Wilson earns master’s from OU

Christopher Wilson received his master’s degree in History in May from The University of Oklahoma. His thesis, titled “Republic on the Red River,” covered the period from the Trail of Tears to the Civil War and documented the Choctaw transformation from a pre-colonial society to a modern republic. While the Tribe was in a time of political change, Wilson demonstrates how they retained their cultural identity: “History shows us that cultures and people adapt for their own survival, at times willingly, and others under threat of hostility: this does not mean they lose the inherent traits that make them who they are. The Choctaw people are one of the greatest examples of this principle in the modern era.”

Wilson is grateful to God for the strength to endure the long hours of dust-filled microfilm and migraines and to his family for always supporting him with care packages from home.

He is also appreciative of the Choctaw Nation’s Higher Education Program, which assisted him in his academic journey. Wilson will begin teaching History as an adjunct professor at Concordia University Irvine in January 2023.