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Native Americans share ancestral stories, history, & culture. www.nativechoctalk.com
Episodes
Thursday Sep 01, 2022
Thursday Sep 01, 2022
It was the 1800s and the days of the old wild west. As more settlers inhabited our Choctaw peoples’ lands in Mississippi and later Indian Territory, laws had to be put in place to attempt to tame the incoming unknowns. But who would enforce these rules on Native lands?
Every story needs a hero, and in today’s episode, you’ll hear about our brave Choctaw heroes who rode through the pine wood forests of Mississippi, and later the rolling mountains of southeastern Indian Territory, protecting and serving their Choctaw communities. They were the Issuba Ominili Tvshka – the Choctaw Lighthorsemen - and they WERE the law of our Indian lands during those wild west years.
Many thanks to my award-winning guests, Historians Ryan Spring from Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and Tribal Policeman, Nick Wallace who delve into the worlds and history of these warriors on horses!
You’ll also get to hear excerpts from Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer’s book, “Traitors” from her Choctaw Tribune Series, Book 2 – thank you, Sarah.
Join us, as we honor and learn about these courageous Lighthorsemen and about some fascinating stories of the old wild west!
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Monday Jul 11, 2022
Monday Jul 11, 2022
He was raised in a home with no electricity and no running water on his family’s Indian allotment land in western Oklahoma – out where that bright red dirt could both stain your clothes and, in some ways, stir that Okie pride.
From red dirt, ancient village country living to Mechanical Engineer specializing in aerodynamics, my guest’s stories on this last episode of Season 2 do not disappoint! I’d like to introduce you to Phil Cross - a historian, lecturer, Caddo traditional songs and dances lead singer, author, drummer, woodworker, flute maker and much more. And may I also point out, he’s from my hometown of Anadarko, Oklahoma. (He gets extra points for that.)
In this episode you’ll hear about:
- How Phil’s dad was born on their allotment in western Oklahoma in a dug-out house
- How he’s one of the only remaining experts that can build a koo hoot kiwat (Caddo grass-thatched house)
- How his bow-and-arrow-making skills, using bodark wood (also known as Osage Orange)
- The Caddo’s Turkey Dance (in fact, you’ll also hear from Caddo, Lowell Edmonds on the subject as well)
- How his father played on the Haskell Indian football team
- Phil shares about his greatest regret and words of wisdom for young men
How Phil produced and wrote a documentary called “Disinherited: Caddo Indians Loss of their Homelands” about the removal of Caddos from their ancient homelands to their reservation in Oklahoma. - How he’s related to Jim Thorpe!
- The Caddo’s battles with the Osage
Yakoke, Phil for all your expertise and allowing us to learn more from you!
Native ChocTalk Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/nativechoctalkpodcast
All Podcast Episodes: https://nativechoctalk.com/podcasts/
Wednesday Jun 15, 2022
Wednesday Jun 15, 2022
The Trail of Tears. It’s the story of heartbreak and sorrow for those who didn’t survive, as well as for those who did. And for us as descendants of the survivors, when we hear the phrase, “Trail of Tears” we are immediately taken to a place of mourning for those who suffered. As much as there’s acknowledgement of this tragedy, there’s also hope and inspiration. This is truly the Choctaw way.
There’s not a more inspirational story recorded than that of those who observed the Choctaw as they tirelessly walked their long journey and were heard….singing! Yes, singing. Observers recounted how an unlikely sound could be heard sweeping through the trees - beautiful hymns, Choctaw hymns – breathed with passion, courage and nostalgia, all emanating from the weary travelers’ voices. How did they find this strength? How was it even possible to sing during the worst of times?
My guest today, Sarah De Herrera is on a mission in life to record all 163 Choctaw hymns in order to bring healing for generational trauma, channeling those hymns that were sung along the Trail of Tears and beyond.
You’ll love this episode, as you’ll not only hear Sarah singing some lovely songs (that you’ll recognize) in the Choctaw language, but you’ll also hear about:
- The life of a Choctaw princess – it’s not as easy as you may think!
- About the significance of a preacher named Cyrus Byington
- The story of her grandpa and the pucker-toed moccasins
- Interesting stories written about her ancestor, Willie Spring – you’re gonna love this!
Yakoke, Sarah!
Native ChocTalk Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/nativechoctalkpodcast
All Podcast Episodes: https://nativechoctalk.com/podcasts/
Tuesday Jun 14, 2022
Tuesday Jun 14, 2022
Last September, I stopped by Choctaw Nation Headquarters and enjoyed my conversation with Robert Baker, who contributes to our Choctaw language department on a daily basis.
In this episode with Robert, you’ll hear about:
• His great great grandfather, Ben Carterby, a Code Talker in World War 1
• How Choctaws played a big part in the War of 1812
• Robert’s war reenactments
• His experience playing stickball (you’ll find his life size photo in the First Americans Museum!)
• Interesting stories of Bokchito and Armstrong academy
• Robert reads a story he wrote in Choctaw called, “No Tail Raccoon” (you’ll love this)
Also, a special kudos to Robert’s aunt who made some beautiful earrings that he was able to give me – they’re beautiful!
By the way, would YOU like to take some Choctaw language classes? It’s a lot of fun and no cost. I usually do the Tuesday and Thursday evening classes. Click on this link to learn more.
https://choctawschool.com/classes/internet-classes.aspx
Yakoke, Robert for all you do and for sharing your interesting family stories!
Native ChocTalk Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/nativechoctalkpodcast
All Podcast Episodes: https://nativechoctalk.com/podcasts/
Tuesday May 31, 2022
Tuesday May 31, 2022
Most people have heard about the Trail of Tears, or what’s called the “Removal”, in which our Indigenous people were removed from their lands starting in the early 1800s and were relocated to Indian Territory (now Oklahoma).
The Choctaw were the very first to make the trek from Mississippi to their new home. The journey was deadly for some. Many of our people passed away due to harsh weather conditions, illness, starvation, and even at the hands of the soldiers who were transporting them.
But what happened next, once the Choctaw arrived in Indian Territory? And what came of the Choctaws who refused to be removed and to those who ran away into the swamps to hide? These questions have come to my mind over the years, and I’ve found answers here and there, but I needed to learn more. And not only that, I’ve probably pondered 100 other unanswered questions too.
Enter Megan Baker.
Megan is a Research Assistant for the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma’s Historic Preservation department and is currently working on her PhD in Anthropology from UCLA. Her masters is in American Indian Studies from UCLA and she holds a Bachelor of Arts in Ethnicity and Race Studies from Columbia University.
I’ve eagerly followed Megan’s monthly series in the “Iti Fabvssa”, a column in our Choctaw Nation’s Biskinik paper for quite a while, soaking in our history that she has tirelessly broken out by decades. But not only that. She has studied thousands of original documents, records and accounts by the Choctaw themselves (not just the history books) to bring us a very different viewpoint than what we’ve heard before. So it was an honor when she agreed to join me in this special 2-part Native ChocTalk episode.
So please join Megan and me in this journey through each decade with the story of the Choctaws after their removal to Indian Territory. And yakoke to Megan for her hundreds of hours of research that came in handy when I asked hundreds of questions – keep up that great work for our tribe and for future generations to come!
Native ChocTalk Facebook page: www.facebook.com/nativechoctalkpodcast
All Podcast Episodes: nativechoctalk.com/podcasts/
Tuesday May 17, 2022
Tuesday May 17, 2022
Most people have heard about the Trail of Tears, or what’s called the “Removal”, in which our Indigenous people were removed from their lands starting in the early 1800s and were relocated to Indian Territory (now Oklahoma).
The Choctaw were the very first to make the trek from Mississippi to their new home. The journey was deadly for some. Many of our people passed away due to harsh weather conditions, illness, starvation, and even at the hands of the soldiers who were transporting them.
But what happened next, once the Choctaw arrived in Indian Territory? And what came of the Choctaws who refused to be removed and to those who ran away into the swamps to hide? These questions have come to my mind over the years, and I’ve found answers here and there, but I needed to learn more. And not only that, I’ve probably pondered 100 other unanswered questions too.
Enter Megan Baker.
Megan is a Research Assistant for the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma’s Historic Preservation department and is currently working on her PhD in Anthropology from UCLA. Her masters is in American Indian Studies from UCLA and she holds a Bachelor of Arts in Ethnicity and Race Studies from Columbia University.
I’ve eagerly followed Megan’s monthly series in the “Iti Fabvssa”, a column in our Choctaw Nation’s Biskinik paper for quite a while, soaking in our history that she has tirelessly broken out by decades. But not only that. She has studied thousands of original documents, records and accounts by the Choctaw themselves (not just the history books) to bring us a very different viewpoint than what we’ve heard
before. So it was an honor when she agreed to join me in this special 2-part Native ChocTalk episode.
So please join Megan and me in this journey through each decade with the story of the Choctaws after their removal to Indian Territory. And yakoke to Megan for her hundreds of hours of research that came in handy when I asked hundreds of questions – keep up that great work for our tribe and for future
generations to come!
Native ChocTalk Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/nativechoctalkpodcast
All Podcast Episodes: https://nativechoctalk.com/podcasts/
Sunday May 08, 2022
Sunday May 08, 2022
I stopped by Riverside Indian School in my hometown, Anadarko, Oklahoma last summer to hang out with my friend, Terry Ware and what a great conversation we had!
This is a must-listen, dear listeners as you’ll have the pleasure of hearing:
• Terry singing a Kiowa hymn and the happy birthday song in Kiowa
• About Riverside Indian School’s upcoming 150-year celebration in May of 2022!
• The history of Riverside including about the feral hogs that used to come around (until a fence was put up)
• How Terry is a coach at Riverside, but before that, he was my dad’s student there at the school
• How he’s a legacy student at Riverside, as his grandmother, mom, daughter and grandson attended
• About his family’s church - Wares Chapel - in Hog Creek where we grew up, and where my sister got married. And about the Chapel’s inception in the 1800s and gathering of and transporting stones from Chickasha to Hog Creek.
• About the Kiowa tail bustle and the history from the Omaha tribe in Nebraska to the Cheyenne to the Kiowa
• What his research on the Carlisle Indian School Journals uncovered
• Why the O Ho Mah hid their drums and pipes in the caves in Ridge Stone, west of Hog Creek
• His love of singing and drumming in the O Ho Mah Lodge Singers group
• His ancestors’ names, such as “The Day the Sun Died” because his great great grandmother was born during the eclipse
• About the Fort Sill vs Riverside rivalry (know what I’m talkin’ about, Braves?) 😉
• That “Indian perfume”, which comes out with the full moon in June, is what I should include with my eagle feathers to decrease the strong smell
• And – we discuss the serious topic of our mutual adoration of Sonic drinks
Yakoke, Terry for your time and for sharing so much with myself and my listeners. Blessings to you!
All Podcast Episodes: https://nativechoctalk.com/podcasts/
Native ChocTalk Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/nativechoctalkpodcast
Tuesday Apr 19, 2022
Tuesday Apr 19, 2022
There was something comforting about the familiar scent of cedar that permeated from the wood burning stove inside the hogan each evening (“hogan” being the traditional home for the Navajo, in this case built of wood, with a dirt floor). The stove had 3 vents. And little sleepy James would watch the shadows from the vents on the walls, like fire dancing. As his heavy eyelids would slowly cover his eyes (despite trying to keep them open), he felt a sense of security as he couldn’t help but listen to his family members all snug inside talking about the day, the sounds and smells lulling him to sleep.
It was years later when James realized the significance of being surrounded by multiple Code Talkers as he was growing up (including his grandfather, Lemuel Yazzie) as they would all sit around talking about their time as Code Talkers. Even the Medicine Man who spoke many prayers for James was a Code Talker.
In Winslow, Arizona sits the Navajo Reservation, where my guest, Coach James Nells – Navajo, Salt Clan born for Under his Cover Clan – was born and raised. Life on the Reservation wasn’t always easy. Despite no electricity, herding sheep and hauling water, being surrounded by familiar centuries-old traditions and culture, somehow nearly kept intact despite the force of time and assimilation, was always “home”.
Coach Nells speak in his Navajo language and shares his inspirational story from reservation to foster care, to boarding school, to champion runner.
FYI, Coach Nells talks about the Navajo’s traditional squaw dance. This is a traditional term the Navajo called these dances and still call them to this day. I think it’s important that we respect their tradition and their right to call it what they do.
Native ChocTalk Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/nativechoctalkpodcast
All Podcast Episodes: https://nativechoctalk.com/podcasts/
Monday Apr 18, 2022
Monday Apr 18, 2022
There are many mysteries out there - many that will never be solved. And some mysteries are so frustrating, they’ll leave a gap in your soul. One of those such puzzles in life is that of we American Indians trying to figure out the stories and history of our ancestors.
Most of our history is told and passed down by oral tradition. So centuries of our own stories have never be heard as they’ve faded over time. We often long to connect in some way with those family members, so that we can understand more about their world and about ourselves, and so they’re never forgotten.
My guest today – Jennifer Story - posed a mystery to me as we were preparing ahead of time for this episode. She stated that as many Choctaws from Mississippi were being removed to Indian Territory (on what’s now known as the “Trail of Tears”), she was baffled by the question that kept coming to her mind - why were her Choctaw ancestors removed many years later than the others?
Listen to today’s episode to hear about this mystery unraveled and solved!
You’ll also learn about:
- A man named Bearheart
- Some unlikely next door neighbors
- What Jennifer learned as she cared for her ill brother
- The stories from Jennifer playing a dancer in the movie, Killers of the Flower Moon (guess whose famous actress’ shoes Jennifer was given to wear in the movie!)
- How her legendary Aunt Esther single-handedly saved the Tewa language
- Hear what famous actor attended Aunt Esther’s funeral
- Jennifer and I had such a fun time, so you may be hearing quite a dose of laughter from us Choctaw gals
Native ChocTalk Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/nativechoctalkpodcast
All Podcast Episodes: https://nativechoctalk.com/podcasts/
Thursday Apr 14, 2022
Thursday Apr 14, 2022
The year was 1830. Up to 6,000 Choctaws gathered each day. White observers also decided to come along. Cattle was butchered to feed the masses, supplies were set up in tents and all were anxious to observe what was to come.
Gambling tables were provided - an activity that opened the door to brawls. Tables were knocked over amongst the fights and many were bullied by trigger-happy troublemakers. On the other hand, Christian services took place amongst the chaos. The Choctaw danced throughout the night, then retired in camps along Dancing Rabbit Creek, while the whites encamped in random spots.
The most notable of the Choctaw were present - Chiefs Greenwood LeFlore, Mushulatubbee, and Nittakechi, Choctaw warrior, Hopaii Ishkitini and many others.
But this was no celebration. The most significant treaty between the US Government and the Choctaw was to be negotiated and signed on September 27th, 1830 at this very site. These signatures meant the Choctaw would be surrendering 11 million Mississippi acres, the removal to Indian Territory imminent. The lives and futures of the Choctaw people would be changed forever.
Amongst these goings on, there once lived a prominent Choctaw woman named Sukky who lived with her husband and 2 kids just up the hill from the Treaty grounds. What did Sukky have to do with these events?
My guest, Chrissy Gray Dickmeyer is a descendant of Sukky and reads to us about a perspective around the gathering of the Choctaw during the signing of The Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek and the struggle she must have faced with the guests she had to host in her home.
But there’s even more…Chrissy also reads to us about the stories of The Edwards Store – a historic trading post that’s been in her family for 170 years! This trading post, nestled among the beautiful San Bois Mountains in Oklahoma, was absolutely essential for the Choctaw. And we’ll also talk about how molasses was a staple by the gallon!
YOU are invited to come visit The Edwards Store, see this living piece of history for yourself, sip on some sweet tea and sit a spell.
Oh and one more thing. Chrissy and I discuss something very important. What REALLY IS in the panhandle of Oklahoma? Okies, you know what I’m sayin’, right?
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All Podcast Episodes: https://nativechoctalk.com/podcasts/