XXXXXXX INDIGENOUS ENGAGEMENT
Land does not require that you confirm it exists or that it has been stolen, rather that you reciprocate the care that it has given to you.”
IF YOU ARE JOINING THE 2025 NASPA ANNUAL CONFERENCE IN PERSON, you are visiting a place known in pre-colonial times as Bulbancha, a Choctaw word that means “place of many tongues,” recognizing its function as a trading hub for many peoples of distinct heritages and linguistic groups. The Choctaw, Houma, Chitamacha, Biloxi,
FUTURES BETTER SERVED
Joseph Pierce, Cherokee Nation citizen, associate professor and Director of the Native American and Indigenous Studies Initiative, State University of New York at Stonybrook
OPENING WELCOME
CASEY BIGPOND Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians
and other Indigenous peoples have lived on this land since time immemorial.
chanter for many Choctaw Social Dance Groups and Pow Wow Singer with the group Medicine Tail Singers, which takes him regularly to various events across the globe. From the World Series of Stickball, Mr. Bigpond holds numerous titles: (3) with Bok Cito team (2) with Pearl River team and (7) from the Tuskahoma Series in Oklahoma. He had the distinct honor of representing the United States of America, the State of Mississippi, and the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, traveling to Europe to perform at the International Council of Organizations of Folklore and Folk Arts Festival in Confolens, France, with the Choctaw Dance Troupe and to market his arts and crafts. Mr. Bigpond's love for Choctaw Culture started in his early teen years. He knew very little, but as the years went on, his interest grew, as he expanded his knowledge from other tradition bearers. He states that his life's goal is to see the next generation take hold of the tradition and responsibilities to carry them forward for future generations.
Casey Bigpond, an enrolled member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, was born in Claremore, Oklahoma, but now calls the Choctaw Reservation in Philadelphia, MS, his home. A 2003 Neshoba Central High School Graduate, Mr. Bigpond attended a local community college in Meridian, MS, and went on to Talking Leaves Job Corps ,where he obtained a certificate in Business and Office Technology. He worked as a Professional Truck Driver, and with his driving experiences, he landed a job with Choctaw Tribal Schools part-time. Then he came on board with the Cultural Affairs Program as a Cultural Revitalization Specialist and now serves as the Cultural Director for Jena Band of Choctaw Indians. As an ambassador of Choctaw culture, Mr. Bigpond works as an instructor, presenter, driver, and hosts numerous Choctaw Cultural Workshops each month, showcasing Choctaw History and Culture through arts, crafts, music, dances and song. Mr. Bigpond is accomplished singer and
Pronunciation Guide Choctaw [ chaak ·taa] Houma [ how ·muh] Chitimacha [chi·tee· maa ·chuh] Tunica [ too ·ni·kuh] Biloxi [buh· luhk ·see] Bulbancha [bull· bahn ·chah] Learn More American Library Association Indigenous Tribes of New Orleans and Louisiana https://www.ala.org/aboutala/ offices/nola-tribes Bulbancha Tours: Explore New Orleans Indigenous Heritage https://bigeasymagazine. com/2018/12/17/remembering- bulbancha-the-place-of-many- tongues-a-tour-of-new-orleans- unlike-any-other
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