Advertise on podcast: Native ChocTalk

What does the Choctaw Labor Day Festival mean to YOU? In the final episode of this series where I visited the 2025 Choctaw Labor Day Festival, I’m sharing stories from festival goers about what makes this annual gathering so special. One of my favorite conversations was with my cousin, Cheryl, a descendant of Chief Mushulatubbee and part of our Coley family lineage. Cheryl shares stories about our ancestors, the close-knit Choctaw community they built, and even how family members would move the furniture out of the house so everyone could dance! For Cheryl and me, the Labor Day Festival is a place to “come home”, reconnect with family, celebrate our culture, and remember where we came from. Stick around until the very end for the bloopers. Because apparently, telling history doesn’t always go according to plan. Yakoke to the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma for partnering with me on this series! Choctaw Nation Labor Day Festival 2026: September 4–6 in Tvshkahomma, Oklahoma Text LABORDAY to 888777 for festival updates

Deep drumbeats. Sticks striking together. The roar of the crowd. The energy builds… This is Choctaw stickball and it’s more than a game. It’s tradition, pride, community, and a living connection to our ancestors. In this episode of Native ChocTalk, we’re heading to the 2025 Choctaw Nation Labor Day Festival to experience the stickball tournament, hear from players and announcers, and learn why this powerful tradition continues to bring our communities together. Congratulations to the 2025 winners: Women: Team Rouge Men: Team Koni-Shine If you’d like to dive deeper into the history and meaning of stickball, check out Native ChocTalk’s Season 2, Episode 5 on YouTube! Yakoke to Steve Aicinena, Owner of Iceman Photo who provided many of the fantastic stickball photos in this episode! Check him out www.icemanphoto.com. Next up: Part 8 - Choctaw Labor Day Festival 2025 | Why We Gather Choctaw Nation Labor Day Festival 2026: September 4–6 in Tvshkahomma, Oklahoma Text LABORDAY to 888777 for festival updates Yakoke to the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma for partnering with me on this series!

Welcome back to this special Native ChocTalk series, where I'm taking you along with me to the 2025 Choctaw Nation Labor Day Festival in Tvshkahomma to explore the history, traditions, and people that make this weekend so meaningful! In today's episode, you’ll learn about our Ohoyo Miko Yopisa – the Choctaw Princess Pageants. These pageants are about so much more than a crown. They’re a celebration of culture, leadership, language, history, and service. At the 2025 Choctaw Nation Labor Day Festival, 26 young women competed for the titles of Little Miss, Junior Miss, and Senior Miss Choctaw Nation. I had the honor of meeting several contestants and hearing what representing our Chahta people means to them. Congratulations to the 2025–2026 Choctaw Princesses! - Senior Miss - Candis Battice Louis, District 12 - Junior Miss - Akeiley Willis, District 7 - Little Miss - Leigha Scott, District 11 Yakoke to all of the contestants for sharing your stories with Native ChocTalk! Next up: Part 7 - Stickball: “Little Brother of War” Text LABORDAY to 888777 for festival updates & visit https://laborday.choctawnation.com/ Yakoke to the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma for partnering with me on this series!

Would you like to hear stories of stickball that you won’t find in the history books? As we continue this series on the 2025 Choctaw Nation Labor Day Festival, you’ll find in this episode that as the sun goes down… the celebration isn’t over. Did you know you can camp at the Labor Day Festival? What stories do YOU have of camping at Tvshkahomma? After a full day of festivities, I headed over to the campground, where a whole different side of the festival comes to life. Families gather around campfires, share meals, swap stories, laugh, and make memories that last long after the weekend is over. My friend, Solomon Tonihka tells the story of an ancient stickball field near his land - and why trees will never grow there again. He also shares of a particular stickball game and the role of the Choctaw alikchi - our traditional spiritual healers (some term as “witch doctors”). Shauna Williams, Executive Director of Communications for the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, also visits with campers to hear about their fun camping experiences. So grab a seat, settle in, and let’s listen in around the campfire. Yakoke to the Tonihka family for your incredible hospitality! Next up: Part 6 - our Choctaw Princess Pageants! Choctaw Nation Labor Day Festival 2026: September 4–6 in Tvshkahomma, Oklahoma Text LABORDAY to 888777 for festival updates & visit https://laborday.choctawnation.com/ Yakoke to the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma for partnering with me on this series!

What if you could experience the Choctaw Labor Day Festival without ever leaving your couch? Come walk the grounds with me! Welcome to Part 4 of Native ChocTalk’s Choctaw Labor Day Festival 2025 series! Imagine this… - Drums echoing across the grounds. - Hymns filling the air. - Stickball warriors battling it out. - Buffalo grazing nearby. - Choctaw dancing and beautiful prairie dresses. - Handmade art and crafts everywhere you look. - And enough frybread to make you forget you just ate. In this episode, we’re experiencing the music, food, culture and traditions that make Labor Day so special - including a conversation with Lori Rowton of The Close, the 50th-anniversary celebration of the Tvshka Homma Capitol Museum with the unveiling of three new bronze busts honoring Choctaw leaders, ribbon skirts, kids’ activities, trivia and much more. Yakoke to Weylin Thompson, for sharing his gift of drumming in this episode! Next up: Part 5 - Stories Around the Campfire. Text LABORDAY to 888777 for festival updates. Want to bring The Close to your area? Email: [email protected]. For more info, visit: WWW.THECLOSEMUSIC.COM. Yakoke to the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma for partnering with me on this series!

What if one birthday celebration became a reunion of three generations of a Choctaw family... with loved ones traveling from across the United States - and even across the world - to honor their matriarch's 90th birthday? In Part 3 of this series, we're coming to you from the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma's 2025 Labor Day Festival, where thousands of Choctaws gather each year to celebrate our culture, heritage, language, and family. But this episode is about so much more than the festival. Meet Doris Thompson, who shares the remarkable story of her Choctaw family, including her grandfather, Captain Crawford John Anderson (who was born IN the Choctaw Council House!), and her beloved father, John Gilbert Anderson – a story you don’t want to miss! Through her memories, we'll step back in time to hear what life was like growing up in Talihina, Oklahoma, and discover the stories she hopes to pass down through the generations. To stay up to date with Labor Day Festival events, simply text "LaborDay" to 888777 and visit https://laborday.choctawnation.com/.

Part 2 of my Choctaw Labor Day Festival 2025 series is here! If you know me, you know I'm a total history nerd - so getting to sit down with Reno Crims, Curator and local historian at the Choctaw Tvshkahomma Capitol Museum, was an absolute highlight of my Labor Day weekend! As the Museum celebrates its 50th Anniversary, Reno shares the incredible history behind one of the most important places in the Choctaw Nation. In this episode, we explore: - The history of the Choctaw Capitol Building - The story behind the Choctaw Capitol Museum - How the Choctaw Labor Day Festival first began Did you know? The historic Choctaw Capitol Building, constructed in 1884, served as the seat of the Choctaw Nation government from 1884–1907. Today, it stands as a powerful reminder of our Nation's resilience and continues to preserve and share our rich history for future generations.  Plan a visit! Choctaw Tvshkahomma Capitol Museum 163665 N 4355 Road, Tuskahoma, OK 74574 Monday–Friday | 8:00 AM–4:00 PM (Closed Holidays) Open Saturdays during the summer Admission is FREE! Trust me - the most powerful stories you'll experience are waiting just inside those historic walls.  Yakoke, Reno, for sharing your knowledge and passion and for helping preserve the history of the Choctaw Capitol Museum for generations to come. For more information on the annual Choctaw Labor Day Festival, stay up to date by texting "LaborDay" to 888777 and learn more at https://laborday.choctawnation.com/.  A huge Yakoke to the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma for partnering with me on this special series! Have you ever visited the Choctaw Capitol Museum? Share your favorite memory in the comments!

What if I told you there's one weekend every year where thousands of Choctaw people gather to celebrate who we are, where we've been, and where we're going? In 2025, I had the opportunity to spend Labor Day weekend with my tribe at the Choctaw Nation Labor Day Festival in Tvshkahomma, Oklahoma - and it's one of my favorite weekends of the entire year. In this special series, we're exploring: The history of the festival The traditions that have stood the test of time What makes this gathering so meaningful And why it continues to bring our people together year after year. Whether you've been attending the festival your whole life or you're discovering it for the very first time, I'd love for you to join me, Chief Gary Batton, and Shauna Williams as we kick off this journey through one of the Choctaw Nation's most cherished traditions. Stay up to date by texting "LaborDay" to 888777 Learn more at: www.laborday.choctawnation.com Yakoke to the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma for partnering with me on this series!

In this episode of Native ChocTalk, we continue our Choctaw road trip through the historic Latham area, where Chief Mushulatubbee established his community after the Trail of Tears. Joined by my cousin Cheryl and our gracious host, Jonathan Watson (Choctaw) of The Ranch at Latham, we explore the land where Mushulatubbee once lived, led, and helped rebuild the Choctaw Nation in Indian Territory. Together, we take a closer look at the layout of this historic Choctaw settlement, from the Council House, gristmill, and Trahern's Station to Brazil Creek, Council House Spring, and the cemetery where Mushulatubbee is believed to be buried. We also speculate on why Mushulatubbee chose this location, considering its abundant water, fertile land, and position along an important travel route that even attracted visiting dignitaries to this remote part of Indian Territory. Along the way, we discuss Choctaw social dances, traditional regalia, the importance of agriculture and self-sufficiency, and the remarkable resilience of a people determined to preserve their culture while building a new homeland. We wrap up our day with visits to Skullyville Cemetery and the historic Butterfield Overland Mail route, reflecting on the leaders and ancestors whose legacy continues to shape the Choctaw Nation today. For the full experience, we highly recommend watching this episode on YouTube. Search Native ChocTalk – Choctaw Road Trip Part 6 to follow along with the maps, historic sites, and beautiful landscapes that bring these stories to life. Yakoke for joining us on another journey into Choctaw history!

Welcome to part 5 of this Native ChocTalk series, where my cousin Cheryl and I are taking you deep into Choctaw history as we explore the old stomping grounds of Chief Mushulatubbee in Latham, Oklahoma. In the last episode, I shared about the history of this Choctaw Chief and now with the help of our fellow Choctaw, Jonathan Watson, we walk the land where Mushulatubbee (Cheryl and Jonathan’s ancestor) lived after the Trail of Tears. You’ll see the Council House Spring, the area of Trahern's Cemetery and Station along the Butterfield Overland Mail route, and the place where Choctaw history was made. Along the way, we uncover stories of resilience, leadership, and community, and explore the long-held oral history surrounding the burial site of Chief Mushulatubbee. This is more than a history lesson - it's a journey through the area where the Choctaw Nation rebuilt its future.

Join us in Part 4 of this roadtrip series where my cousin Cheryl and I continue tracing her ancestry to Choctaw Chief Mushulatubbee. Cheryl and I visited The Ranch at Latham in Stigler, Oklahoma, where Chief Mushulatubbee once lived on what is now the lands of Choctaw, Jonathan Watson. I wanted to take a step back and explore the remarkable life and history of Mushulatubbee one of Choctaw Nation's most influential leaders - from his rise as a respected warrior and chief to the difficult choices surrounding removal, the Trail of Tears, and his leadership in Indian Territory. Join us as we uncover the history, the complexities, and the enduring legacy of Chief Mushulatubbee... and the mystery surrounding his final resting place. Yakoke for following along as our journey through Choctaw history continues! Also, I’d like to give a shout out to the excellent research of Greg O'Brien, Ph.D., professor of history at the University of North Carolina Greensboro as you’ll hear quotes from his work throughout this episode.

Join us for Part 3 of our Choctaw heritage road trip as my cousin Cheryl and I continue tracing her ancestry to Choctaw Chief Mushulatubbee. This episode takes us to The Ranch at Latham in Shady Point, Oklahoma, where Choctaw, Jonathan Watson shares the history of his family's land property that was once home to the great Choctaw Chief Mushulatubbee. While this land is rich with Choctaw history, it's also one of eastern Oklahoma's most unforgettable event destinations. Nestled near the beautiful Kiamichi Mountains, you'll get a glimpse of why The Ranch at Latham has become such a sought-after venue for weddings and special events. Blending western charm, breathtaking scenery, and authentic Oklahoma hospitality, it's truly a place where history and celebration come together. And of course, since it's owned by one of my fellow Choctaws, I have to give it a shoutout - be sure to check it out at https://www.ranchatlatham.com! In this episode, you'll get a firsthand look at Jonathan's family property, including historic Choctaw and Civil War-era gravesites that remain on the land today, along with a sneak peek at Chief Mushulatubbee's old stomping grounds. It's an incredible opportunity to stand where history happened and experience the stories that continue to live on through the land itself. Be sure to join us for Part 4, where we explore even more of the places, history, and enduring legacy of Cheryl's ancestor, Choctaw Chief Mushulatubbee.

“Indian Makes An Attempt to Kill.” That was the newspaper headline about my great-great uncle, Cicero - a story I’ve shared many times. But on one retelling, something unexpected happened. The story didn’t just revisit the past - it opened the door to an entirely new world of family connections I never knew existed. In Part 2, we weave together Cicero’s story with my own and how, somehow, his history guided me straight to my cousin, Cheryl Stone Pitchford, and a whole new branch of our family tree. Recorded 2 years ago, in this series, Cheryl and I are on an Okie roadtrip and on a mission to visit her ancestor, Mushulatubbee’s old stomping grounds, while tracing our own family roots across Choctaw Country along the way. What you’ll hear in this series is a heartfelt blend of history, humor and remembrance - a hodgepodge of adventures in the very best way. Next up, we’ll head to Shady Point to visit the breathtaking Ranch at Latham, owned by Choctaw, Jonathan Watson to see the land where Chief Mushulatubee lived. In this episode, I proudly sport my lovely earrings, perfectly crafted by Jennifer Ikelman (Registered Tribal Artist of the Choctaw Nation) of Acorn and Oak Crafts. https://www.etsy.com/shop/AcornAndOakCrafts?ref=shop_sugg This series is one I hope you’ll watch on YouTube to see the photos and visuals along the way. Yakoke! #cherystonepitchford #theranchatlatham #choctawnationofoklahoma #nativechoctalkpodcast #nativechoctalk #rachaelellenyoungman #rachaelyoungman #Choctaw #chahta #nativeamerican #AmericanIndian #nativepodcast

S10, Ep 1, Pt 1: Weaving Stories, Weaving Bloodlines: With Choctaws, Cheryl Stone Pitchford & Jonathan Watson by Rachael Youngman

Veterans Day holds a special place in this episode, I visited with Choctaw Nation’s Assistant Chief Jack Austin Jr., a man whose life has been shaped by service, family legacy, and an unwavering devotion to the Choctaw people. From his small-town Oklahoma upbringing in Talihina, where the soda fountain was a gathering place, and family values were taught in everyday moments, Jack shares what it was like to be raised by his father, the late Jack Austin Sr., and guided by a grandfather who led not through speeches, but through steady action. Jack opens his story wider, reflecting on why he serves his country, his Choctaw Nation, and his community. We trace the legacies passed down through generations, including his own Choctaw ancestor who fought in the Battle of New Orleans, long before citizenship was extended to Native people. Jack unpacks the significance of that battle, the irony woven through history, and how those ancestors still stand with us today. He also speaks candidly about his years in the U.S. Army: the brotherhood, the lifelong friends, the moments that shaped him, transitioning out of military life, and the continued mission he carries through his work with the Choctaw Veterans’ Advocacy program. Jack reflects on the prayer that guides him as he serves the Choctaw people, the educational journey he and his wife traveled together on the way to their bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and the profound turning point in his life when his mother passed away. He honors her legacy of caring for those in need within the Tribe and shares the story of the woman who stepped in as a mother to lift him up during that difficult chapter. Packed with history, humor, heart, and hard-won wisdom, this episode shines a light on what it truly means to lead and to serve with a Choctaw heart. On this Veterans day, yakoke to all who have served, and to the families who stand beside them!