camping fee A second warning would mean eviction from the camping is for one RV only. area. ______________________________________________ -REFUNDS -TOW-AWAY OF VEHICLES No refunds will be given after Aug. 5, 2011. All pads not Any vehicle blocking access roads/areas between RV ______________________________________________ filled by 6 p.m. on Saturday will be offered to those on a rows may be towed at owner’s expense. waiting list. A fee will be charged to these RV campers. RVs may pull into the camping area no earlier than Number of slide-outs_____________________________ -PHONE RESERVATIONS 8 a.m. on Wednesday before Labor Day. NO PHONE RESERVATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED - Only one (1) reservation per application - - NO EXCEPTIONS. One reservation per application. We Please return the form on the right with your reserva- No reservations accepted prior to Jan. 1, 2011. will do our best to respect requests for preferred RV pads, tion. Please include a copy of your CDIB. Be sure to Please return to: however, we cannot guarantee you will get the pad number include the length of your RV or camper and the num- Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma requested. Reservations will be dated and time stamped as ber of slide-outs. We need a daytime telephone number ATTN: Margaret Jackson received. should we need to contact you. Thank you. P.O. Box 1210, Durant, OK 74702 NOTES TO THE NATION Thank you, Need genealogical information I am researching the name Allen Stanton and would like CN employees to get in touch with any and all Stantons in the Choctaw Philip, Rebecca and Preston Nation or with Choctaw ties.