S10, E2, Pt 7: Choctaw Labor Day Festival 2025 | Stickball: “Little Brother of War”

Deep drumbeats. Sticks striking together. The roar of the crowd. The energy builds… This is Choctaw stickball and it’s more than a game. It’s tradition, pride, community, and a living connection to our ancestors. In this episode of Native ChocTalk, we’re heading to the 2025 Choctaw Nation Labor Day Festival to experience the stickball tournament, hear from players and announcers, and learn why this powerful tradition continues to bring our communities together. Congratulations to the 2025 winners: Women: Team Rouge Men: Team Koni-Shine If you’d like to dive deeper into the history and meaning of stickball, check out Native ChocTalk’s Season 2, Episode 5 on YouTube! Yakoke to Steve Aicinena, Owner of Iceman Photo who provided many of the fantastic stickball photos in this episode! Check him out www.icemanphoto.com. Next up: Part 8 - Choctaw Labor Day Festival 2025 | Why We Gather Choctaw Nation Labor Day Festival 2026: September 4–6 in Tvshkahomma, Oklahoma Text LABORDAY to 888777 for festival updates Yakoke to the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma for partnering with me on this series!