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Photo by Deidre K. Elrod / Choctaw Nation
Regina Green, director of Choctaw Nation Capitol Museum, shows handmade dolls dressed in traditional Choctaw clothes that can be viewed online athttps://www.choctawnation.com/HinaHanta.
Choctaw Artifact Collections Now Online
DURANT, Okla. – The Choctaw Nation Cultural Services Division is using modern technology to tell early tribal stories. Beginning in August 2019, artifacts from the Choctaw Nation Capitol Museum in Tvshka Homma are the first available online for viewing.
“Hina Hanta is the name of the project, which means The Bright Path in the Choctaw language,” states Jennifer Byram, Choctaw Nation Historic Preservation Research Assistant. Byram notes that the team continues to develop the site for all generations of the Choctaw community and as a useful tool for those researching Choctaw art and history.
Choctaw Nation Cultural Services received a $42,202 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to purchase specialty software and cover technical support and grant-related expenses. This allowed staff to begin creating a central catalog of the various historical collections of the Choctaw Nation. “Putting them online makes them available to an even wider audience,” Byram said. The website can be viewed at https://www.choctawnation.com/HinaHanta.
Collections from Wheelock Academy Historic Site, Chahta Nowvt Aya Cultural Center and the Chahta Imponna Database are included. Among types of artifacts displayed are basketry, games, dolls, weaponry, and clothing.
Check back in the coming months as new collections are added to the website.