Season 1, Episode 13: “National Native American Heritage Month & Preserving the Stories of Those Who Came Before Us: Seth Fairchild, Choctaw”

“Cicero shot him”, Ella stated, as her declining 91-year-old mind recalled memories aloud from her childhood. She was near death now, preparing to go home to her Creator, but not without first reliving the event that had occurred when she was just 7 years old. She was a child, too young to comprehend why Cicero would shoot “him". But who was Cicero? And who was the “him” of which she spoke?

Ella eventually peacefully passed on, her family mourning the loss of this sweet matriarch. But this great loss also included her stories leaving with her forever…or maybe not. It would be 12 years following her death that the story of Cicero was resurrected, the mystery of his victim unraveled and the beginning of a fascinating historical journey.

Ella was my great grandmother and although she’s no longer with us, I’ve made it my mission to ensure the precious stories of her life live on.

Keeping history like this alive is why Native ChocTalk exists today. It’s officially Native American Heritage Month and I’m grateful in this latest episode to partner with Seth Fairchild – a man also on a mission to preserve our Native stories via the Choctaw Nation’s Chahta Foundation.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• Ella’s mystery of Cicero solved and how it led to a family united
• The mission of the Chahta Foundation
• A new idea for your family over the holidays (hint: sit down and record their stories!)
• How to best preserve your family stories
• Tips on researching your ancestry
• My own ancestral recording mishap (whoops!)
• A real-life story of how making a fool of yourself can open the doors to your ancestral history
• My never-ending quest to find Coleys and Cannards
• Beautiful flute music by my sister as we take a moment to honor those who came before us

Friends, even if you’re not American Indian, Seth and I would like to invite you, our listeners to join us in preserving YOUR family’s history and stories!

We’re cheering you on and feel free to share your family history with us on my Native ChocTalk Facebook page – we’d love to hear from you! https://www.facebook.com/nativechoctalkpodcast

Chahta Foundation: https://chahtafoundation.com/

Season 1, Episode 13: “National Native American Heritage Month & Preserving the Stories of Those Who Came Before Us: Seth Fairchild, Choctaw”: post episode

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