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Dusty shoes of all sizes entered the Wheelock Academy grounds at the culmination of a commemorative walk held May 20th, and reminders were spoken that few of our ancestors on that original trek had any shoes to wear. The pressing heat May 20 was the opposite of what Choctaw forefathers experienced on that long, sad march almost two hundred years ago.
The first tribe to traverse the Trail of Tears, the Choctaw march was in the winter of 1831 and the families encountered extreme weather and hardship. Cold, hunger and sickness were with the Choctaws every step of the way, and stories are told of hours spent wading in deep swamp water, of days without eating and nights of enduring sleet and cold wind without coats or moccasins.
In direct contrast, the commemorative walk was in relative comfort. "We are fortunate to have shoes on our feet, water to drink and lunch waiting at the conclusion," said Chief Pyle. "Our ancestors survived and prevailed without things that we consider necessities today." Wheelock was one of the first permanent stops to set up a mission, which eventually became home to hundreds of girls.
Chief Pyle announced that one of the main buildings on campus, Pushmataha Hall, was to benefit from funds allocated just one week previous by the Tribal Council. Almost $300,000 will be spent to stabilize the foundation of the 125-year-old former girls dormitory. On the list for the 11 most endangered sites named by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Pushmataha Hall continues to need a great deal of rehabilitation. Another of the old buildings on the school grounds, LeFlore Hall, has been renovated and a museum is housed inside, showcasing pictures and mementos from the girls who once attended classes at Wheelock.
Nature and time have worn Wheelock Mission Academy, yet the site is still a showplace that draws visitors year round. Summer hours are Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. The public is welcome to come and tour the grounds.
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