Native ChocTalk

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 ances...

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...

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, i...

“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 hist...

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 wa...

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 wa...

PART 3 From opening her own law firm in Durant to protecting Native art and culture, attorney Chloe Moyer joins Native ChocTalk to unpack: ✨ Federal Indian law & tribal sovereignty ✨ Protecting public arts & the Indian Arts and Crafts Act ✨ The balance of communal vs. individual ownership ✨ NAGPRA, NHPA, & protecting what’s been taken ✨ Tips for Native artists selling online (contracts, trade...

From opening her own law firm in Durant to protecting Native art and culture, attorney Chloe Moyer joins Native ChocTalk to unpack: ✨ Federal Indian law & tribal sovereignty ✨ Protecting public arts & the Indian Arts and Crafts Act ✨ The balance of communal vs. individual ownership ✨ NAGPRA, NHPA, & protecting what’s been taken ✨ Tips for Native artists selling online (contracts, trademarks,...

From opening her own law firm in Durant to protecting Native art and culture, attorney Chloe Moyer joins Native ChocTalk to unpack: ✨ Federal Indian law & tribal sovereignty ✨ Protecting public arts & the Indian Arts and Crafts Act ✨ The balance of communal vs. individual ownership ✨ NAGPRA, NHPA, & protecting what’s been taken ✨ Tips for Native artists selling online (contracts, trademarks,...

PART 3 In this episode, my guests, Amy, Ian and Mike take you deep into the heart of Choctaw tradition, food, and the sacred relationship with the hunt. You’ll learn about: - Life at Nan Awaya Farm (where yvnvsh (buffalo) and food are grown the Choctaw way - Ancient Choctaw hunting - the reverence for animals & wisdom from elders - Do buffalo will actually charge through 10k volts of electric fenc...

PART 2 In this episode, my guests, Amy, Ian and Mike take you deep into the heart of Choctaw tradition, food, and the sacred relationship with the hunt. You’ll learn about: 🌱 Life at Nan Awaya Farm where yvnvsh (buffalo) and food are grown in the Choctaw tradition 🪶 Ancient Choctaw hunting - the reverence for animals & wisdom from elders ⚡ Do buffalo will actually charge through 10k volts of el...

PART 1 In this episode, my guests, Amy, Ian and Mike take you deep into the heart of Choctaw tradition, food, and the sacred relationship with the hunt. You’ll learn about: - Life at Nan Awaya Farm (where yvnvsh (buffalo) and food are grown the Choctaw way - Ancient Choctaw hunting - the reverence for animals & wisdom from elders - Do buffalo will actually charge through 10k volts of electric fenc...

PART 2 On this episode of Native ChocTalk, my cousin, Cheryl and I took a road trip into the heart of Choctaw country to explore the fascinating and little-known history of Tamaha, Oklahoma - a town with stories that are anything but small. As we meandered along banks of the Arkansas River, we met a local gentleman walking his dogs. That chance encounter led me to Tonia Brannan - an unofficial tow...

PART 1 On this episode of Native ChocTalk, my cousin, Cheryl and I took a road trip into the heart of Choctaw country to explore the fascinating and little-known history of Tamaha, Oklahoma - a town with stories that are anything but small. As we meandered along banks of the Arkansas River, we met a local gentleman walking his dogs. That chance encounter led me to Tonia Brannan - an unofficial tow...

PART 3 Join me in this 3-part series as LaNora Parker, great-granddaughter of legendary Comanche leader Quanah Parker, shares her story of leadership, survival, and healing. LaNora was one of the first women to serve as Vice Chairman and Interim Chairwoman of the Comanche Nation. She reflects on her family’s powerful legacy—her father, Simmons Parker, was a Comanche Code Talker and WWII hero—and h...

Join me in this 3-part series as LaNora Parker, great-granddaughter of legendary Comanche leader Quanah Parker, shares her story of leadership, survival, and healing. LaNora was one of the first women to serve as Vice Chairman and Interim Chairwoman of the Comanche Nation. She reflects on her family’s powerful legacy—her father, Simmons Parker, was a Comanche Code Talker and WWII hero—and how that...

PART 1 Join me in this 3-part series as LaNora Parker, great-granddaughter of legendary Comanche leader Quanah Parker, shares her story of leadership, survival, and healing. LaNora was one of the first women to serve as Vice Chairman and Interim Chairwoman of the Comanche Nation. She reflects on her family’s powerful legacy—her father, Simmons Parker, was a Comanche Code Talker and WWII hero—and h...

PART 3 In this powerful 3-part episode, we dive into the tragic legacy of the Wounded Knee Massacre and its connection to the ongoing fight for Native American religious freedom. My guest, law Professor, Richard Garnett - a Choctaw citizen and expert in religious freedom at Notre Dame - helps unpack what the law *actually* says about Native religious rights, sacred land use, and the balance betwee...

PART 2 In this powerful 3-part episode, we dive into the tragic legacy of the Wounded Knee Massacre and its connection to the ongoing fight for Native American religious freedom. My guest, law Professor, Richard Garnett - a Choctaw citizen and expert in religious freedom at Notre Dame - helps unpack what the law *actually* says about Native religious rights, sacred land use, and the balance betwee...

In this powerful 3-part episode, we dive into the tragic legacy of the Wounded Knee Massacre and its connection to the ongoing fight for Native American religious freedom. My guest, law Professor, Richard Garnett - a Choctaw citizen and expert in religious freedom at Notre Dame - helps unpack what the law *actually* says about Native religious rights, sacred land use, and the balance between triba...

PART 3 In this new season of Native ChocTalk, I sat down with Tiffany Baker, the heart and hands behind Bakers Bar Soapery! Tiffany shares her powerful journey of tracing her Choctaw ancestors — all connected by one common thread: the land. From uncovering family allotments and the deep sentiment of holding onto family land, to the tangled stories of district agents, guardianship scams, and the fe...

PART 2 In this new season of Native ChocTalk, I sat down with Tiffany Baker, the heart and hands behind Bakers Bar Soapery Tiffany shares her powerful journey of tracing her Choctaw ancestors — all connected by one common thread: the land. From uncovering family allotments and the deep sentiment of holding onto family land, to the tangled stories of district agents, guardianship scams, and the fei...

PART 1 In this new season of Native ChocTalk, I sat down with Tiffany Baker, the heart and hands behind Bakers Bar Soapery! Tiffany shares her powerful journey of tracing her Choctaw ancestors — all connected by one common thread: the land. From uncovering family allotments and the deep sentiment of holding onto family land, to the tangled stories of district agents, guardianship scams, and the fe...

It started with a murder...but what followed was silence. And for one Choctaw family, that silence lasted for generations. In this gripping two-part series, we dive into a mystery that stretches across time - a broken bloodline, a forgotten story, and the journey to uncover the truth. It begins with the unsolved killing of Adam Wilkins, who served as a Choctaw Indian Police and interpreter — and t...