The Choctaw Nation will always protect the right of our sovereignty and self-empowerment – a right that our ancestors fought and died for in order that our nation would live on.
The Choctaw Nation is governed by the Choctaw Nation Constitution, which was ratified by the people on June 9, 1984. Forty years ago, this month the approval or ratification of the constitution provided for an executive, a legislative and a judicial branch of government. The chief of the Choctaw Nation is elected every four years, Tribal Council members are elected from single-member districts for four-year terms. The legislative authority of the tribe is vested in the Tribal Council, which consists of 12 members, one for each of the 12 districts across our reservation.
That important June date in the history of the Choctaw Nation should always be remembered as the day we came together as a tribe and forged our modern government. Our tribal members, leadership and elders united and instituted laws that would forever steer the tribe to our modern government that would create paths for the accomplishments that we enjoy today as Chahta.
Some other noteworthy dates to consider in the creation of the government of the Choctaw Nation, include:
- In 1860, the foundation of our current Choctaw Constitution was written and filed with the federal government.
- In 1971, the U.S. Congress restored the right of the Five Tribes to democratically elect their own chief.
- In 1978, the General Council was formed to help create a new Choctaw constitution. The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma was adopted as the tribe’s official name.
- In 1979, a group was working toward writing a new constitution when a separate group filed a lawsuit to re-establish the 1860 constitution.
- In 1981, the Federal court ruled that the 1860 Choctaw Constitution was still valid.
- In 1983, the final (and current) constitution was written to comply with an order by a district judge in Washington, D.C., to merge the 1979 and 1860 constitutions. Among other things, this constitution changed the blood quantum requirements and gave women the right to vote.
- After the constitution was written, it was approved by voters in 1983 and is the document the Choctaw Nation uses today.
- Until 1983, Choctaw government consisted of just the chief…The Chief had an office with a part-time secretary in the old federal building at Third and Evergreen in Durant. After receiving a grant, he was able to hire Harry Caudell from the Talihina area as Assistant Chief. That made up the entire government of the Choctaw Nation.
- On June 9, 1984, the Choctaw Constitution was ratified by the Choctaw people.
Our Choctaw Constitution cemented the power of our sovereignty and identity after the federal government attempted to eradicate the tribes from the 1880s to the 1950s. Essentially, the 1860 Constitution survived that entire historical period, and was updated and implemented in its current form in 1983. The works of our ancestors, who battled for their rights as Choctaw and as U.S. Citizens, should always be remembered and glorified in our history. The Choctaw Constitution is a stark reminder of the resiliency, fight and work of our Tushka Warrior ancestors that came before us and their battle for our rights as a sovereign nation and self-empowered tribe.
The rights you have today as Choctaw tribal members came from the struggles that our ancestors battled to safeguard our survival and ensure that Chahta had a better life than they had. The sacrifices made have given us a brighter future for the Choctaw Nation.
Yakoke and God Bless!
Chahta Okla yvt pi kucha pehlichi iksho anonti ila tohnuchi vlhpesa ya atukkuchi billia chi – pim okla yvt okchayvt maya chi ka pi hattak tikba yvt vlhpesa ma im ittibit illi tok.
Bissa Hvshi nittak chakkali, tahlepa sipokni achvffa, tahlepa chakkali, pokoli untuchina akucha ushta ash okla yvt Chahta Okla Anumpa Vlhpisa ya ahlichi tok o yvmmak osh Chahta Okla pehlichi. Afvmmi pokoli ushta kash anumpa vlhpisa ahlichi yvt apehlicheka pehlichi, anumpa vlhpisa ikbi, anonti vlhpesa filvmmi im atahli tok. Afvmmi ushta aiyukak ma Chahta Okla i miko yvt vlhtuka, Okla Aianumpuli ibafoka vhleha yvt ulhti ibafoka-achvffa aminti yosh afvmmi-ushta aivhli vlhtuka. Okla im anumpa vlhpisa ikbi vlhtuka yvt Okla Aianumpuli fokka, yvmmak osh ibafoka awah tuklo, achvffa hosh pi yakni ilatomba ya ulhti awah tuklo aiyukalit aminti.
Chahta Okla hopaki isht anumpa ya Bissa Hvshi nittak na fehna ma il ikhaiyana billia he tuk. Nittak yvmma, okla hvpia kvt il ittahoba cha pi himak apehlicheka il ikbi tok. Pim okla ibafoka vhleha, pehlichi vhleha, anonti asvnonchi vhleha yvt ibafoka cha anumpa kvllo hiohlichi tok. Anumpa kvllo yvmmvt okla ya pi himak apelicheka imma pehlichi billia hinla tok. Vlhtaha i hinushi ikbi toka himak nittak a Chahta hvpia kvt e pisa.
Nittak ahalaia inla yosh Chahta Okla apehlicheka toba ya akostininchit aieninchi:
- Tahlepa sipokni achvffa, tahlepa untuchina, pokoli hannali ash pi Chahta Anumpa Vlhpisa im ai isht awechi yvt holisso cha apehlicheka okla ahalaia abafokvt holisso takalichi tok.
- Tahlepa sipokni achvffa, tahlepa chakkali, pokoli untuklo akucha achvffa ash, United States Congress vt Okla Tahlapi ya i miko ittilauichi hosh atokoli vlhpesa falvmmichi tok.
- Tahlepa sipokni achvffa, tahlepa chakkali, pokoli untuklo akucha untuchina ash, Aianumpuli Moma Chohmi vt toba cha Chahta Anumpa Vlhpisa himona apelachit ikbit tok. The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma ako okla i hohchifo holittopa aiokpvchi tok.
- Tahlepa sipokni achvffa, tahlepa chakkali, pokoli untuklo akucha chakkali ash, lukoli yvt anumpa vlhpisa himona holissocha chi hosh imma toksvlih ma, lukoli ilabika yvt tahlepa sipokni achvffa, tahlepa untuchina, pokoli hannali anumpa vlhpisa falvmmichi ya akaniohmi vlhpesa holisso takalichi tok.
- Tahlepa sipokni achvffa, tahlepa chakkali, pokoli untuchina akucha achvffa ash, tahlepa sipokni achvffa, tahlepa untuchina, pokoli hannali Chahta Anumpa Vlhpisa yvt ahli moma ka Okla Ahalaia nan apesa binili yvt apesa tok.
- Tahlepa sipokni achvffa, tahlepa chakkali, pokoli untuchina akucha tuchina ash, anumpa vlhpisa isht aiopi (micha himak) vt holisso cha, Washington, D. C. nan apesa im aiyvmohmi aiahlichi kvt tahlepa sipokni achvffa, tahlepa chakkali, pokoli untuklo akucha chakkali im anumpa vlhpisa micha tahlepa sipokni achvffa, tahlepa untuchina, pokoli hannali im anumpa vlhpisa ya ibafohki tok. Anumpa vlhpisa ilvppvt issish kashkoa aivlhtokowa inlachi tok, micha ohoyo vhleha ya atokoli vlhpesa imissa tok.
- Anumpa vlhpisa yvt holissoh ma, tahlepa sipokni achvffa, tahlepa chakkali, pokoli untuchina akucha tuchina ash, atokoli vhleha yvt ahnichi tok a, himak nittak a, Chahta Okla yvt holisso pa nana kanihchi.
- Tahlepa sipokni achvffa, tahlepa chakkali, pokoli untuchina akucha tuchina takla Chahta apehlicheka yvt miko illa ishi tok…. Durant anukaka okla ahalaia aboha sipokni anuka ya Miko yvt atoksvli i talaya tok. Iskvli hvlbina ishih mvt, Harry Caudell, Talihina aminti, ya Miko Apelvchi tohno tok. Yvmmvt Chahta Okla im apehlicheka mominchit tobachi tok.
- Bissa Hvshi nittak chakkali, tahlepa sipokni achvffa, tahlepa chakkali, pokoli untuchina akucha ushta ash, Chahta okla yvt Chahta Anumpa Vlhpisa ahlichi tok.
Tahlepa sipokni achvffa, tahlepa untuchina, pokoli untuchina hiket tahlepa sipokni achvffa, tahlepa chakkali, pokoli tahlapi ona ka apehlicheka okla ahalaia yvt okla vhleha ya lobvffi ilahobbi tok i himmak a pi Chahta Anumpa Vlhpisa yvt pi kucha pehlichi iksho anonti pim isht oktvni isht aiahli ya akmochi tok. Tahlepa sipokni achvffa, tahlepa untuchina, pokoli hannali im Anumpa Vlhpisa yvt hopaki isht anumpa aivhli ma okchayvt hlopulli cha tahlepa sipokni achvffa, tahlepa chakkali, pokoli untuchina akucha tuchina ash himak holisso ya achukmalechit isht toksvli tok. Pi hattak tikba i toksvli yvt Chahta kvt im vlhpesa anonti United States ibafoka ya im ittibi tok a pi hopaki isht anumpa ya ikhaiyanvt e holitobla he tuk. Pim okla i kucha pehlichi iksho vlhpesa anonti ila tohnuchi im ittibi tok.
Himak nittak a, Chahta okla ibafoka hvpia kvt vlhpesa il ishi yvt pi hattak tikba im ittishi aminti. Pim okchayvt hlopulli atukkochi cha Chahta vhleha yvt okchaya achukma kvt ilap i shahla chi ka ahlichi tok. Isht aiokpvchi toba tok vt Chahta Okla ya pi himak pilla shohkalali i shahli pimissa hoke!
Yakoke anonti Chihowa hvt hvchi holitoblashke!
