Chickasaw Inkana Foundation promotes area’s first settlers for Native American Heritage Month

The Chickasaw Inkana Foundation sponsored a showing of 'Choctaw Code Talkers'

TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) – Before a screening of the movie “Choctaw Code Talkers”  the Chickasaw Honor Guard presented the colors, displaying the flags representing the United States and the Chickasaw Nation.

Brady Davis is executive director of the Chickasaw Inkana Foundation, which sponsored the screening, to commemorate Native American Heritage Month.

“We want to celebrate all First American cultures,” Davis said.

While the story of the Navajo Code Talkers and their contributions during World War Two is well known, most people aren’t as familiar with the Choctaw Code Talkers of the First World War.

“The Choctaw were extremely instrumental in transmitting information, including orders,  troop movements, battlefield reports,  information of that nature and what is interesting is this is all before they became U S citizens with the passing of the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924,” Davis said.

The Chickasaw Inkana Foundation also hosts school assemblies and other events, highlighting the history, culture and accomplishments of Native Americans.

“An understanding of our history, American history, First American history, is all vital to our understanding of not only our past, but our future and especially during Native American Heritage Month, being able to highlight remarkable acts of First Americans, not only in the past, but in contemporary cultures as well is something we strive to do,” he said.

This summer, groundbreaking ceremonies were held for the Chickasaw Heritage Center,  a 160 acre, $60 million educational experience that will share accounts of the history and culture of the Chickasaw nation, from a Chickasaw perspective.

“It will be an anchor for the community, trails will connect to Natchez Trace Parkway’s scenic trail, we will have a playground, café, theater and multi purpose room with a number of activities for the public to enjoy,” Davis said.

Construction on the first buildings should start in March. The Chickasaw Heritage Center is expected to open in November of 2026.

For more information on the capital campaign to complete the Chickasaw Heritage Center, go to inkana.org/CHC