57th Annual Meeting & 29th Festival Sept. 29 - Oct. 7
This article appeared in the September 2017 edition of the Chickasaw Times
TISHOMINGO, Okla. - The Chickasaw Nation 57th Annual Meeting and 29th Chickasaw Festival is set for Sept. 29 through Oct. 7.
Chickasaws from across the country attend the week-long event. Governor Bill Anoatubby delivers the “State of the Nation” address during Annual Meeting.
Annual Meeting begins at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 7 in Fletcher Auditorium on the Murray State College campus in Tishomingo.
A live video stream of the Chickasaw Annual Meeting will be available at Chickasaw.net/AnnualMeeting, and a live audio stream will be available on KCNP 89.5 FM in Ada, 89.3 FM, Dickson and www.KCNP.org.
Chickasaws have gathered annually for fellowship and celebration of the tribe’s culture and history since an informal 1960 gathering at the rural Johnston County church at Seeley Chapel.
Annual Meeting is a capstone of a week-long celebration of Chickasaw heritage and traditions during the Chickasaw Festival.
The week features the coronation of tribal royalty, stickball, fun runs, archery, horseshoes, senior and junior Olympics, golf tournament, and coed slow-pitch softball. Artists from Southeastern tribes display their works and compete at the Southeastern Art Show and Market (SEASAM), Oct. 6-7.
Venues in Tishomingo, Ada, and Sulphur, Okla., areas will host activities throughout the week. Things kick off with a stickball competition and stomp dance Friday, Sept. 29 at Kullihoma. A Traditional Cornstalk Shoot is set for Saturday, Sept. 30, also at Kullihoma, seven miles east of Ada on State Highway 1.
Several activities are planned in Tishomingo Sept. 30, including a one-mile fun walk and 5K run, co-ed softball tournament, a golf tournament, museum tours, Junior Olympics and a stickball tournament.
Three young ladies will be crowned Chickasaw Princess, Chickasaw Junior Princess, and Little Miss Chickasaw during the Chickasaw Princess Pageant, 6 p.m., Monday, Oct. 2 at Ada High School Cougar Activity Center. New royalty will reign for one year and serve as ambassadors of the Chickasaw Nation at events around the state and across the nation.
Chickasaw Cultural Evening will host artists, Chickasaw Press authors, a traditional meal of pashofa, grape dumplings, pork and fry bread, Thursday, Oct. 5, beginning at 4 p.m., at the Chickasaw Cultural Center, Sulphur. The Cultural Center is a world-class facility dedicated to educating and celebrating the history, culture and traditions of the Chickasaw Nation and its people.
Chickasaw Nation Arts and Culture Awards, on the Cultural Center campus Oct. 5, will honor the Silver Feather Award recipient and name the Dynamic Chickasaw Woman of the Year. Ceremonies begin at 6:30 p.m., in the Anoli’ Theatre.
The hub of activity is the Chickasaw Nation Historic Capitol in Tishomingo. Area school children come and enjoy tours of the capitol throughout the week. The kids join the fun by learning to play stickball, trying their hands at archery, touring historic Chickasaw Nation buildings, stomp dancing and learning techniques in ancient arts and crafts.
The Southeastern Art Show and Market (SEASAM) opens at 9 a.m., Friday, Oct. 6 at the historic capitol grounds in Tishomingo. The show is open to all artists of Southeast and Woodlands tribes. Last year more than 85 artists participated. SEASAM artists will also showcase their works from 11:30-5 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 7.
Other events scheduled for Oct. 7 include the traditional parade, arts and crafts vendors, cultural demonstrators, food booths, a health fair, horseshoe tournament, children’s activities, entertainment, a parent/child fishing tournament, storytelling, and stomp dance and stickball demonstrations.
A complete listing of events, locations and schedules is available online at www.Chickasaw.net/AnnualMeeting. Event schedule is subject to change. Please visit often for the latest event updates.
Follow Chickasaw Nation social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for updates.
For more information call (580) 371-2040 or 1 (800) 593-3356.