Learning about our history

We have been fortunate to meet with Choctaws from several states in the past months, and it is great to see the huge interest in the heritage of the tribe. A couple of people have brought their family history to share with us, complete with photos, and one person asked for the Chief to autograph her copy of the Choctaw History book that is sold through the bookstore here at the Durant complex. Most evident is the interest in the language of the Choctaw Nation.

It is a blessing to be joined at the front podium by Lillie Roberts, a Choctaw Language teacher who often travels with us and shares a little of the language curriculum with the audience. She makes sure that everyone, including me and the Chief, participate and interact. When a question is asked in Choctaw, we are expected to respond in Choctaw. Thankfully, handouts are given to everyone so we can all read along as we learn!

This is a great way to learn the language and history of our tribe. These meetings are just a tidbit of the lesson  classes are available free on the Internet. You can log on to www.choctawnation.com and get information on the next available class. Several colleges, universities and public schools in the tribal boundaries also offer the language class as an accredited course. Ironically, the credits are considered a foreign language.

I encourage you to come to meetings when we visit your area, to log on to the website, and to learn about our history and culture. The more I learn, the more I appreciate and respect our tribal people.