On Oct. 13, Choctaw Administrative Offices will be closed in honor of Chahta Nittak or Choctaw Day. The day coincides with the U.S. holiday Indigenous Peoples Day, which takes the place of Columbus Day for tribal members.
Choctaw Day and Indigenous Peoples Day take place on the second Monday of October.
The Choctaw Nation has long highlighted Indigenous Peoples Day as a time to honor the culture and history of Native American People and has formally recognized this day since Oct. 7, 2015, when Chief Batton signed a proclamation declaring the second Monday in October as “Indigenous Peoples Day” at the Choctaw Nation.
Globally, Indigenous Peoples Day honors the Indigenous peoples of the United States—American Indians, Native Alaskans, and Native Hawaiians, most of whom were violently uprooted and exploited beginning with the arrival of Europeans in the Americas. It celebrates the diversity of Indigenous peoples and their contributions to American history and culture. It is also a day to reflect on the historical mistreatment of Indigenous peoples during European colonization and to recognize their rights and sovereignty.
Choctaw Day also gives Chahta tribal members time to reflect on our faith, family and culture. It is a time, hopefully, to remember all the accomplishments of the Chahta tribe – where we have been, where we are and where we are going in our determination to remain a strong, sovereign nation.
Our history deserves to be honored and remembered for generations to come. We have a duty to our ancestors to help push our tribe to its full potential. Our tribe’s history is one of great accomplishments, great tragedy, legendary perseverance and the hopeful spirit of always keeping our eyes to the horizon to strive for better opportunities for our tribal members. We owe it to those who came before us to take our tribe to new heights every day and fulfill the dreams of our ancestors who pushed for our rights, sovereignty and a strong tribal nation.
This Chahta Nittak, take time for fellowship with family and remember what this day is for and why it is recognized as an official Tribal holiday on the Choctaw Nation Holiday Calendar.
The Chahta people rely on each other, and we rely on our tribal members to guide the Choctaw Nation into the future. I wish you a wonderful “Choctaw Day” and urge Chahta everywhere to be a part of our tribal family and celebrate our great Choctaw Nation on this day of remembrance and reflection of our past forged with an optimistic future that embodies the spirit of Faith, Family and Culture.