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YEAR in REVIEW the Great Seal of the Choctaw Nation Was Formalized in 1857

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YEAR in REVIEW the Great Seal of the Choctaw Nation Was Formalized in 1857 2020 CHOCTAW NATION OF OKLAHOMA YEAR IN REVIEW The Great Seal of the Choctaw Nation was formalized in 1857. The pipe within the seal is traditionally understood as a representation of community alliances. Rising tobacco smoke from the pipe can symbolize prayer connections, and the unstrung bow is a symbol of the Choctaw people’s love of peace but willingness to go to war if attacked. The three arrows honor Choctaw Chiefs Pushmataha, Moshulatubbee and Apukshunnubbee. 2 VISION LIVING OUT THE CHAHTA SPIRIT OF FAITH, FAMILY AND CULTURE. MISSION TO THE CHOCTAW PROUD, OURS IS THE SOVEREIGN NATION OFFERING OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH AND PROSPERITY. 3 Gary Batton Jack Austin, Jr. Chief Assistant Chief TRIBAL COUNCIL Thomas Williston Tony Ward Eddie Bohanan Delton Cox District 1 District 2 District 3 District 4 Ronald Perry Jennifer Woods Jack Austin, Sr. Perry Thompson District 5 District 6 District 7 District 8 James Dry Anthony Dillard Robert Karr James Frazier District 9 District 10 District 11 District 12 4 THE CHOCTAW NATION OF OKLAHOMA TAKES GREAT PRIDE IN THE GROWTH, STRENGTH AND RESILIENCE OF ITS PEOPLE Halito, The Choctaw Nation is a thriving, robust democracy, and an informed population is key to maintaining that democracy. Not only should we all know what we are doing as a people, but we should also know why we are doing it. I have made transparency one of the watchwords of my administration. Accountability is equally important. In years past, we published a State of the Nation booklet at about the time of the annual Labor Day celebration. Each booklet offered facts at your fingertips, and many of you say you kept them throughout the year for reference. This suggested to me we are doing something right. We’re building on that success this year. We have expanded the size of the booklet so it includes more information. We’ve also timed its publication so, for the first time, it reports on the full fiscal year. The Choctaw Nation’s fiscal year begins on October 1 and concludes on September 30. Although you’ll find more facts and figures than before, you’ll also see that they tell a story—the story of a people on the move. This year has been challenging on several levels, but as you’ll see in this newly expanded report, we’ve treated each new development as an opportunity. I am very proud of my people. You’ve proven to be compassionate, resourceful, determined, and resilient. Those are the themes of this report. The pictures, words, facts and figures you’ll see here tell the story of a truly remarkable people at a milestone in their history. This year provided affirmation of our tribal sovereignty, and our future is bright. This report will be even more instrumental than ever before in keeping you fully informed and up-to-date as we assume greater roles and responsibilities. It is my honor to serve and to present to you this annual report. Yakoke, Chief Gary Batton Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS Welcome 5 Demographics 7 We are Compassionate 8 We are Resourceful 18 We are Determined 24 We are Resilient 30 Awards 38 6 HASKELL HUGHES PITTSBURG LATIMER LE FLORE COAL PUSHMATAHA ATOKA MCCURTAIN CHOCTAW BRYAN NATION DEMOGRAPHICS THE CHOCTAW NATION OF OKLAHOMA’S RESERVATION IS LOCATED IN THE SOUTHEASTERN CORNER OF THE STATE. The Choctaw Nation is the third-largest federally recognized tribe in the United States. Choctaw tribal members are scattered in communities all over the country and even overseas. TOTAL TRIBAL MEMBERS: 200,847 7 WE ARE COMPASSIONATE Prior to European contact, Choctaws lived in villages where the responsibilities for maintaining daily life were shared by all who were able to participate. People worked together to grow and gather food, build houses, and care for the sick and elderly. Work was also a social event, with plenty of singing, laughing and joking. The needs of the community were met, and with everyone helping shoulder the burden, there was plenty of time for leisure. In the late 1700s, U.S. agents urged Choctaws to move out of their villages and build homesteads separate from their neighbors. After removal to Indian Territory, the U.S. government tried to break up Choctaw communities by forcing Choctaws to take land allotments and become individual landowners. Each family was now expected to be self-sufficient. Although this new approach fundamentally changed the way Choctaws lived and interacted with their neighbors, it did not change their emphasis on service. When a serious need arose, the community would organize an Iyyi Kowa—a day of community service—just as Choctaw ancestors had done for centuries before. Everyone had a job to do, and as they worked, people’s connections to each other and to their community grew stronger. The ultimate goal was to help those in need so they could be empowered to help others. Today, the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma still believes in the spirit of Iyyi Kowa. Many of the services that would have been provided by Iyyi Kowa in the past are now offered through Choctaw Nation programs, such as health, housing and food distribution. Perhaps just as important, however, are all the ways our associates and tribal members go above and beyond their regular duties to help others in need. CHAHTA SPIRIT IN ACTION Ford Atterberry is a tribal security officer at the Choctaw Casino and Resort in Durant. When he noticed a malnourished man coming in every day wearing the same clothes and asking to use the phone to contact relatives, he decided to do a little investigating. Atterberry found out the man was homeless and had been living in his truck, which had broken down in the casino’s parking garage. Officer Atterberry was able to connect with the man’s sister in New York, and it turned out the man was reported missing several years ago! After getting him some clean clothes and a hearty meal, Officer Atterberry bought the man a bus ticket to New York, staying in touch with Greyhound Bus Lines the whole way to make sure the man made it to his destination. The man now lives with his sister, has a job and is doing well. He and FORD ATTERBERRY Officer Atterberry stay in touch monthly. 8 BLOOD DRIVES The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma has been a long-time partner of the Oklahoma Blood Institute. They have been hosting blood drives at various locations throughout the reservation since 2004. According to the OBI, each unit of blood donated has the potential to save up to three lives. This year alone, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma associates have donated over 2,300 units of blood, potentially saving nearly 7,000 lives. KINDRED SPIRITS The friendship between the Choctaw Nation and Ireland dates back to 1847, when the potato famine left many Irish people starving. When Choctaws in Indian Territory heard about the struggles in Ireland, their hearts went out the people there. The wounds from the Trail of Tears were still fresh for the Choctaw people at that time. They knew how it felt to go hungry and to lose loved ones in the face of a seemingly insurmountable obstacle. Despite the fact that they were just beginning the process of rebuilding their own nation, Choctaws pitched in what little money they could spare, $170 to be exact, and sent it to a group in New York that was organizing a relief fund. Since then, the bond between the two nations has been unbreakable. This year, COVID-19 hit the Navajo and Hopi people living on reservations in Utah, Arizona and New Mexico particularly hard. Native American volunteers set up a GoFundMe page to buy food and supplies for Navajo and Hopi families, and the Irish stepped up in a big way. Around 24,000 Irish donors gave roughly $820,000 to the relief fund as a way to pay forward the kind gesture of the Choctaw people all those years ago. While the COVID-19 global pandemic has been devastating, there is at least one positive thing we have learned: kindness can also be contagious. 9 VOLUNTEERS/OUTREACH As a large part of the Choctaw Nation’s workforce was sent home during the pandemic, several programs continued to provide vital services to tribal members. In order for these operations to continue, there was an urgent need for volunteers to help ensure these services were still available. Places like travel plazas, country markets, community centers, food distribution centers, clinics and the Poteau Prescription Refill Center all remained open with the support of volunteers from several departments within the Choctaw Nation. Volunteers helped with cleaning and stocking at travel plazas and markets. At health facilities, they helped with cleaning and packing prescription orders for patients and associates. Associates helped at food distribution centers by filling food orders for clients and delivering curbside to make sure those in need had plenty of food during the shutdown. During the pandemic, Food Distribution staff created a drive-thru curbside service for the safety of clients and staff. Staff packaged orders and placed them outside the door for clients to pick up. Additionally, 13 staff volunteers assisted over a three-week period at McAlester, Poteau and Broken Bow distribution centers. The volunteers provided food delivery to tribal elders, either by helping package groceries or delivering food to elders waiting in their cars. 10 CHOCTAW NATION FOOD PANTRY Walmart donated thousands of pounds of fruits and vegetables to the Choctaw Nation for its tribal members during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 100 staff members volunteered to distribute the donated food to impacted communities within the Choctaw Nation.
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