“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.

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.

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

Chahta Foundation: https://chahtafoundation.com/

Native ChocTalk Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/nativechoctalkpodcast

Podcast Episodes: https://nativechoctalk.com/podcasts/