0

Ten Commandments sculpture unveiled at Trails of Tears walk

at
Categories
Tags

From left, Chief Gary Batton, Assistant Chief Jack Austin, Jr. and members of the Choctaw Tribal Council unveil the sculpture The Ten Commandments in opening ceremonies at the 2017 Choctaw Nation Trail of Tears Walk and Heritage Day. Photo by Jason Hicks/Choctaw Nation.

Choctaw Nation release

­TUSKAHOMA – Those attending the 2017 Choctaw Nation Trail of Tears Walk and Heritage Day on May 20 witnessed an additional special event – the unveiling of a sculpture, The Ten Commandments.

And estimated 2,000 people were on hand for the annual Walk held on the Historic Choctaw Capitol Grounds at Tvshka Homma. Walkers and supporters gathered in front of the Choctaw Nation Council House, site of the newest art on the grounds. As opening ceremonies got underway, Chief Gary Batton, Assistant Chief Jack Austin, Jr. and members of the Choctaw Tribal Council circled the covered artwork. The cloth was removed to reveal a carving of the Holy Bible opened to the Ten Commandments.

It stands 5-foot-4 and weighs about 3,000 pounds. Natural gray in color, it is made of native Georgia granite mined from a three-mile long, one-mile deep vein of granite.

Boyd Miller, Preferred Supplier Program Manager for the Choctaw designed the work based on submissions throughout the Choctaw Nation. Don Parson’ Jordan River Monuments, in Poteau, was the builder, with actual construction done in Georgia.

The sculpture displays two versions of the Ten Commandments. The left side page is in King James English, and the right, facing page, in Choctaw. Lilly Roberts and Teresa Billy, noted Choctaw language speakers, helped with details of the Choctaw wording of the Ten Commandments.

After celebrating the unveiling, walkers lined up on the road in front of the Choctaw Tribal Council House. Previous day’s rain and lingering puddles did not deter walkers, who trekked the full two and a half mile route commemorating the Trail of Tears of the 1830s.

Heritage Day activities concluded with cultural demonstrations of basket weaving, pottery making, stickball and traditional Choctaw dancing. A large tent covered 14 Choctaw artists’ booths. Painting, pottery, medicine bags, beadwork, flutes, knives, bows and arrows, and handmade stuffed animals were among items displayed and for sale.

Comments are closed.