Halito,
I hope everyone had a fun and safe Fourth of July. The day was beautiful, and it helped make the celebration of America’s 250th anniversary truly memorable.
On July 1, I had the pleasure of celebrating by hosting a Fourth of July Block Party at the Talihina Choctaw Community Center. The day was full of fun and fellowship, and I especially enjoyed getting to see, visit, and share a delicious hamburger with everyone. I can’t wait for next year.
While celebrating the 250th anniversary, I attended a Patriotic YMCA Skit on July 2 where some of the Choctaw Nation elders from Districts 3, 6, and 7 came together to put on a fantastic performance. I’d like to extend a yakoke to Pam Lewis for helping the elders decorate and participate in the show.
The Muscogee (Creek) Nation hosted the Quarterly Inter-Tribal Council Meeting on July 10. These meetings are crucial as they present opportunities for our Tribal Nations to come together to share and collaborate on how we can better serve our communities and citizens. Our Tribal Council Regular Session was held on July 11.
The morning was full of productive discussion, the celebration of our Choctaw language, and the recognition of special accomplishments of our Tribal members. The next Tribal Council Regular Session will be held on August 8th in Tuskahoma at 10 a.m. You can come in person or watch straight from home. Visit ChoctawNationOK on Youtube to watch the session live.
The Choctaw Nation youth stickball team, Tvshka Homma Himitta, competed in the World Series of Stickball in Mississippi on July 14 with an impressive 8-0 victory over Ittibatoli. The team advanced to the semifinals where they defeated Pearl River 3-2 in an exciting sudden-death finish. In only their second year of competing at this tournament, they fought their way to the Championship game and ended this year’s season as runners-up after a hard fought 3-2 game against Bok Chito. While it is not the outcome they hoped for, I am so proud of these kids because they played with heart, integrity, and determination. They never gave up, and I have full faith they have the drive and ability to bring home that championship drum.
With summer ending and school starting, I would like to take a moment to wish a successful school year. Whether you’re a parent sending your children off to school, a teacher welcoming new students, or a student starting a new year, going back to school can be a challenge. I wish you all good luck and a fantastic school year!
Don’t forget to mark your calendar for the Choctaw Labor Day Festival 2026 Tent Scramble on August 29! The gates will open at 10:00 a.m. at the Tuskahoma Capital Grounds for in-person tent campsite to begin. The festival will be held on September 4-6.
I hope you all have a great month and see you soon!
Yakoke,
Eddie Bohanan, District 3 Councilman
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