Halito,

As we start off the new year, I wanted to reach out and personally remind everyone that if you have any changes to your personal information such as your address, phone number, or name, please let our main receptionist know. They can be reached at (318)992-2717 or 1-877-595-6239.

At the Tribal Center and all of our businesses, we strive to provide the best service to our members. We kindly ask that all employees do the same. The Tribal Council has been working hard to review and approve budgets, and to improve and implement new initiatives for the future.

We are excited to announce that our first community meeting of the year will take place on Saturday, March 11th at 1:00 p.m. The agenda for this meeting will be available closer to the date.

Looking forward to a productive and successful year together.

Warmly,
Chief Libby Rogers

The White House Tribal Nations Summit is an annual event that brings together the leaders of the 574 federally recognized Tribes in the United States to meet with the President and members of his administration. The summit provides a unique opportunity for Tribal leaders to discuss issues of importance to their communities with high-level government officials, and for the federal government to hear directly from the leaders of the Tribes it serves.

This year, the 2022 White House Tribal Nations Summit was held on November 30th and December 1st, 2022 at the Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C. Attendees had the opportunity to hear from President Joe Biden and other members of his administration, including Deb Haaland, the first Native American Cabinet Secretary, who serves as the United States Secretary of Interior.

As Secretary of Interior, Haaland is responsible for managing and conserving the nation's natural resources and cultural heritage, and for honoring the nation-to-nation relationship with Tribes. Her appointment to this key cabinet position is historic, as she is the first Native American to ever hold the office.

Halito,

I am glad to announce that the Jena Band of Choctaw Indians Transportation Dept. is transitioning to the Jena Band of Choctaw Indians Dept. of Public Works. Through this department, I hope to take on more projects, other than just road construction, as the Tribe continues to grow. I hope to be able to use my experience in construction and my knowledge of our culture to help the Tribal Council move forward, while maintaining the Choctaw insight for the way we look at our future. I will continue to build roads and transportation facilities as well. I hope to be announcing the groundbreaking for a new parking lot at the powwow grounds sometime this Spring. With more land acquisitions comes more opportunities for more projects. Be on the lookout for more exciting projects in the future!

Arthur “Chip” Fisher
Public Works Director

I am excited to announce that the Jena Band of Choctaw Indians has restructured our Cultural Department. We have separated the Tribal Historic Preservation and Cultural Activites/Heritage. Through this transition, I will be working strictly with Tribal Members to provide more classes, training videos, and be able to open up our physical and digital museum. The last 3 years working for my Tribe have been exciting and I hope that I have made my people proud. When I moved here from California, I knew that I was Tribal and that my grandfather, Leon Allen, had served on Council, but through my time here I have been able to learn more about who was involved in our Federal Recognition, I've met people that I had only ever heard of in stories, and I have learned my culture and bits of my language. The infrastructure for my department is that WE WORK FOR YOU. Please never be shy to tell me what you would like as a Tribal Member, whether it be more online access to Tribal material, or more accessibility as an out-of-service area member. Yakoke. 

Alexa DiDio
Director of Cultural Affairs

The Jena Band of Choctaw Indians is proud to announce the completion of the Chahta Chukka house, a traditional Choctaw dwelling that has been built with great care and attention to detail. This new addition to the Jena community will be a cherished part of the Tribe's history for generations to come.

The Chahta Chukka is a traditional Choctaw house that was designed to be used both in the summer and winter months. The traditional summer house was open to allow airflow through the house, while the winter house had walls made from palmetto and straw to insulate them. Mrs. Rose, who was instrumental in the construction of the Chahta Chukka, started by scraping the cypress logs and hanging the scrapings to dry out. These logs were then used for the framing of the house.

Mrs. Rose's hard work, dedication, and knowledge of the Tribe comes from her grandfather, Anderson Lewis. He passed down his knowledge of traditional Choctaw construction techniques, which she used to ensure that the Chahta Chukka was built to the highest standards. Palmetto was harvested to create the roof, which was also a traditional Choctaw construction technique.

The Jena Band of Choctaw Indians Health Department is reminding all patients to provide copies of their insurance cards, Medicare/Medicaid cards, and driver's license or ID every year. Keeping this information up-to-date in the medical record is important to ensure that patients are receiving the best possible care and that insurance claims are processed correctly.

Having accurate and up-to-date insurance information on file is crucial to ensuring that patients receive the proper care and that claims are processed correctly. Additionally, the Health Department needs copies of driver's license or ID in order to verify the patient's identity and ensure that the correct medical information is associated with the correct patient.

If you have recently changed insurance plans or updated your identification, please make sure to provide copies of the updated information to the Health Department as soon as possible. This can be done by visiting the health department in person or by sending a copy of the updated information via mail or email.

It is also important to remember that you must bring your insurance card, ID and Medicate/Medicaid card with you to all appointments, so that the Health Department can ensure all your information is accurate, up-to-date, and complete.

If you have any questions or need assistance updating your information, please do not hesitate to contact the Health Department. We are here to help you receive the best possible care and to ensure that insurance claims are processed correctly.

It was a trip to remember for the thirteen JBCI Tribal Elders who recently journeyed to Mountainview, Arkansas for their annual trip. The Elders left the Tribal center on Friday, November 4th and returned on Monday, November 7th, and they were in for a treat throughout the weekend.

The Elders were treated to grand meals each evening and enjoyed a wealth of knowledge and history shared among the group. Fellowship, rich conversation, and melodious laughs filled the air as the group bonded and reminisced. But the trip wasn't all about sitting down, the elders also got to experience some excitement and adventure. They went zip lining and toured caves, proving that age is just a number and that there's always room for fun and excitement.

Sisters Janice and Felicia, the oldest Tribal Elders, were not to be left out of the fun. They took on the challenge of zip lining and showed the others just how exciting it could be. It was a true testament to their spirit of adventure and willingness to try new things.

The trip was a great opportunity for the Elders to bond, share their stories, and create new memories. It was also a reminder that life is meant to be enjoyed and that age should never be a barrier to experiencing new things. The JBCI Tribal Elders return home with memories that will last a lifetime and a renewed appreciation for the beauty of life.