Photo Provided by the Choctaw Cultural CenterChoctaw Cultural Center staff accepts Top Ten Model Museum honors at the recent 2022 International Conference of Indigenous Archives, Libraries, and Museums in California.
Top Ten Museum Status Awarded to Choctaw Cultural Center
Published December 5, 2022
DURANT, Okla. – The Choctaw Cultural Center has been named a Top Ten Model Museum and cultural center staff members were on hand to accept the award at the 2022 International Conference of Indigenous Archives, Libraries, and Museums recently in Temecula, Calif.
The centers and museums selected served as models for the Culture Builds Communities Project sponsored by the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums.
“The Choctaw Cultural Center is grateful to accept the award as a Top Ten Model Museum,” said Seth Fairchild, executive director of Cultural Services for the Choctaw Nation. “Our Center was created to share the Chahta Nowvt Aya, the Choctaw Journey, and to honor our culture and people. For it to receive such a prestigious award is a testament to that vision and to everyone who worked on its development.”
Selected cultural center staff also served as co-presenters on conference panels and provided a virtual tour of the Choctaw facility to conference attendees. The virtual tour was accompanied by a presentation highlighting the process and design decisions made by planners.
The cultural center was named as the award recipient in 2019, but COVID delayed the center opening and the conference. The Choctaw Cultural Center, a 101,000 square-foot facility on 100 acres in the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Reservation, opened July 23, 2021.
The Choctaw Cultural Center is located at 1919 Hina Hanta Way, Durant. For information: 833-708-9582 or choctawculturalcenter.com.
About The Choctaw Nation
The Choctaw Nation is the third-largest Indian Nation in the United States with more than 225,000 tribal members and 12,000-plus associates. This ancient people has an oral tradition dating back over 13,000 years. The first tribe over the Trail of Tears, its historic reservation boundaries are in the southeast corner of Oklahoma, covering 10,923 square miles. The Choctaw Nation’s vision, “Living out the Chahta Spirit of faith, family and culture,” is evident as it continues to focus on providing opportunities for growth and prosperity.
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About The Choctaw Cultural Center
The Choctaw Cultural Center is dedicated to exploring, preserving, and showcasing the culture and history of the Choctaw people. The exhibits are immersive and told from the Choctaw perspective – honoring the physical and spiritual journey of the Choctaw people, the “Chahta Nvwat Aya”. Located in Durant, Oklahoma, the Choctaw Cultural Center includes over 100,000 square feet of rich, living exhibitions, a vast Living Village, classrooms, a theater, café and retail that combined, bring the Chahta spirit of faith, family and culture to life! For more information, visit choctawculturalcenter.com.