Choctaw women’s veteran group, Tvshka Ohoyo Alliance unveiled

According to the May 2011 Iti Fabvssa, in 1541, during a battle between the ancestors of today’s Choctaw people and an army of Spanish Conquistadors led by Hernando De Soto, the women picked up their fallen husbands’ and fathers’ weapons after most of the Choctaw warriors had fallen. They fought the Spanish to the death rather than give up their liberty and honor. To this day, the Choctaw war dance, unlike those of many other tribes, involves women as well as men.

Choctaw women (ohoyo) have a long history of serving their family and tribe in whatever way they’re called to. For many, that way has been through military service. These ohoyo veterans made many of the same sacrifices and had to face much of the same trauma as male veterans, but are not always looked upon as the same.

Today, ohoyo make up 11.3% of the Native American veteran population (about 20,000), a higher percentage than ohoyo in all demographics.

The Choctaw Warrior Wellness program recognized that these ohoyo veterans needed their own place to be together. To address this need, several ohoyo veterans have gotten together to create the Tvshka Ohoyo (Women Warrior) Alliance.

Courtney Trent, With the Warrior Wellness Program, said, “Tvshka Ohoyo Alliance is a remarkable experience of women coming together to create a safe place of healing…The creation of this sisterhood of women speaks to the heart of what it means to be Choctaw and ohoyo.”

Monica Brooks, a member of the Tvshka Ohoyo Alliance, said, “When we separate from the military, sometimes it seems like it’s hard to find your group again. When you’re on active duty or in boot camp, you find people you mesh well with, but when you get out, sometimes you feel lost because you’ve lost those connections. So, this improves our mental health, builds camaraderie, brings us closer to our culture, and creates a greater sense of self.”

Another member of the alliance, Sandra Stroud, said, “Whenever we come together, there’s laughter, and in laughter, there’s healing in sharing stories, whether they’re good stories or bad stories.”

If you were to stand outside of a Tvshka Ohoyo Alliance meeting and hear the laughing and joking, you might not realize the healing from some of those bad stories that’s taking place. Sharing those stories with peers is just one step in beginning to heal.

Veteran distress increased from fall 2019 to fall and winter 2020, with evidence of the highest increases in distress among Veterans aged 18 to 44 years old and among women veterans.

Mental health, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), is an ongoing struggle for veterans. There are several causes of PTSD among veterans; combat, losing others, training and Military Sexual Trauma (MST) are just a few.

There are a staggering number of female veterans with PTSD. A significant contributor to this is MST, with 1 in 3 female service members reporting these experiences during their military service.

“Part of our task that we’re charged with for this grant is reducing suicide rates. We know that 11.3% of the Native American veteran population is made up of ohoyo. So, a big part of that is us really acknowledging that we want to increase awareness about suicide prevention and provide support for our native ohoyo veterans,” said Trent.

The camaraderie and friendship that the members of the Tvshka Ohoyo Alliance gain are just one step in improving the mental health of its members.

According to Stroud, seeing all these ohoyo at the unveiling of the alliance means a lot to her.

“It means we came together to heal, share, love, and grow,” said Stroud. “We’re still serving; we’re still doing our best to ensure that our community is healthy.”

Brooks was proud of the moment, being led in by a drum and the ohoyo’s stickball team.

“I was emotional from the moment I walked in the door; there’s been so much love and healing in this… this has been an incredible honor. And the tribe and the program have been so, so good to us. Anytime we’re together, it’s a huge blessing,” said Brooks.

If you’re a veteran who’s struggling, you can get immediate support through the Veterans Crisis Line: Caring, qualified Veterans Crisis Line responders are available 24/7/365 to provide support for Veterans at acute risk for suicide and for those calling on behalf of a Veteran. Dial 988 and Press 1, text to 838255, or chat online.

For more information on the Tvshka Ohoyo Alliance, call 918-302-0052.

Photo by Chris Jennings

Sandra Stroud speaks to the audience during the unveiling of the Tvshka Ohoyo Alliance. Be- hind her are the other members of the alliance.

Photo by Chris Jennings

The blue skirt pays homage to Little Blue Hen, a story of resilience shared by Stroud. The red lining at the bottom represents the ancestral blood shared with survivors. The red ribbon at the beginning acknowledges the past. The black ribbon represents the traumas experienced. The blue ribbons represent the resolve to overcome those traumas, with the lightening of the blues representing the continued work and healing of those traumas. The white ribbon represents the hopes and dreams for future generations. The final red ribbon represents the hope to share the stories and connection to the culture and ancestors of those who wear the ribbon skirt.