Choctaw Nation

Choctaw Nation to hold Heritage Monday

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 06:54:48 GMT

The men lead the Walk Dance in closing a traditional Choctaw event. Pictured are Eugene Taylor, Chief Gregory E. Pyle, Assistant Chief Gary Batton, Seth Fairchild, Nate Cox, Randy Hammons, Presley Byington and Roger Amerman.

Choctaw Nation to hold Heritage Monday

Traditional dance classes open to the public Feb. 6

By LISA REED Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma

The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma celebrates its heritage in many ways and as the year 2012 begins there has been a revival in all ages to learn more of the traditional ways.

“Employees have embraced this cultural awakening by having Heritage Mondays on the first Monday of each month,” said Chief Gregory E. Pyle. “I’ve enjoyed watching the flurry of activities since we started our day of culture. Facilities throughout the Choctaw Nation have had a lot of fun developing ways to participate whether it’s wearing traditional clothing, speaking the language or dancing. Some offices post information about their department for visitors to learn about the significant role Choctaw history plays in the services they provide.”

A special afternoon is planned for Feb. 6 at the headquarters building in Durant. The Choctaw Heritage Dancers will be having 30-minute dancing sessions from 1 to 3 p.m. in the conference area of the south building at 529 N. 16th Ave. The classes are being held for anyone who wants to learn the steps of Choctaw Social Dances.

Everyone is welcome to participate or just take a break from their desk to watch and enjoy refreshments.

“We are extending the invitation to anyone in the area who wants to join us,” Chief Pyle said. “Teaching and sharing is the Choctaw way.”

The Choctaw clothing and intricate beaded jewelry worn are distinctive to the tribe. Traditional Choctaw clothing of today reflects Euro-American styles of the 1800s, but employs more elaborate symbols and colorful materials. Choctaw people love bright, rich colors and the clothing is often made in beautiful shades of red, turquoise, purple, green and blue. A half or full diamond design symbolizing the western diamondback rattlesnake is used for trim on the shirts, dresses and aprons. Jewelry includes beaded necklaces, earrings, medallions, collar necklaces and a silver or beaded comb. Multicolor ribbons hang down from the waist on one side of the beaded belt on men and from the back collar on women. The ribbons can represent different things. Many wear them to honor the four directions or the four seasons.

The Choctaws’ unique relationship to the earth and nature is reflected in the social dances that have been performed for centuries. Often, the dances imitate playful characteristics of animals such as raccoons, turtles or ducks. The lively and fun raccoon dance copies the actions of raccoons as they chase each other through cornfields. The dancers form a circle and at the increase of pitch in the chanter’s voice, the dancers stop and a female runs as the male follows, trying to tag her with a soft touch on the shoulders. Once tagged, the female turns to chase and tag the other “raccoon” and then they return to the circle as it moves counterclockwise. At the next change in pitch, it is another couple’s turn.

Several dances will be highlighted during the classes on Feb. 6 including the raccoon dance, wedding dance, snake dance and friendship dance. It will be a great opportunity to experience an important facet of the Choctaw people.

Heritage Mondays are just one example of the resurgence of interest in cultural skills and the history of the tribe. Classes continue to be held for language, basket weaving, pottery, beading and more. For additional information on the culture of the Choctaw Nation log on to www.choctawnation.com or www.choctawnationculture.com.

Choctaw Nation holds appreciation luncheon for sheriffs departments, district drug courts

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:18:11 GMT

An opportunity to discuss county issues arose during a luncheon for sheriffs departments and drug courts held by the Choctaw Nation. Pictured are Justin Humphrees, Councilman Anthony Dillard, Judge Richard Branan, Chief Gregory E. Pyle, Councilman James Frazier and Billy Stephens, senior director of Choctaw Nation’s Children and Family Services. Humphrees and Branan work with the Atoka County Drug Court.

Choctaw Nation holds appreciation luncheon for sheriffs departments, district drug courts

By LISA REED Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma

The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma held a luncheon Jan. 24 in Durant for representatives from all of the sheriffs departments and district drug courts in southeast Oklahoma in appreciation of all that they do.

“I admire them for their hard work,” Chief Gregory E. Pyle said. “What they face is so different from 20 or 30 years ago. Kids, especially, are having problems we never dreamed of when I was young. Our partnership with the county law enforcement and drug courts is longstanding and valuable in making southeast Oklahoma a safer place to live.”

The Choctaw Nation makes an annual donation of $5,000 to each of the entities to assist in their efforts.

With the donation, the sheriffs departments are able to purchase additional equipment such as light bars or walkie-talkies for the officers that can be very important in ensuring their safety while on the job.

Sheriffs departments benefitting include those in Bryan, Pittsburg, Pushmataha, McCurtain, LeFlore, Latimer, Hughes, Haskell, Atoka, Coal and Choctaw counties.

Drug courts in seven counties – Bryan, Pushmataha, Atoka, Choctaw, Poteau and McCurtain – also received a donation. The help with supplemental funding allows many of them to purchase much-needed office equipment and has also made the difference in being able to hire personnel.

This is the first year the tribe has held a luncheon for the agents.

“It was an informative meeting,” Chief Pyle said. “We had the opportunity to visit with several of the men and women, one-on-one, about issues in their county. They have a positive impact on our daily lives of which we are often unaware.”

To better protect and serve: Choctaw Nation Public Safety gets upgrades in the new year

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:06:12 GMT

The Choctaw Nation SWAT team in front of the new Public Safety office before another intense day of training.

To better protect and serve: Choctaw Nation Public Safety gets upgrades in the new year

By BRET MOSS Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma

Great strides have recently been made for the Choctaw Nation Public Safety Department. With new equipment, facilities and access to quicker information, Public Safety is better prepared than ever to serve and protect the people of the Choctaw Nation.

To kick off 2012, the administration of the Public Safety moved into the former Durant Head Start building, which has been renovated to make excellent office space for those housed at the Tribal Headquarters.

“We are extremely excited,” declared Executive Director of Public Safety John Hobbs, whose office is in the new facility. The older space was cramped with not enough storage space, but now “we can feel comfortable and not have to share desks,” he continued.

The new offices are not the only aspect adding excitement to the new year, Tribal Police now have access to the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Telecommunication System (OLETS). This is a system that has, until now, been predominantly available to state agencies.

OLETS will allow officers to contact Choctaw Nation 24-hour dispatch who can quickly check information on vehicle tags, drivers licenses, warrants, check for stolen items and criminal histories, along with many facts that will be helpful to officers in the field.

“In the past, we had to rely on the local law enforcement agencies,” stated Hobbs as he recalled the process prior to OLETS. The Choctaw officers would have to dial the local dispatch via cell phone and have them search the OLETS data, putting extra work on the local law enforcement, and adding time to traffic stops.

With the system in place, the Choctaw Police can be reliant on the Choctaw dispatch, giving them more speed and safety in situations, as well as relieving the local dispatch from extra duties.

Choctaw Public Safety Dispatch has 12 certified operators who are the only personnel who may access OLETS. They are housed in the Casino and Resort in Durant and are supervised by the Choctaw Nation Security division of the Public Safety Department led by Scott Harper.

With OLETS access in place, Hobbs and the rest of Public Safety have now set their sights on a radio system for officers out of range of the dispatch. Officers stationed outside radio range of dispatch still need to use cell phones to call for OLETS information.

From a safety standpoint, ”If we have an officer wounded, it is easier for him to key a radio and call for help than to start trying to dial a number,” stated Hobbs as he discussed the benefits of a nationwide radio.

Officers within range of local law enforcement can already radio the closest department if they are in immediate need. When help is needed, a cross-deputization agreement allows local police to interact in Choctaw Nation affairs and vice-versa. “They are right there beside us to help us and back us up,” said Hobbs.

Even with local support on standby, the Choctaw Nation officers need to have a quick connection to other Choctaw police, and because of this, the Public Safety Department is working on an innovative way to get them connected.

Conventional radio requires many repeater towers to relay signals over large areas such as the 10.5 counties of the Choctaw Nation. This hardware would be physically and financially unfeasible. For this reason, the Public Safety is working to set up an IP radio system.

This system will broadcast over the Internet, which will allow signal to travel much further and be broadcast at the nearest repeater to the recipient. The radio system will first be in place in the hotspots, such as hospitals, casinos and schools.

Public Safety is not only improving its ability to protect and serve, but also helping others. One way will be some members of public safety participating in the Polar Plunge, which is to be held Feb. 4, 2012, at the Oasis located in the Durant resort. The Polar Plunge is an event where individuals jump into water during one of the coldest months of the year to raise money for Special Olympics.

The Choctaw Nation DARE officer is also increasing his impact with the Choctaw people by taking on more schools to finish out the year. Latimer County was without a DARE officer to finish the school year, but Tribal DARE officer Isaac James stepped in to make sure the children received their full education on such an important subject. He now covers Clayton, Haileyville, Red Oak, Buffalo Valley, Wilburton and Panola.

Other notable facts about the Public Safety Department include the Bike Patrol at the Durant, Grant and Pocola casinos. These are security personnel who are certified by International Police Mountain Bike Association (IPMBA), an organization that trains bike police all over the world.

These security guards patrol the large parking lots of the casinos to make sure patrons are not only safe inside the building, but outside as well. “It’s not a second-rate course… it’s the exact same course any police officer goes to,” said Hobbs as he explained how the security officers receive the same training as the police.

IPMBA teaches how to use the bike as a defensive weapon, stop the bike without putting feet down, maneuver in extremely tight areas and even how to crash properly.

One of the most exciting, but little known aspects of Choctaw Nation Public Safety is the SWAT team. It is comprised of 10 men - four firearms instructors, two are defensive tactics instructors and two certified snipers.

Though they have not had to respond to a call to date, they stand prepared for any situation that has escalated beyond the equipment and training of a standard law enforcement agency. These men are 10 of the 31 tribal police officers, who are always ready to assemble in case of an emergency.

They received their basic SWAT training at Sothern Methodist University in Dallas a little over a year ago and have been regularly training ever since. They are constantly being trained to use special equipment, weapons and tactics

Hobbs acts not only as the executive director of the department, but the SWAT team commander. “I do everything they do,” said Hobbs as he spoke of the intense training the team undergoes. He has two team leaders under his command in case the team needs to split during a mission.

This team is relatively new, but is constantly bettering themselves. They are equipped with everything they need to deal with high-risk situations, such as thermal and night vision, gas masks and suppressed fully automatic weapons.

One of the greatest assets the team has is its knowledge of Choctaw Nation facilities. “They know our buildings, where outside agencies won’t,” added Harper. This will allow them to plan their moves in a quick and efficient manner.

"To Bridge A Gap" conference to be held April 2-5

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 07:49:11 GMT

Complete Information to conference

The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma will be hosting the 11th Annual “To Bridge A Gap” Conference, in collaboration with the National Forest Service.

This conference is designed to strengthen Government-to-Government relationships between federal/state agencies, and federally-recognized Tribes with interests in our Forests. The Forest Service and Tribal Governments have a desire and obligation to establish Government-to-Government relationships where there are mutual interests in managing the cultural and natural resources of the Forests. In November of 2009, President Obama issued a White House Memorandum on Tribal Relations.

The To Bridge A Gap Conference is a wonderful opportunity to discuss tribal relations and cultural preservation issues, and participate with others whom are dedicated to improving this relationship.

What's Cookin' with Carmen?

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:03:28 GMT

Carmen holds her dessert of the day, brownies made with black beans. By rinsing and pureeing the beans, their taste is disguised while their benefits for helping maintain healthy blood sugar remain in full. She also prepared pot roast and biscuits containing sweet potatoes, creating a full meal with a short preparation time of only 45 minutes.

What’s Cookin’ with Carmen?

By BRET MOSS Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma

The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma (CNO) Food Distribution has made many efforts in recent years to improve the health of its members and employees. From cooking videos and health brochures, to health fairs and 5k runs, CNO is highly invested in the well being of its people.

One of the most effective assets CNO has in this initiative is a highly energetic woman with a love for her profession named Carmen Robertson, who is most known for her work doing an event at the four food distribution centers around the Choctaw Nation called Cooking with Carmen.

Cooking with Carmen is a four-hour educational event, occurring from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., eight times each month, twice at each distribution center. There are distribution centers in Antlers, Durant, McAlester and Poteau.

At these events, Carmen will take a common recipe she has modified to include healthy alternatives to substitute for some of the unhealthy original ingredients and demonstrate how to prepare it to perfection. She will sometimes even cook her original recipes she has concocted with creativity and experimentation.

She always cooks a full meal, including side dishes and desserts. All the meals have low/no sugar content and are fat free. She uses recipes likely to expand the palette of those attending without using hard to find or expensive ingredients.

By showing her audience, which usually consists of about 30 or 40 people, how to prepare the common commodities they already have in a healthy way, she hopes to make eating healthy an everyday occurrence for the Choctaw people.

When developing and preparing meals at her cooking events, Carmen sticks to three main points. She wants all meals to be quick, easy and inexpensive. She believes if she sticks to these criteria, people will be more apt to attempt these recipes on their own.

Carmen believes just teaching healthy cooking and eating habits is not enough. “A lot of them will not try a recipe if they haven’t tasted it. So I have been trying to introduce different types of food and ways to prepare it,” said Carmen as she explained the importance of tasting a new recipe.

While she is cooking, she is also taking questions from the audience and educating them on the nutritional aspects and the effects different foods have on the body. It has become common for her to take mailing and email addresses so she can modify recipes by request.

Three of the four distribution centers are equipped with a full kitchen allowing her to simulate a common setting for the average audience member. The ingredients and utensils used on the set are those most familiar to the largest portion of the audience.

Carmen not only teaches at the Cooking with Carmen events, but plays a role in the Cooking with Council videos produced by the Lifetime Legacy staff, the Going Lean Team, health events at the wellness centers and after-school specials.

She deems working with the kids at the schools and the younger generation of the utmost importance. She knows if she can spark healthy lifestyles in them, those ways will be instilled for a lifetime and hopefully passed on to generations to come.

“In order to stop the childhood obesity, we’ve got to hit these young mothers, and that’s what I’m trying to do,” said Carmen as she explained how health issues in children are a serious problem she would like to see subside in the near future. By teaching young parents to prepare foods with a knowledge of the effects each dish has on a person, particularly the children, she hopes to stop bad habits before they even begin.

Carmen is not only equipped with the knowledge of recipes and nutrition, her expertise is reinforced with experience. She grew up in the small town of Opal, Wyo. with a large family. She mentioned the winter the snow would make it hard for people to get groceries and they would have just one bag for a long period of time.

She and her family would make bread and other dishes from scratch, can food and grow produce. At her young age, she learned how to create meals with various ingredients and be creative with her combinations.

She graduated from Kimmerer High School in 1989 and moved to Oklahoma in 1999. She worked as a phlebotomist, drawing blood and working in a lab when she first arrived. She eventually went to work for the OSU Extension Office in Atoka. “We would go into the homes and I would teach low income families basic nutrition and different life skills,” said Carmen as she explained her beginnings in the art of food demonstration.

Many of the commodities she used to cook came from the CNO distribution center, which is how she got her connection to Lisa Mullens, director of Choctaw Nation Food Distribution. After 3.5 years with OSU, Lisa offered Carmen the job, and she began her work in 2007.

While she worked at the OSU office, Carmen struggled with a weight issue herself, weighing 325 pounds. As she taught people how to prepare nutritional meals, she made a commitment to practice what she preached, and in 15 months, she had lost 150 pounds.

She is sure this aspect of her life has helped her encourage, relate to, and better teach others about healthy choices. “It’s hard for somebody who has a weight issue to listen to somebody that never has… but when people know that I have been there, and done it, they want to know how I did it,” Carmen exclaimed.

Carmen has also recently earned her bachelor’s degree in Science, Nutrition and Dietetics from Kaplan University. What she learned through life experiences and her collegiate education combined with her general love for cooking and creativity in the kitchen make her well qualified to give health advice to anyone seeking a healthier way of life.

She teaches many things to those around her, one of which is the 28-Day Rule. It has been proven that a person can break a bad habit or create a new one after 28 consecutive days of committing an action. Carmen gives an example, saying if you ride your bike every day for 28 days in a row, it will become habit and therefore make it easier to ride daily.

The act of “eat less, more often,” she deems most important of all her advice. If you consume a small amount of calories on a usual basis, you keep your metabolism working regularly while keeping the over-eating and splurging at bay. She keeps a small amount of food on hand wherever she is to practice this act.

She also teaches that everyone eats with their eyes first. If food is made more appealing to the eyes, it is more likely the viewer will desire it. This is particularly true for children. This is something she practices with her 10-year-old daughter, Jeannie. The two will cook healthy dinners using different foods in creative and colorful designs to make healthy eating fun.

The act of eating in proportion to one’s activities for the day is also something she stresses. Carmen and Jeannie are regulars at a tae kwon do gym in Atoka. Carmen eats more whole grain carbohydrates for energy if she knows they will be doing a highly strenuous activity along with protein after, but a lighter meal if the exercise is of a lower difficulty.

Since finishing her education, Carmen now has more time to share her skills in the kitchen and plans to finish a cookbook, which is already under way, as well as increase her involvement in the education of healthy living. It is her hope to spread her knowledge and love of healthy lifestyles to not just Choctaw members, but to everyone she meets.

Adult Education program creating better opportunities for tribal members

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 08:26:18 GMT

Adult Education program creating better opportunities for tribal members

By CHRISSY DILL Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma

The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma is home to over 6,000 employees whose goal is to provide Choctaw members with helpful programs and departments that work to meet their various needs. The Adult Education program gives members the opportunity to further their education by earning their GED credentials.

The purpose of the Adult Education program is to improve educational and employment opportunities to any adult that possesses a CDIB card. “The program provides an opportunity for those adults who did not complete high school to acquire the basic educational and/or learning skills for functioning effectively in today’s changing world,” explained Adult Education Director Neal Hawkins.

The program began in 1993 when Joy Culbreath was asked by the Choctaw Nation to help build an adult education program, according to Hawkins. “She began the program as its only employee, doing everything from teaching GED classes to doing clerical work,” he said.

Since then, the program has gained more valuable help, now having three full-time employees and three part-time employees.

With the beneficial work these employees provide, Adult Education has gained much success throughout the years. “Since Chief Pyle took office in 1997, we have had over 1,000 students attain their GED diplomas through our program,” said Hawkins. “In the last three years, we have averaged between 140 to 150 students each year earn their GED credentials.”

According to Hawkins, GED classes are currently offered in Durant year-round and classes are offered every 13 weeks, alternated between McAlester, Poteau, Stigler, Wilburton, Hugo and Broken Bow; these classes are taught by Vicky Alford, Beth Lawless and Charles Thompson.

“We also have our Distance Learning classes taught by Martha Childs, which repeat every nine weeks at six of our community centers,” continued Hawkins. These centers include Atoka, Coalgate, Talihina, Smithville, Bethel and Wright City.

The Adult Education program received recognition two years ago for becoming the official GED test site for Bryan and Atoka counties. “This allows us to test our students immediately after concluding GED classes,” said Hawkins, explaining that, in the past, students would on occasion have to wait a month or two before they were able to find a test site that would be able to administer the GED test.

Now, Hawkins and his employees are allowed by the State Department of Education Lifelong Learning Program to travel throughout the Choctaw Nation and administer the test at several Choctaw Nation community centers and at the Eastern Oklahoma State College McAlester campus.

It is Hawkins responsibility as director to provide guidance to employees when questions or problems present themselves. He also performs clerical work, scheduling of tests, advertises upcoming classes, as well as many other jobs.

Hawkins acknowledged his employees as the motivation and real hard work behind the program. “The real contributions are made by the teachers that work day-to-day, teaching the students and providing counseling and tutoring to the students when needed,” said Hawkins.

“The teachers are the employees that make the program a success,” Hawkins continued. “If it wasn’t for their desire and care to see the students succeed, the program wouldn’t be what it is today.”

The Adult Education program has brought the Choctaw community opportunity to grow and excel even more than it already has and provides tribal members the chance to become more successful in their professional career. “When our students achieve their educational goals, they become more successful in acquiring better jobs and promotions, which enables them to increase their personal incomes, improving the lives of those students and their families,” said Hawkins. “Hopefully the children and other family members will realize the importance of an education and become role models for future generations.

“If our department can improve the life on one family, then we have been successful,” said Hawkins, “but if we can improve the lives of 140 to 150 students each year, then those families can make the Choctaw Nation a place where hope, pride and success are an everyday occurrence.”

If you are interested in enrolling in GED classes, you may contact Neal Hawkins at 580-924-8280, ext. 2319, or Kathy Springfield at ext. 2122.

Choctaw Nation to host E-Waste collection events

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 08:08:42 GMT

Choctaw Nation to host E-Waste collection events

The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma will be hosting two electronic waste (e-waste) collections this January in an effort to reduce the amount of reusable raw materials placed in landfills.

The first collection will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 14, at the Choctaw Nation Recycling Center, located at 3408 Wes Watkins Blvd. in Durant (north of the Choctaw Casino and Resort, off Enterprise Drive).

The second will be at the Choctaw Village Shopping Center at 1421 SE Washington in Idabel from 9 a.m. through 1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 21.

Each collection will allow those seeking to dispose of electronic waste to do so in an environmentally safe fashion. E-Waste is the most rapidly growing segment of the municipal waste stream. It is produced when electronic products from homes, schools, and businesses become obsolete or no longer functional and need to be discarded.

E-Waste contains many valuable, recoverable resources such as aluminum, copper, gold, silver, plastics and ferrous metals, all of which require considerable energy to process and manufacture. Recycling old, unwanted electronics conserves natural resources, helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pollution, and saves energy and raw material resources. Recycling also prevents the toxic chemicals found in electronic components (mercury, lead, cadmium, beryllium and chromium) from leaching into our soil when land filled.

In observance with these facts, the Choctaw Nation encourages everyone to take part in this environmentally conscious effort. “We are certainly happy to provide an opportunity for people to dispose of this type of waste. It is important that we not only advocate going green, but also facilitate the necessary actions to make a real difference, and that is what we are doing here,” said Chief Gregory E. Pyle.

Acceptable items for recycling include computers, laptops, fax machines, washers, dryers, gaming equipment, cell phones, hard drives ($20 fee to wipe memory), television sets, fitness equipment, auto batteries and anything else that runs on electricity.

To put things in perspective, Choctaw Nation Recycling would like everyone to remember that, “Recycling one million laptops saves the energy equivalent to the electricity used by 3,657 homes in the United States in a year. For every one million cell phones recycled 35,274 pounds of copper, 772 of silver, 75 of gold, and 33 of palladium can be recovered.”

For any questions about the E-Waste Collections, call 580.775.4231, or email thorst@choctawnation.com.

BOREN SECURES LANGUAGE FOR JONES ACADEMY

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 12:44:28 GMT

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, Congressman Dan Boren secured language in the Omnibus Appropriations bill that would reinstate Jones Academy, a Choctaw Nation school in Hartshorne, Oklahoma, to the Bureau of Indian Education (BIA) school system. This change will mean that Jones Academy is eligible for more federal funding. The bill passed the House by a bipartisan vote of 296 to 121.

In 1953, during a period of Tribal termination, many Native American schools, including Jones Academy, were removed from the Bureau of Indian Education school system. H.R. 2055 would allow the school to once again be a part of the BIE system, and receive the support this designation affords.

“Restoring Jones Academy to the BIA has been a priority of mine,” said Boren. “In the 1950s, our government instituted a program terminating tribes. It was repealed in 1970, but a consequence that still lingers today is the removal of Jones Academy from the Bureau of Indian Education. Allowing this school to again be a part of this program is an important step in keeping the promises we have made as a nation to our tribes”

“It is imperative to support Native American education,” continued Boren. “Tribal students have a dropout rate higher than any other racial or ethnic group in America. As a result, many of their languages and cultural traditions are beginning to disappear. Schools like Jones Academy, which teach tribal languages and craftsmanship, are working to reverse this trend.”

“Reinstating the Academic Program at Jones Academy will ensure that our students receive a complete academic education in a culturally rich setting,” said Choctaw Nation Chief Gregory E. Pyle.

Established in 1891 by the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, the school is located on a 540 acre campus five miles northeast of Hartshorne, In the past, the school has enrolled students from 29 different tribes. Students come from parts of Oklahoma, Texas, Mississippi, New Mexico, Nevada, South Dakota, and several other states. Each student is a member of a federally recognized Indian tribe.

Durant Choctaw Casino KOA receives top service scores

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 09:41:21 GMT

Charlie Tyree, right, manager of the Durant/Choctaw Casino KOA, is congratulated on his top service scores by Dr. Kevin Freiberg, one of the nation’s top customer service experts. Freiberg was a speaker at the KOA International Convention in November in Las Vegas.

Durant Choctaw Casino KOA receives top service scores

The Choctaw Casino KOA Campground in Durant was recently recognized for receiving the top customer service scores in the 488-park Kampgrounds of America system in North America.

The Choctaw Casino KOA, owned and operated by the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, is managed by Charlie Tyree.

Tyree was recognized as receiving one of the top three customer service scores in the KOA system during the annual Kampgrounds of America International Convention last month in Las Vegas, Nev.

Each year, more than 200,000 KOA campers provide extensive feedback surveys regarding their stays at each KOA campground. Those scores provide the basis for KOA’s annual President’s and Founder’s Awards. The Choctaw Casino KOA received both of those honors for its performance in 2011.

Kampgrounds of America, founded on the banks of the Yellowstone River in Billings, Montana in 1962, is now the world’s largest system of open-to-the-public family campgrounds. KOA has 475 locations in the United States and Canada.

Corps of Engineers, Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations enter study agreement

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 13:15:43 GMT

TULSA – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District and the Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations recently entered into an agreement to develop the first phase of Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations Regional Water Plan.

This science-based regional water plan will assess the water resources of the Nations’ treaty territory, an area that roughly covers the 22 counties of southeastern and south central Oklahoma.

The plan is designed to develop strategies for the sustainable management of the region’s water resources by considering current and future water needs as well as the condition and adequacy of infrastructure throughout the region.

The $180,000 cost of the study is federally authorized through the Planning Assistance to States and Tribes program and will be shared equally between the Corps of Engineers and the two Nations.

“We are proud to partner for the first time with the Chickasaw and Choctaw Nations,” said Col. Michael Teague, Tulsa District commander. “Our goals of environmental stewardship and sustainability are very closely aligned and we look forward to a continued partnership.”

The first phase of the study will focus on developing methods to evaluate in-stream flows and infrastructure.

A panel of scientists selected by the Nations natural resources committee from federal agencies, academia and other highly qualified individuals will conduct the study of in-stream flow.

“It is envisioned that the recommended methodology will be used to establish minimum stream flow levels necessary for highly valued water supply and hydropower,” said Cynthia Kitchens, tribal liaison and project manager for the Corps of Engineers. “But just as important, these flows will help sustain natural resources, cultural, and recreational needs that are also extremely important to the Nations and the region for economic as well as other reasons.”

The infrastructure assessment methodology will be developed to determine data gathering procedures that will help regionalize and prioritize improvements to aging infrastructures.

“This can be challenging when you consider gathering data from tribes, municipalities, counties, rural water districts, and others who employ a multitude of consultants,” Kitchens said. “This phase of the study will identify how to gather data and what data should be obtained. The results will have broad reaching impacts within the region and the Nations.”

The first phase of the study is expected to be completed in summer 2012.