Dewayne Hornbuckle of Poteau, Oklahoma, began playing stickball at age five every other weekend at the stomp grounds.
As the son of a coach and an athlete himself, it seemed natural for Dewayne to follow in his father’s footsteps and join the coaching profession. For over 15 years, he taught wrestling, softball and baseball for Poteau and Talihina public schools, and when his own children came along, he coached their soccer, tee-ball, softball and baseball teams.
“I liked working with kids,” says Dewayne, “before they’re tainted by the world.”
His desire to see young people, especially Choctaw youth, succeed eventually led him to a change in careers in 2015 when he came to work for the Choctaw Nation’s Youth Outreach program as an advisor. In this role Dewayne mentors a group of young tribal members from Districts 3, 4, 5 and part of District 6.
The Youth Outreach program provides a wide variety of services for students who have a hardship at home. Advisors make home and school visits and help with things like long and short-term goal setting. The ultimate aim of the program is to give Choctaw youth a positive sense of identity and connect them with their Choctaw culture through group meetings that may include language lessons and art and crafting workshops.
For Dewayne, teaching Choctaw culture during his group meetings is an honor, but it is also an obligation because so many generations were not taught the traditions of their ancestors.
Youth Outreach has a dance troupe that performs social dances for local schools, and the students in the troupe take the lead in educating the audience on the historic significance of Choctaw dance. Dewayne believes that teaching youth the context of Choctaw culture empowers them to teach others and be leaders in their social groups and communities.
Two stories stand out most for Dewayne when asked about his proudest moments as a Youth Outreach Advisor. One comes from a young man whose family had been affected by numerous challenges at home, and he was very shy and withdrawn when he came to Youth Outreach. Over time, however, he grew into a strong leader for the group, helping other kids learn the expectations and setting a good example for his peers.
"It's pretty cool when you see something click and a kid takes on that challenge and steps up to break the cycle or better themselves." — Dewayne
His other favorite moment as an advisor came when a long-time client asked him to be one of her escorts onto the field during Senior Night at her high school’s football game. She had not had a father figure in her life, but Dewayne’s guidance and encouragement clearly made a positive impact.
In addition to his duties as a Youth Outreach Advisor, Dewayne is a 15-year veteran player on the Tvshka Homma stickball team. What started out as the occasional game at the stomp grounds has grown into a full-fledged revival of the ancient Native American sport. There’s even a World Series of Stickball, held annually on the Mississippi Choctaw Reservation. In 2022, the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma sent three teams to the World Series, making it the twelfth year for CNO to participate.
Dewayne has passed on his love for stickball to his own children, including daughter Kyra (23), who began playing in the Choctaw Nation’s Yvnvsh Homma youth league and now plays center for the Tvshka Homma Ohoyo. As a child, Kyra attended the games at the stomp grounds with her father.
According to proud dad Dewayne, Kyra is “a great athlete — a natural.” Others must think so, too, because she was chosen to play on the All-Star team at the World Series of Stickball last year.
For Kyra, though, stickball is more than a game. It represents the endurance of Choctaw culture and the resilience of the Choctaw people.
"It just makes me really proud because we’re bringing back our culture, rather than having to hide it or be ashamed of it." — Kyra
When asked what he would say to someone who is looking to connect with their Choctaw roots, Dewayne said, “You have to ask questions and get multiple people’s opinions and thoughts. Tradition may be generally the same, but it could vary from family to family, community to community, or tribe to tribe. Just don’t be afraid to ask questions and seek out those people who will give you answers. The biggest thing is communication across the board. At a lot of our demos, we touch on racism and stereotypes. If you have a question that’s genuine, no one will be offended by that question. If we don’t answer the questions, the stereotype gets magnified and passed on.”
Learn more about the Choctaw Nation’s Youth Outreach program. You can also learn more about the game of stickball and the Choctaw Nation’s stickball teams.
