Choctaw Cultural Center hosts community mudding

The Choctaw Cultural Center provided their annual opportunity to “mud” traditional winter home in November.

These homes, called chukkas, were traditionally insulated as the harsh winter months approached. Early Choctaws would gather clay, water, and hay/grass to make sticky mud that would bind between the wooden structure and insulate from the harsh winter weather.

“You have to get the mixture just right,” said Brenner Billy, Program Coordinator at the center. “If you have too much moisture, it won’t stick; if it’s not enough, it won’t bind, so we need to be the right consistency between the two…Once it dries, if it has too much water, it could crack too much and fall apart; if it’s not enough water, then it won’t bind with the hay and the sand.”

Visitors were offered the opportunity to mix the ingredients in large tubs, then take buckets of the mixture and fill the space between the logs of the chukka by hand. This process can get messy, but the kids who attended enjoyed it.

Stacey Fincher brought his family to the mudding event for the first time.

Fincher said he discovered his Choctaw heritage when he was 28 but hopes to learn more and show his children about the Choctaw culture at a younger age.

“Finally getting to be a part of something that is bigger than myself, so spreading this culture to my family is something that is going to be important to be moving forward,” said Fincher.

According to Fincher, his kids attended the powwow this year and continued practicing the dances they saw.

Fincher says it’s crucial for opportunities to experience the Choctaw culture to continue.

“If we continue to do stuff like this and show how Choctaws have really cared about their people…If we can spread that outward, hopefully, it will instill a better mentality to really care about others,” he said.

Patricia Wood also attended the event for the first time.

Stacey Fincher loads a bucket with the pre-mixed mud to place on the walls of the chukka.

Ezekiel Fincher presses a mixture of clay, wa- ter, and hay/grass onto a traditional Choctaw home to insulate it from the coming winter weather.

Photos by Christian Toews

Wood said it means a lot to her as a Choctaw that the cultural center offers opportunities to explore her culture.

According to Wood, it helps her feel connected to the past and reminds her of what her ancestors used to do.

“I really enjoy it. It’s neat because we get to be hands-on and learn how to do this,” she said.

Many Choctaw Cultural Center visitors watched and participated in the mudding event on November 12, 2023.

“We have had an even bigger turnout than last year, and we plan to continue to add more opportunities in the coming years,” said Billy.

To learn about all the upcoming events at the Choctaw Cultural Center visit their website.

Photo by Christian Toews<br>Lilly Fincher washes her hands after working on mudding a traditional chukka.