Community News

Tribe Acquires New Patrol Vehicles Tribal Miko Beasley Denson, right, along with MBCI Chief of Staff Barry McMillan, left, and MBCI Director of Public Safety Kenneth Butler, second from left, stand in front of a new patrol car acquired by the Tribe through a COPS Resource grant. The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians’ Department of Public Safety recently acquired five 2009 Dodge Chargers. The purchase of these new patrol vehicles was made possible through a COPS Tribal Resource grant. For more information on this story, please go to the "Latest Press Release" section in the next column and look for the press release dated 6.29.10.

Mills Encourages Graduates to Overcome Perceptions From left to right, Dalton Henry, Tribal Education Services Officer, Tribal First Lady Lena Denson, and Tribal Miko Beasley Denson listen as Billy Mills addresses the 2010 Choctaw Central High School graduates. Billy Mills, one of Indian Country’s greatest contemporary heroes, addressed Choctaw Central High School graduates during their graduation ceremony held on Tuesday, May 25, 2010, at the Silver Star Convention Center in Choctaw, MS.

Tribe Sponsors Boys and Girls Club Event The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians presented a $5000 check to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Neshoba, Attala, Winston, and Leake Counties in Mississippi. Pictured from left to right is, Ison Harris of The Oprah Winfrey Boys & Girls Club of Kosciusko/Attala County; Anna Denson of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians Boys & Girls Clubs; Barry McMillan, Chief of Staff to Tribal Miko Beasley Denson; and head football coach Earnest Collins of Alcorn State University.

Code Talkers Visit Tribe Three members of the Navajo Code Talkers recently visited the Tribe and enjoyed lunch with the Tribal Elders at the Elderly Activity Center. From left to right, Sammie Wilson, Choctaw Tribal Veterans Coordinator; Samuel Tso; Mary John, Elderly Activity Center Director; Albert Smith; Standing Pine Tribal Elder Jim Willis; and Bill Toledo. Members of the Navajo Code Talkers visited the Tribe on Friday, May 21, 2010.

Chickaway and Bell Join ECCC Warrior Basketball Program Family members and coaches cheer on Delanda Chickaway and Justin Bell as they prepare to join the ECCC basketball program. First row, left to right, Maurice Bowie, ECCC boys’ basketball coach; Bell; Chickaway; Bill Smith, ECCC girls’ basketball coach. Second row, CCHS boys’ basketball coach Scott Thomas; Angela Chitto, Bell’s mother; Dalton Henry, Tribal Education Services Officer; Deana Chickaway, Chickaway’s mother; Dr. Greg Carlyle, CCHS principal; Coach Walter Wilson, CCHS athletic director; Jennie Vance, CCHS girls’ basketball head coach; and Elyse Willis, CCHS girls’ basketball assistant coach. Delanda Chickaway and Justin Bell will join the East Central Community College Warrior basketball program.

All photos credited to MBCI unless otherwise indicated.