Vancleave Live Oak Choctaws teaches history at ceremonial fire

PASS CHRISTIAN, MS (WLOX) - The Vancleave Live Oak Choctaw tribe invited the public out to experience the third annual ceremonial fire in Pass Christian.

“It started out with a Waltman ceremony, and we wound up with a water blessing, then we had the VFW to come in to do their colors,” said Vancleave Live Oak Choctaw member Rolling Thunder. “They walked in with their colors and they retired some American flags into the fire.”

The tribe believes teaching the public, and specifically the youth, about the history of the tribe is important.

“This day and time with all the technology we have now, this younger generation, you can talk to them until you’re blue in the face,” Rolling Thunder said. “But you take one of them and show him on a cell phone or even hand him a picture when you’re trying to explain something to him, then you got their total attention.”

Having children involved in these ceremonial fires is an integral part of the process, and this year's event had an added ceremony as well.

“I did a water blessing ceremony, and it was an honor to have children participate because we need to guide our children and let them know that we have to take of the waterways and Mother Earth,” said Spirit Hawk.

The fires have become somewhat of a family reunion for Rolling Thunder, bringing tribes together from as close as Louisiana or as far away as the Ottawa tribe from Michigan.

"It's just a blessing to have all this going on and getting bigger and bigger," Rolling Thunder said. "That's my vision, to show the people something. It's just, it's heart man. It hits the heart."

This event also had a special guest from the Ocean Springs Library, branch manager Yvonne Parton.

“I had the distinct pleasure to talk to the Live Oak Vancleave Choctaw about a month ago in regards to our exhibit that we have at the Ocean Springs Library, which is a Smithsonian exhibit and it’s titled ‘Waterways,'” Parton said.

Parton believes including Native Americans in the program was important considering their longevity in this region.

"The relationship that I'm creating with the Choctaw, I think, is important," she said. "We would really love to have them come out and do more programming for us."

The Vancleave Live Oak Choctaws will play a part in the waterways exhibit on the closing day, showing off artifacts and rituals at the Ocean Springs Library.

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