page_title: Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
section_title: Legislative department
hierarchical_section_title: Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma / Government / Legislative department
caption_attribution_description: English: District map of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.
context_page_description: The Choctaw Nation is a federally recognized Native American tribe with a tribal jurisdictional area and reservation comprising 10.5 counties in Southeastern Oklahoma. The third-largest federally recognized tribe in the United States and the second-largest reservation in area after the Navajo, the Choctaw Nation maintains a special relationship with both the federal and Oklahoma governments. The tribe is the successor-state of the original Choctaw Republic, which had existed as a semi-independent entity in the United States Indian Territory until Oklahoma entered the Union in 1907.
  As of 2011, the tribe has 223,279 enrolled members, of whom 84,670 live within the state of Oklahoma and 41,616 live within the Choctaw Nation's jurisdiction. A total of 233,126 people live within these boundaries. The tribal jurisdictional area is 10,864 square miles. By area, the Choctaw Nation is larger than eight U.S. states – Hawaii, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware and Rhode Island.
  The chief of the Choctaw Nation is Gary Batton, who took office on April 29, 2014, after the retirement of Gregory E. Pyle.
context_section_description: The legislative authority is vested in the Tribal Council. Members of the Tribal Council are elected by the Choctaw people, one for each of the twelve districts in the Choctaw Nation.
  In order to be elected as council members, candidates must have resided in their respective districts for at least one year immediately preceding the election. "Candidates for the Tribal Council must be at least one-fourth (1/4) Choctaw Indian by blood and must be twenty-one (21) years of age or older at the time they file for election." Once elected, a council member must remain a resident of the district from which he or she was elected during the term in office. This policy ensures the involvement and interaction of successful candidates with their constituency.
  Once in office, the Tribal Council members have regularly scheduled county council meetings. The presence of these tribal leaders in the Indian community creates a sense of understanding of their community and its needs. The Tribal Council is responsible for adopting rules and regulations which govern the Choctaw Nation, for approving all budgets, making decisions concerning the management of tribal property, and all other legislative matters. The Tribal Council Members are the voice and representation of the Choctaw people in the tribal government.
  The Tribal Council assists the community to implement an economic development strategy and to plan, organize, and direct Tribal resources to achieve self-sufficiency. The Tribal Council is working to strengthen the Nation's economy, with efforts being focused on the creation of additional job opportunities through promotion and development. By planning and implementing its own programs and building a strong economic base, the Choctaw Nation applies its own fiscal, natural, and human resources to develop self-sufficiency.
caption: Current district map of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.
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