Choctaw Indian Fair and Pageant returns

The Choctaw Indian Reservation will be holding its 72nd Choctaw Indian Fair and Pageant this coming July. The Choctaw Indian Fair is a way to celebrate the Choctaw's heritage and share its culture with the community. We sat down with the current Choctaw Indian Princess Shemah who informed us of what we can expect this year.

"Well, this year, on the very opening night, we have the Choctaw Indian Princess Pageant, which is where I get to give up my crown and have my final walk, which should be really, really exciting for me, but sad at the same time. But you can also see the finest, the best of our traditional wear, our traditions, our culture that night," said Crosby.

Shemah says they will also have their Traditional Stickball Tournament which she says is World Series Stickball.

"The way that we say it in our culture is "kapucha Toli". And so that's our traditional alternative to war, kind of how we would settle disputes back in that day. But now we use it as a recreation game."

Live Entertainment along with rides and vendors and a kid's zone will be present. Shemah says the Fair is a huge celebration of what her Tribe has accomplished and tells us what she hopes visitors gain from visiting.

"It's just a huge learning opportunity for everybody, for all locals, for everybody that comes far near. I just hope that they are able to cherish our Choctaw Culture as much as we do," said Crosby.

Being the Choctaw Indian Princess is every young girl’s dream says Shemah and expressed what it meant to her.

"It was a dream. It really was. And honestly, just thinking about it right now, it's going to be hard to give up because it was a lot of work. And whenever you're growing up, you see the princess all the time. And so you're like, I want to be the Princess. And it's crazy actually becoming the Princess," she said.

The Choctaw Indian Fair is set to take place from July 13th until July 16th.