Choctaw Expressions at MC offers dynamic opportunity to learn from the MBCI community

Mississippi College President Blake Thompson and Camryn Johnson, center, MC admissions counselor, join in a social dance with members of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians during a previous Choctaw Expressions.

Mississippi College and the Clinton community can learn what it truly means to be a “Choctaw” when members of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians visit the Clinton campus on Monday, March 24, to showcase their traditions and talents during the third-annual “Choctaw Expressions.”

During the event, the gymnasium level of Alumni Hall will be transformed into a mini-Choctaw festival with all the sights and sounds of traditional tribal celebrations.

Scheduled for 2:30-4:30 p.m., the celebration will feature storytelling sessions hosted by Choctaw Tribal Language Program staff, a stickball crafts and games exhibition by Stacey Billy, and special guests MBCI Chief Ben and Leilani Elyse Allen, the 2024-25 Choctaw Indian Princess. Choctaw pottery, beadwork and concessions – including mouthwatering Indian tacos – will be available for sale.

Attendees can watch skilled artisans at work during a pottery demonstration by Jenisa Tubby, Eddie Johnson and Cynthia Massey; view traditional Choctaw clothing and bead crafts by Cultural Affairs Program staff; experience the excellence of Choctaw community dances performed by Boys and Girls Club Social Dancers under the coordination of Melanie Joe; and feast on traditional Choctaw dishes lovingly prepared by Jen Gibson.

Lori Bobo, director of university events at MC, said Choctaw Expressions presents an ideal educational opportunity for everyone interested in Native American culture.

“It’s an opportunity for our campus community and the local community to engage with the Choctaws and learn directly from them,” Bobo said. “Everyone who has attended Choctaw Expressions in the past has gained a better understanding of the Choctaw people and their proud, rich heritage.”

The only federally recognized American Indian Tribe living in Mississippi, the Choctaws are cherished contributors to the campus culture at MC. The Christian University’s ties to the MBCI were solidified in 2022 when MC President Blake Thompson and MBCI Chief Cyrus Ben, a Mississippi College alum, signed a memorandum of understanding to create a tuition assistance program for Choctaw students and a cultural exchange between the institutions.

This cultural exchange includes programming like Choctaw Expressions and other educational and cultural events that emphasize Choctaw culture and incorporate present-day Choctaw people’s customs.

Many of Mississippi College’s most valued traditions are taken directly from the MBCI. Among them:

The University’s athletic teams have proudly carried the name “Choctaws” since 1920.

MC’s on-field personality, a majestic eagle adorned in blue-and-gold feathers and important symbols of the Choctaw culture, is called “Tushka,” the Choctaw name for “warrior.”

An authentic Choctaw drum heralds the arrival of MC’s athletic teams in 17 Gulf South Conference varsity sports.

Bobo said Choctaw Expressions is an important MC “Choctaw” tradition.

“The University is blessed by its relationship with the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and it is a privilege to celebrate our association – and their authentic heritage – on our campus.”

Visit www.mc.edu/about/choctaws/expressions for the full event schedule.