Halito! The Welcoming Spirit of the Choctaw People
It is with a heartfelt “Halito” that we welcome you to read and learn the history and culture of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. The focus of this monthly page is to share the heritage of the Choctaw Nation and to show the tribe’s participation in improving life for all residents in the local community.
The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, the third largest Native American tribe in the United States, is headquartered in Durant, OK. With the guidance of Chief Gary Batton, Assistant Chief Jack Austin Jr. (Pictured above) and Tribal Councilmen, The Choctaw Nation continues to play a major role in the growth of southeastern Oklahoma.
Keeping our culture alive
Preserving and passing down our culture, such as our Chahta language, stickball and traditional dancing, are ways we display our values as Chahta people. All of our daycare and Head Start centers are practicing these traditions with the children and our language is being taught in communities through online, high schools, and universities throughout the United States, so we can assure our legacy as Chahta people continues.
Educating today for tomorrow
Education is a top priority. Public school districts in the Choctaw Nation’s service area have received annual donations for a variety of activities that benefit all of the students. Educational components of the Choctaw Nation include higher education with more than $6 million in scholarships last year, the STAR reward program for second- through 12th-graders, adult education for obtaining G.E.Ds, career development, and a D.A.R.E. officer who spreads awareness of the importance of staying off drugs. Young leaders involved in the Choctaw Nation Youth Empowerment and Youth Advisory Boards assist in community events and actively promote prevention of bullying, domestic violence and substance abuse.
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act job-training program provides summer jobs for 1,000 youth, ages 16 to 21. The young men and women often reapply to the program every year and continue working on a part or full-time basis after they graduate.
Healthy lifestyles are promoted throughout the Choctaw Nation. Health service programs at clinics and online share information on the “Going Lean” initiative that promotes healthier choices to combat the rising cases of obesity, heart disease and diabetes.
Getting down to business
The tribe’s diversity is a great asset in the area as the largest employer with a mixture of business entities and more than 9,000 employees. Approximately 2,000 live in Bryan County alone. Our Tribal Headquarters, located in Durant, gives access to programs on education; a variety of children, elder and family services; and public safety, among others. The Choctaw Nation’s award-winning recycling facilities help offset the amount of waste hauled to landfills, save energy, and ultimately provide a better environment for our children and grandchildren. The Recycling Center in Durant has given everyone in the area an opportunity to be good stewards of the land. Located at 3108 Enterprise Dr., the Recycling Center is open to the public 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. Recycling bins are located throughout the city for ease and convenience.
One of the Choctaw Nation’s enterprises is Choctaw Global Staffing. Through government contracts with several federal agencies, Choctaw Global Staffing provides more than 600 medical professionals in 44 states and 19 countries. Coming up on its 20th year, Global Staffing operates from administrative offices in Durant and San Antonio, Texas.
Choctaw Defense has produced thousands of aluminum and steel military shipping and storage containers since 1988. Choctaw Defense has more than 200 employees fulfilling contracts for the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines, as well as Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Raytheon. A 28-year history of proven success as a military and civilian contractor makes Choctaw Defense the nation’s leading Native American defense manufacturer.
Two of the tribe’s 15 travel plazas are located in Durant, as well as, an event center, KOA RV Park, Texoma Print Services, a community center, wellness center and a child-development center that houses a Head Start program and day care. An Early Head Start facility opened this year, and ground was broken and construction started on a new 500,000-square foot Headquarters campus, a new Choctaw Nation Regional Health Clinic, a Data Center and Public Safety facility. Future ground breaking and construction will take place on a new Wellness Center, and a large Cultural Center, in the same area of Durant.
The Choctaw Welcome Center in nearby Colbert has become the area’s best location for a wide variety of Choctaw artist- and Oklahoma-made items. Travelers can enjoy a cup of coffee; watch Choctaw educational videos, snack and shop at the unique store.
With all this going on, one might expect that traffic has and will continue to pick up. As a result, Bryan County has been selected by the U.S. Department of Transportation to receive $62 million to improve safety and efficiency of high volume freight traffic along the U.S. 69/75 corridor, which runs through Durant. The funding comes from one of the first grants under the new Nationally Significant Freight and Highway Projects program, referred to as the FASTLANE program. The project will help reduce safety concerns, save lives and enhance economic development for not only Durant, but as our “gateway into Oklahoma.” This achievement is a prime example of a cooperative partnership between the Choctaw Nation and state and federal governments. One point of the multi-faceted Choctaw Nation is its gaming industry. This major component makes a significant impact on employment and tourism with its casinos, restaurants, entertainment venues, shops and hotels. A whole new level of entertainment in Durant is now offered with the expansion of the gaming site and completion of another hotel tower and resort spa. The whole family can enjoy the facilities now, thanks to the opening of The District, which includes a multi-screen movie theater, bowling alley, laser tag, and arcade. This growth has resulted in the creation of approximately 500 new jobs.
The growth of employment opportunities in southeastern Oklahoma ensures local residents are more likely to stay in the local communities, buy homes, and support local businesses. The cycle of local reinvestment benefits everyone involved.
While economic development is important to any region and its citizens, there are many other ways the Choctaw Nation gives support to the community, such as road construction. The Choctaw Nation has completed $20.6 million in road construction this year to help communities in southeastern Oklahoma. There are projects under way in every county of the Choctaw Nation, including Bryan County, estimated at more than $40 million.
Values
The “Faith, Family, Culture” examples seen on billboards, t-shirts and more are more than words, it is a way of life!
E chi pisa chike! (We will see you later.)
Want to learn more about Choctaw Nation? Visit our YouTube channel now!