Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Headquarters — Local services in Durant

It is with a heavy heart that I write this. As a dedicated member of this tribe, I have long believed in the values of community, support, and accountability that our leadership claims to uphold. Unfortunately, my recent experience has left me disillusioned, disappointed, and deeply hurt.

Despite years of quiet perseverance and self-reliance, I reached out for emergency assistance during a critical time — and was denied. I was a student worker at my college, employed through a grant for over two and a half years. During this time, I balanced work, motherhood, and academics, ultimately graduating with honors. This was no small feat. I had once been a high school dropout, a teenage mother, and a young woman often overlooked. My graduation marked a deeply personal triumph over those challenges.

Only two days after earning my degree, I underwent major foot surgery that left me non-weight-bearing and completely unable to walk. As I faced recovery, mounting bills, and the loss of my student job, I turned to the tribe for help — the same tribe that has claimed to support its members in times of crisis. I applied for emergency assistance, not out of convenience, but out of true necessity.

Instead, my application was denied — allegedly because my employment was “temporary.” But how can 2.5 years of consistent work and contribution be considered temporary? I had also been asked to apply for jobs to prove my willingness to work, which I did, despite my current immobility and post-surgical state. I explained my situation clearly and honestly. Still, it did not matter. My voice was not heard.

What’s more disheartening is the broader pattern I see. There is a troubling lack of transparency regarding how tribal funds are allocated. When I inquired how much funding is received per tribal member — for myself and my children — I was denied a clear answer. As members, do we not have the right to understand how the resources allocated in our names are being used?

I do not benefit from the tribe’s medical services, nor do I use the facilities or programs built with multimillion-dollar budgets. I live far from the tribal center and rarely ask for help. But when I finally did — during one of the most vulnerable moments of my life — I was dismissed.

This experience has left me questioning the integrity of those entrusted with our welfare. The system feels broken. The people entrusted to protect and uplift us seem more interested in financial control than in meaningful care for their members.

All I ever wanted was support when I truly needed it. I do not ask for extravagance. I simply ask for fairness, transparency, and compassion.

Sincerely,

The...

Last time I was at headquarters I needed to breastfeed my son. I went into an unoccupied corner of the lobby to feed him. I wear nursing clothes for modesty and was not exposing myself inappropriately. A female staff member came over to me and said is there any way I can go elsewhere to breastfeed. I said no thank you, we are okay here. She continued to push and say we have a nursing room. I said thank you that is good to know. Baby is almost done eating and then I need to head out to my car to leave. It didn't make sense to go somewhere else to feed him and I was comfortable where I was. It was very clear she was disapproving of my feeding my infant, but I smiled and said thank you for the information. He's just eating, every human being needs to eat.

It's sad to me that in this day and age mothers can't do something as natural as feeding their babies without being made to feel like they're doing something wrong. If it is acceptable for an adult to eat a snack in the lobby, it should be acceptable for my infant to eat as well. Mother's rooms are great for women who prefer a private space, but mothers should be able to nurse wherever they are comfortable. In the USA, women are permitted to breastfeed their infants anywhere they are otherwise legally allowed to be. Choctaw babies were breastfed by their mothers and other lactating tribe members. Of all places, I should have been able to breastfeed my infant in peace at Choctaw...

My sister's are shamed of being Choctaw Nation Tribal Members. Unless you live in the 10.5 counties, they don't care about their members. My oldest sister has type 1 diabetes and has died 2 times is unable to work and since Choctaw Nation has a new emergency services policy saying you basically need to be completely homeless and useless they won't help. My other sister lost her job and after weeks of putting in applications was finally able to get another one without the tribes help she's doing what she can to survive with her kids and husband. She also trying her best to take care of our oldest sister who had to move in and needs her insulin on a daily basis otherwise she will be hospitalized. The tribe says it needs to know what hardships you go through before helping. I guess dying twice and having no jobs aren't enough. Now since they have no electricity they can still careless about their members I guess less members is best...