CHOCTAW, Miss. — The New York Times recently featured the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians in an article detailing the National Endowment for the Humanities grants for 2020. The MBCI was one of three entities in Mississippi to be awarded one of these highly sought-after grants. The article can be found here.

The National Endowment for the Humanities’ mission is to support curriculum projects, historical collections and humanities exhibitions in the United States. The grant awarded to the Choctaws, which totals over $390,000, will allow the Tribe to fund the production of a print and electronic dictionary of the Choctaw language.

“This project funded by NEH will help the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians in our Language and Cultural revitalization efforts through documenting modern Choctaw language, publishing a Mississippi Choctaw Dictionary, and providing a digital resource for learning the Choctaw language,” said Jay Wesley, Director of Chahta Immi for the MBCI. The Department of Chahta Immi exists to inspire, promote, embrace, and enhance the cultural heritage of the Choctaw people.

“In these somber times, when every individual, community, and organization in America is feeling the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, it is a joy to be able to announce new projects that will produce vibrant humanities programs and resources for the reopening of our cultural centers and educational institutions,” said NEH Chairman Jon Parrish Peede.“ He went on to say that these projects “exemplify the spirit of the humanities and their power to educate, enrich, and enlighten.”

As one of the United States’ original first nations, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians is the only federally recognized American Indian tribe living within the State of Mississippi. With over 11,000 members, Choctaw lands cover over 35,000 acres in 10 counties. Providing permanent, full-time jobs for over 5,000 Tribal-member and non-Indian employees, the Tribe is a major contributor to the state’s economy.

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