District 3, April 2026

Halito,
It has been a busy and exciting start to the year here in District 3! I truly appreciate everyone who puts in the effort to ensure our tribal members are taken care of and that their needs are met. I have had the opportunity to attend events centered around agriculture, education, sports and culture these past few months, so let’s jump right into how these events went!

First off, I had the honor of attending a ribbon-cutting in January for the Small Business Department for T4BAR Kettle Corn, which is locally owned and operated right out of Talihina, Oklahoma. Congratulations to Chahtapreneur Daniel Toliver! Also, in January, the Tribal Council took a tour of the Three Rivers Meat Company in Smithville, Oklahoma. This company has provided the meat and sides for many of my events in District 3, and I appreciate all that they have done for our communities!

February brought the Leflore County Junior Livestock Show and the McCurtain County Premium Sale, both of which I was honored to attend. These youth put in many hours of hard work and training to ensure their animals are ready. The Choctaw Nation is proud to support these kids and their livestock. They represent the future of our communities and the continued success of our agricultural traditions.

In March, I had the pleasure of going to the Talihina Daycare, where I was honored to read to the children for Read Across America Day. Encouraging a love of reading at a young age is important, and it was wonderful to see the excitement and curiosity on the children’s faces as they listened to the stories. Yakoke to Center Manager Deliah Humphreys and the Talihina Daycare staff for having me!

March also brought many sporting events across the reservation. I would like to especially recognize the District 3 teams and their accomplishments. Congratulations to the Whitesboro Lady Bulldogs and the Smithville Lady Braves on punching their tickets to the brand-new Coliseum in OKC!

I had the honor of attending the “Citation of Congratulations” at the State Capitol for two local teams for winning state championships! The Talihina Golden Tigers and Coach Kelly Gravitt won the Class A-2 Football State Championship back in December. They finished the season with a perfect record of 14–0. The Hodgen 7th and 8th-grade boys team also won the ORES State Championship! What an amazing accomplishment from both teams.

Stickball season has officially kicked off for our youth on the reservation! The team based in District 3 is Tvshka Waya, located in Talihina, Oklahoma, which is coached by the head coach Nakisha Garcia and assistant coaches Christene Ramirez, Chayla Anderson, Josh Anderson, Trinity Baker, Emma Battiest and Raben King. I am excited to see what this season will bring for all teams, and especially for the All-Star team, Tvshka Homma Himitta, which traveled to the World Series of Stickball in Choctaw, Mississippi, for the first time last year. This team is comprised of players from the Choctaw Nation Youth Stickball League.

We recently shared our 2023 Economic Impact on the State of Oklahoma. We have invested over $4 billion in jobs, the community, education, housing and health. I am proud of the partnerships and support we have shown to our communities and the State of Oklahoma!

We have a few events coming up that I would like to invite you to listed below:

Senior Citizen Easter Party | Talihina Community Center| April 6 | 10:30 a.m.
Mother’s and Father’s Day Lunch | Talihina Community Center | June 2 | 11 a.m.
Mother’s and Father’s Day Lunch | Smithville Community Center | June 3 | 11 a.m.
Veteran’s Appreciation Lunch | Talihina Community Center | June 9 | 11 a.m.
Veteran’s Appreciation Lunch| Smithville Community Center | June 10 | 11 a.m.
Independence Day Block Party | Talihina Community Center | July 1 | 10 a.m. This specific event is open to the community!

Yakoke to the communities of District 3 for your support as we continue working together to strengthen our Nation!

Councilman Eddie Bohanan