Tvshkahomma Capitol Museum

04/18/2026

03/20/2026

Happy Spring! The 2nd Edition of the "Choctaw Food" books by Ian Thompson have arrived and are available for retail in the Capitol Museum Gift Shop! We also ship!

"Published by the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, 'Choctaw Food' tells the story of a world-class cuisine. With a quality and diversity comparable to today's most popular foods from around the world, Choctaw food is an American original. It's the culmination of hundreds of generations of ancestors' experiences living on the native landscapes of Mississippi/Alabama. Once the leading food producers in the American South, Choctaw people were dispossessed of their homeland. Parts of the foodway fell asleep. This book weaves together threads from Choctaw history, language, culture, landscape ecology, and experimental work to recover not only a collection of tasty recipes, but also deep land-based knowledge. It offers time-tested insights for improving health, sustainability, and quality of life in today's world."

03/08/2026

✨International Women’s Day✨

Today we honor the strength, resilience, and leadership of women around the world, and we proudly recognize the impact of Choctaw women who continue to shape our families, communities, and future. 🩷

Choctaw women have long been culture bearers, storytellers, leaders, and caretakers. They carry our language forward, protect our traditions, and inspire the next generation with courage and compassion. Tag a woman who inspires you or who has made a difference in your life.

03/05/2026

🗞️ The March Issue of the Biskinik is available to read and view online. In this issue, we're highlighting Indigenous representation in film and television. Check out this article and more at www.biskinik.com.

03/04/2026

🐰 It’s almost time for the annual Choctaw Nation Easter Celebration! We invite you and your family to join us for this day of joy, hope and renewal.

Expect a helicopter egg drop, prizes, booths, and more. For additional information, visit chocta.ws/easter-celebration.

03/03/2026

In this week’s Choctaw Chiefs Post, we highlight Emery Spears, the youngest figure of our series, who attained the position of Executive Director at 28 years old. He was a transitional figure who was appointed after the untimely passing of his predecessor, Principal Chief David Gardner. Spears remains both the youngest Executive of the 20th Century, and the final federally appointed Chief of the Choctaw Nation.

Emery Spears was born on September 6, 1949, in McAlester, Oklahoma, to Bert and Dorothy Marie Spears. He was educated at Hartshorne Public Schools, where he graduated from high school, and later attended Eastern Oklahoma State College in Wilburton. Thereafter, he was educated at East Central University in Ada. In 1971, Emery returned to Eastern Oklahoma State College, where he served as a Program Coordinator for the Indian Counseling Program (funded in part by the Bureau of Indian Affairs), and from approximately 1972 to 1974, as a counselor. He was active in several student-body leadership clubs, including the Indian Club. In 1973, he married his wife, Belinda.

With the expansion of tribal services under the 1975 Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, Emery, like many other tribal members, pursued jobs within the tribal government. He became the Director of the Choctaw Nation Manpower Program during its first year. He oversaw the rapid expansion of services, assisting over 559 tribal members (more than 200 members than initially planned). His responsibilities included overseeing grant funds to help tribal members access classroom training, on-the-job training, and public service employment.

By 1977, Spears held the position of research and administrative assistant to the tribal business manager, serving within the early Choctaw Nation Administrative Headquarters in Durant. In January of 1978, Principal Chief David Gardner succumbed to his illness. The Choctaw Nation was left without a clear successor. Although Gardner and tribal members were working to outline a viable Choctaw Constitution, it had not been produced, and there was no clear instruction regarding succession for the Executive Office (a Chief had not passed therein since 1948). Although an emergency election was being arranged, there was no one to assume responsibility for tribal affairs at that moment. Thus, the Federal Government appointed Emery Spears to oversee operations until a new Chief was elected. He served just shy of ninety days.

Spears' official title was typically styled as “Executive Director, Emery Spears," rather than “Principal Chief” (it’s worth noting that his letterhead did identify him as “Principal Chief”). Ironically, despite overseeing the 1978 election, in part, Spears himself was too young to be placed on the ballot. Still, he served faithfully, advocating for the tribe with state and federal institutions concerning tribal business.

After the election, Emery returned to the public sector and eventually retired from the Oklahoma Department of Corrections. He was an avid hunter and outdoorsman. He participated in competitive shooting at the national level. Fraternally, he was a 32nd Degree Mason with the McAlester Scottish Rite Temple and the Hartshorne/Haileyville Masonic Lodge. Emery Spears passed away at his home on May 20, 2025. Services were held at the Mountain Station Cemetery Pavilion in Higgins.

Spears' successors ushered in a new and modern era of the Choctaw Nation, which may be studied through a variety of works produced by the Choctaw Nation.

Photo Credit 1: Eastern Oklahoma State College Yearbook, 1972
Photo Credit 2: Eastern Oklahoma State College, 1972
Photo Credit 3: Talihina American, Special Issue, 1975

This concludes our Historic Chiefs Blog. We host an exhibit that highlights all of the biographies we have shared in this series, as well as some additional profiles. The materials, when possible, are paired with State of the Nation Addresses and, when available, additional photos. Thank you for all the interest and support through your feedback and interaction, which continues to draw attention to our institution and our tribe.

Yakoke!

02/15/2026

In observance of Presidents' Day, all Choctaw Nation Tribal Offices will be closed on Monday, February 16. 🇺🇸

02/06/2026

“Hello Choctaw!”

This week’s Choctaw Chiefs Post features Principal Chief David Gardner (often written as C. David Gardner), who served from 1975 until his passing in office in 1978. While some may not be familiar with Gardner, they are likely familiar with his many achievements, including the establishment of the Choctaw Nation Headquarters in Durant and the creation of a modern Choctaw tribal newspaper.

Clark David Gardner was born on April 22, 1940, in Boswell, Oklahoma, to Reverend Crittenden Gardner and his wife, Ida. He attended school in Boswell and later, in Sulphur. After his eighteenth birthday, in 1958, he enlisted and served in the United States Navy, shortly thereafter, marrying Carol Parker. He served in the Navy until December 1963, after which he attended East Central State University, Southwestern College, and later, the University of Oklahoma.

Gardner was an educator and public servant, working in several politically aligned roles. He was a leader of the Oklahoma City Upward Bound Program and an early organizer of the Choctaw-Chickasaw Alliance and the Oklahoma City Council of Choctaws. He was also employed by the Ozarks Regional Commission (a partnership established to boost the area’s economy).

Political activists within the Oklahoma City Council of Choctaws were opposed to the Choctaw Termination Bill (a bill that would sever federal oversight of the tribe and liquidate its assets, resulting in the tribe’s termination) and worked to establish communication networks and advocate against the bill throughout the late 1960s and 70s. In addition to repudiating the bill, the activism fostered a more representative government, one that supported Choctaw identity, culture, and language. In many ways, Gardner, along with other like-minded Choctaws, went toe-to-toe with existing leadership, which often led to both public and private conflict.

As part of their communication network, the Oklahoma City Council of Choctaws created a publication entitled "Hello Choctaw!" which became a newsletter for tribal members. Language preservation and revitalization were also goals at this time, with the organization reprinting first-language materials such as Choctaw Hymnals and Dictionaries.

After the Termination Bill was defeated, leaders like Gardner examined the implications for the Executive Office. In 1971, the Federal Government granted an election of the Choctaw Chief, the first since approximately 1948. Gardner leveraged his platform and filed for candidacy early on, outlining his platform with much success. Although the historic age limit for the Chiefship was thirty, it was altered to thirty-five after applicants had already filed. Gardner and another candidate were made ineligible for office, sparking a substantial petition program and later lawsuit.

Gardner's suit was unsuccessful, but he utilized the 1971-1975 period to hone his platform and advocate for the Nation. His platform, known as the "Seven Goals for the Seventies," was laid out as follows:

1. Use the Choctaw Capitol at Tuskahoma.
2. Divide the Choctaw Nation into districts from which the Choctaw people would elect representatives to handle their business.
3. Work out a system for teaching the Choctaw language.
4. Publish a Choctaw Tribal Paper.
5. Issue regular financial reports.
6. Place more emphasis on education for the Choctaw people.
7. Establish Choctaw Tribal Industries.

In 1975, Gardner was elected Principal Chief and immediately enacted many of his goals. "Hello Choctaw!" published its very first issue as the Tribal Paper of the Choctaw Nation in November of 1975, and it would serve as the tribal paper until early 1978. Belvin's creation of a museum at the Choctaw Capitol helped preserve it. Gardner supported its growth and expanded the historic Labor Day Festival on the grounds, ensuring their continued use.

Gardner's term came during a time of landmark legislation that would usher in a new era of tribal self-governance. The budget and employment increased rapidly as the legislature provided the means for Choctaws to take control of programs previously operated by the federal government. Eventually, the tribe required a dedicated structure to house all tribal offices. Gardner procured substantial grants, including one for the lease of the former Oklahoma Presbyterian College, which he converted into a tribal headquarters.

"Coming to Durant for our administrative headquarters was a hard decision to make. I had to find a place to put all of the Choctaw operations under a single roof. I also had to make sure we could get a place where we would get the most for our money. We will utilize every room in the two old buildings. This will give us a tribal complex big enough to handle all of our tribal affairs.”

Around the middle of his time in office, circa 1977, Chief Gardner informed the tribe that he had cancer. Initially, he responded well to treatment, fulfilling his duties as Chief, albeit through adjusted schedules. During this time, Gardner established the Constitution Development Department and consulted tribal members for input on a new governing document. While he continued to oversee the Nation throughout 1977, his medical condition worsened until his passing in January of 1978. He was thirty-seven years old.

Chief Gardner is recognized as one of the youngest Chiefs of any tribal government in the country and an outstanding leader. His services were conducted privately in Sulphur, OK, with public services occurring in other locations across the state. In just over two years in the Executive role, Gardner expanded the tribal budget from $1,000,000 to $8,000,000. Many of the programs created by Chief Gardner are still in use today with extensive portions of his reformation platform enduring through the continued work of his successors.

"We are now living in a different world where there is hope instead of despair, where adequate housing is a possibility and adequate health services are approaching reality. We are a people on the move, ready to assure our position in this great land of ours. We deserve the right to survive but to do so in the face of our adversaries, we must be united."

-Principal Chief David Gardner, 1977

Photo Credit I: David Gardner, Oklahoma Historical Society
Photo Credit II: David Gardner, Oklahoma Historical Society

01/26/2026

CHOCTAW NATION CLOSURES ON JANUARY 27:

All Choctaw Nation tribal offices will remain closed on Tuesday, January 27, due to the impact of the winter weather in the CNO service area. Tribal offices will be working virtually and remain available to provide assistance throughout this weather event and can be reached at 1-800-522-6170.

The Choctaw Nation Health Services Authority Hospital ER and inpatient units in Talihina will remain open, as will all CNO businesses.

Tribal members impacted by winter weather and in need of emergency assistance should contact the Office of Emergency Management Disaster Response hotline at 1-844-709-6301 or the CNO Public Safety Dispatch at 580-920-7000.

01/08/2026

An interview in a Title IV Publication from 1974, entitled “The Indian Way,” featured Chief Belvin stating, “A leader has to compromise sometimes, but he cannot ever compromise his beliefs.”

This week’s Choctaw Chiefs Post highlights Harry James Watson Belvin, who served for twenty-seven years as Principal Chief of the Choctaw Nation.

Born on December 11, 1900, Principal Chief Harry "Jimmie" Belvin was born on December 11, 1900. He was the last Choctaw Chief to be an original enrollee of the Dawes Commission. He was the eldest of six boys born to Watson and Mabel Belvin. Watson valued education, and according to Jimmie, purchased a home next to a school so that Jimmie could easily attend. During an interview in 1974, Belvin shared that when his father dropped him off at school on the first day, he was scared enough to run straight out of the schoolhouse and right back home. He joked that his father was surprised to see that his own son, whom he had just dropped off, got home before he did. Watson took his son back to school and remained a fervent supporter of his son’s education thereafter.

In his teens, Belvin was converted to Christianity at a brush arbor and remained ardently religious throughout his life, attributing successes to his faith. After high school, Belvin pursued a career in the cattle industry. In 1922, he married Lucille Brightwell. Around this time, Belvin recalls that both he and his father struggled to manage cattle and land and were strapped financially. A man of action, Belvin went back to school to pursue more stable employment. He attended Southeastern College in Durant, where he earned a two-year certificate to teach. By the mid-1920s, he was teaching at Goodland Indian Orphanage, and later, at other communities including Belvin, Boswell, and Iron Stob. He taught for approximately fifteen years.

Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, the Belvin boys were known as “scrappers,” with the youngest, Frank, becoming an accomplished boxer at Bacone. Jimmie served as his manager and would often step into the ring himself. In 1934, he entered the Eastern Oklahoma Amateur Boxing Tournament as a Featherweight. After a strong first round, he was knocked out in the second by Joe Davis of Claremore.

In 1937, Belvin was elected County Superintendent of Public Instruction. He was involved with Choctaw politics, becoming a member and later President of the Choctaw Chickasaw Confederation. One of his main goals was to re-establish elections for the Chiefship. He worked directly with State and Federal officials to return elections to the Choctaw People and campaigned heavily at the grass-roots level. In 1948, after the passing of Principal Chief Durant, Belvin won a referendum vote. The appointment was confirmed by President Harry S. Truman.

One of the enduring efforts of Chief Belvin was modernizing the Annual Gathering at the Capitol, observed intermittently since 1938. In 1948, he updated the event, reinvigorating it by holding it over Labor Day Weekend, a change which of course, still stands today.

Throughout the 1950s, Belvin noted that there were not a lot of social programs for Choctaws during the era. Oftentimes, when he proposed new policies or advocated for change, he was met with opposition from BIA leadership. During the 1950s, he secured a seat in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, where he served for six years. In the 1960s, Belvin moved on to the Oklahoma Senate, where he attributed many of his latter policies to positive changes at the BIA level.

Belvin was a supporter of the National Congress of the American Indian and would later become President of the Inter-Tribal Council of the Five Tribes, in 1958. Perhaps one of the most important acts rendered during his tenure was the "Self-Rule Act” of 1959, which would remove federal oversight of the Choctaw Nation and establish a new governing body to take over tribal affairs. Throughout the 1960s, Belvin worked with leaders from area councils to craft the transition for the re-adjudication of Choctaw self-governance. Ultimately, the bill that was drafted and signed to foster the creation of avenues for Choctaws to regain tribal sovereignty was turned into a bill that would terminate all available services and grants for Choctaws. To his credit, Belvin worked tirelessly to create extensions throughout the mid-1960s and eventually, to convince advocates at the federal level to repeal the bill, entirely.

The 1960s and 1970s saw a resurgence of tribal autonomy and the return of general elections. In 1971, Belvin was elected Principal Chief. In addition to the creation and expansion of programs impacting health, education, housing, and job assistance, Belvin nurtured the growing Choctaw Nation Historical Society in its efforts to restore the Tvshkahomma Capitol Museum and complete the project in 1975. He also established the Tvshkahomma Ranch, nearby. Belvin's tenure as Principal Chief was instrumental to the creation of vital programs still in use today, such as Choctaw Nation CHR, Arts and Crafts, the first three Indian Health Clinics, the Choctaw Manpower Program, and the first Choctaw Cultural Center, which was located in Hugo.

Belvin remained involved in Choctaw affairs throughout his life, supporting the Choctaw Bilingual Education Program as an oversight member. He authored his own autobiography in 1981. Five years later, he would pass away at the age of eighty-six. Chief Belvin served as Chief of the Choctaw Nation for twenty-seven years but served his people for over fifty.

"This is a good time to be Indian.” -Chief Harry Belvin, 1974

Photo Credit 1: Chief Harry Belvin, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Website, "List of Chiefs"
Photo Credit 2: Chief Harry Belvin, Oklahoma Historical Society
Photo Credit 3: Chief Harry Belvin, "The Indian Way," Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, 1974

12/22/2025

Nittak Hullo Chito Na Yukpa!

Just a reminder that the Tvshkahomma Capitol Museum will close at 1:00, Tuesday afternoon, on December 23, and remain closed until Friday, December 26. From all of the Tvshkahomma Capitol Museum Staff, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, to all!

12/12/2025

This week’s Choctaw Chiefs Post highlights William Durant, who served from 1936 until his passing in office in 1948. Durant remains the only Chief of the Choctaw Nation to have received Oklahoma Hall of Fame status before his role in the Executive Office and was the only Chief of the Choctaw Nation to live in the historic Tvshkahomma Capitol Building.

William Durant was born in 1866 to Sylvester Durant and his wife, Martha, in what is now Bennington, Oklahoma. His father, Sylvester, was a son of Pierre Durant and would go on to become a Reverend, frequently serving as Chaplain for the General Council of the Choctaw Nation. William's first cousin, Dixon, is considered the founder of modern Durant, Ok.

William Durant was educated at local schools within the Choctaw Nation and would later attend Arkansas College in Batesville, graduating in 1886. While he would become internationally known as a politician, education was Durant’s first undertaking. He served as a teacher in local neighborhood schools while working in the cattle trade. Additionally, he served as a Trustee of Schools in the Durant area. It was in this capacity that he helped to organize a school at Double Springs, near present-day Mead. He appointed two teachers who would eventually form the Calvin Institute and later, the Oklahoma Presbyterian College. In this way, the educational infrastructure of the Choctaw Nation evolved, contributing to Durant’s lasting legacy.

Durant went on to join the legal profession, working as a lawyer in Choctaw and Chickasaw courts, and later, the Federal Court system. In 1890, he was elected to the Choctaw House of Representatives. In 1892, he became Speaker of the House and married Ida May Corber. After the passing of Simon Dwight, Superintendent of Jones Academy, Durant served in the role until a replacement could be secured. He was a substantial backer of Thomas Hunter’s campaign.

After statehood, Durant became a central performer in the “marriage” of the state and Indian territory (the moniker “Mr. Indian Territory” illustrated this). He would remain a member of the Oklahoma Congress for the first six sessions, eventually becoming the first Indigenous Speaker of the House for the state of Oklahoma, while still serving as Speaker of the House for the Choctaw Legislature. As a legislator, he was heavily involved with advancing education in Oklahoma, supporting colleges. He was considered one of the main contributors to the establishment of Southeastern Teachers College, later Southeastern Oklahoma State University.

Durant was respected as a politician, becoming one of the original members of the Choctaw Advisory Council (representing Oklahoma City). One of his greatest accomplishments during this time was supporting the restoration of the Choctaw Capitol structure at Tvshkahomma. He served on the committee soliciting donations to return the structure to the Choctaw Nation. In 1932, he became the first Choctaw inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. In 1936, he became the Chief of the Choctaw Nation and would serve in that role until his passing in 1948.

Many of the initiatives established by Chief Durant were implemented during his time serving on the Advisory Council. The rebuilt Choctaw Capitol and its annual gathering on the grounds were orchestrated during his tenure, along with the construction of updated hospital facilities in Talihina, and relief projects in Kullihoma and Wilburton. Shortly after the reconstruction of the Capitol Building, Durant established a living quarter within the structure, living there until his passing. During this time, he and the advisory council set up economic and community-focused events on the grounds, introducing Arts and Crafts and Museum Departments. Durant would often invite civic groups and figures to the Capitol, holding an annual “Iksa Meeting,” a precursor to the Labor Day Festival observed today. He encouraged Choctaws to get involved in community events, inviting state and federal officials to events at the Capitol and facilitating dialogue between tribal members and representatives. During World War II, he called on able-bodied Choctaws to support the war effort and oversaw several economic relief programs during the era. In 1942, he and Ida celebrated their 50th Anniversary, a milestone reported by newspapers throughout Oklahoma and beyond.

Post-war political groups, including the McAlester Jaycees and leaders around Oklahoma, advocated for the Choctaw Capitol to become the "Capital of the World." They proposed the idea that Tuskahoma be made the first ever capital of the United Nations (yes, that one). Although this nomination never had a real chance, it brought a great amount of attention to the Choctaw Capitol during the era. After eleven years of living at the historic Choctaw Capitol, Durant passed away in August of 1948. Funeral services were held in both Tuskahoma, and Durant, where he rests today.

Photo Credit 1: George Cotton, Emma Cotton, William A. Durant, and Ida May Durant, Oklahoma Historical Society
Photo Credit 2: William Durant, Oklahoma Hall of Fame
Photo Credit 3: William Durant, sitting near the Choctaw Capitol in his later years, William Durant Collection, Oklahoma Historical Society