Chahta Tvshka’s Path has Led to Tribal Prominence

Halito,

Veterans Day is not only about history – it is about courage. It is about the strength of the soldier, the sailor, the airman, the marine, the guardian, who stood their post in the cold, the heat, the desert, and the jungle. It is about every person who chose duty over comfort and service over self.

The path of our Choctaw Warriors or Chahta Tvshka is sacred. Long before there was a United States, our ancestors defended their homes, their families, and their way of life. That spirit – of duty, protection, and sacrifice – lives on in every Chahta Tvshka veteran today.

Even when our U.S. citizenship was denied, even when our languages were banned and our ceremonies outlawed, Chahta stepped forward to serve. We did not fight out of obligation – we fought to protect the land, our people, and our way of life is what it means to be a Tvshka.

From the Code Talkers of World Wars I and II, who used our Choctaw language as unbreakable codes, to the Chahta Tvshka who fought in Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, Iraq, and Afghanistan – our tribe has shown that honor is not just spoken, it is lived.

Every Choctaw veteran carries the legacy of our ancestors – those who stood their ground so that future generations could stand here today. On this Veterans Day, we remember that freedom is not free – it is paid for in courage, in sacrifice, and in love for something greater than yourself.

We honor those who came home changed, and those who never came home at all. Let us also remember that healing is part of honor – that the Chahta Tvshka’s journey does not end when the uniform comes off. It continues in our communities, in ceremonies, and in the way we care for one another. It continues in the health of the Chahta Tvshka veteran who may require services after the battle has been won.

To all veterans, Yakoke Fehna. Your courage makes us stronger. Your service makes us free.

And to my Choctaw family in uniform – you carry the heartbeat of our people with you wherever you go. May we always walk the path of the Chahta Tvshka – with humility, respect, and honor. May we always remember the Chahta Spirit of Faith, Family and Culture that gives our great Choctaw Nation its path to a sovereign, free and self-empowered tribe.

Yakoke and God Bless the Choctaw Nation and the United States.