I hope you all had a safe holiday season and a happy New Year. Last year was one for the books. No one could have prepared us for what 2020 brought us. When I first took the oath of office in 2014, I said that there is nothing that will hold us back if we stand together. I still believe that today. Our ancestors knew how important it was to stick together, and that’s what helped them survive the Trail of Tears and prosper in their new home. There’s no doubt this year has been challenging. We’ve battled for our sovereignty over our gaming rights, we’ve mourned the loss of our family and friends due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But every time we’ve faced a difficult situation, we’ve worked together to do what’s right for Choctaws and our communities. I’m so proud of the relationships we’ve built and continued over this past year. Though times were rough, God has still blessed us.

I’m proud to say that we experienced no gaps in services to our tribal members throughout the global pandemic. The Choctaw Nation was able to continue operations without laying off or furloughing associates. Choctaw Nation frontline employees worked hard to ensure essential services and that the Nation could still operate during the shutdown. Our travel plazas, country markets, community centers, food distribution centers, clinics and the Poteau Prescription Refill Center all remained open with associate volunteers’ support. A total of 716 staff members volunteered 5,498 hours during the pandemic response. We are truly blessed to have such caring and loving people working for the Choctaw Nation. I am so proud and thankful to our associates for showing the true meaning of the Chahta spirit this past year.

Our goal was to help as many Choctaws as possible with our CARES Act funding during the pandemic. All CARES programs closed Nov. 30. Choctaw Nation received 141,785 total applications for $70 million in funds. Of that funding, 29% went to food programs, 24% for student assistance, 20% for student technology, 13% for employment income support, 8% for childcare support, and the remainder went to small business and housing support.

We also accomplished another mission to keep providing essential food services.

Our Food Distribution Program staff created a drive-thru curbside service for the safety of clients, staff and volunteers. Volunteers also provided food delivery services to tribal elders by helping package groceries or delivering food to elders waiting in their cars. Through these services, a total of 2395 households were served per month; 7854 family members were served per month; and the total food value per month was $296,649. Also, the Summer Food Service Program distributed 71,000 meals. Our Senior Nutrition Program provided Native American elders aged 55 and older a weekly meal, except for Talihina, which serves five meals per week. Getting food to our members wasn’t our only concern in 2020, however. We wanted to help those living in our surrounding communities as well. We partnered with Walmart to provide thousands of pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables to CDIB cardholders throughout southeastern Oklahoma.

Throughout the year, the Choctaw Nation won several prestigious awards. The Choctaw Nation Recycling Center was awarded Level I, Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher Award, the highest-level recognition a community can receive under the Oklahoma Clean Community Program. The Choctaw Nation Health Services Authority Talihina Hospital was awarded a five-star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. This award placed the hospital in the top 8% of the nation’s major health care programs, based on a patient satisfaction survey called the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems given to all patients during the 2019 calendar year. CNHSA also received two Outstanding Service Awards during the National Indian Health Board (NIHB) Heroes in Health Awards Gala recently. The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma’s Division of Strategic Development received four awards from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). Our yearlong U.S. Census campaign was awarded the top prize for community relations by the Public Relations Society of America, Dallas Chapter. These are just a few examples of recognition that the Choctaw Nation and our programs received this year. I am so proud of the hard work and determination our associates put in year after year.

I was only able to mention a few of the great things we were able to achieve in 2020, but there are many more. You can find more highlights of the past year on page one of this month’s issue of the Biskinik.