For many people, music is part of everyday life.
It’s unusual to go a single day without hearing or humming some kind of tune. It is the accompaniment to the mundane tasks we perform every day; it is the soundtrack to our most important milestones; it can soothe us, break our hearts, and elevate our moods.
For Erica Cunningham, music is how she celebrates her faith and keeps her Choctaw culture.
Erica’s earliest memories are grounded in Grace Indian Baptist Church near Achille, Oklahoma, which has been home to multiple generations of her family. In the early days before the church building was erected, the congregation met in the homes of different community members, including Erica’s grandparents, Atchman and Elizabeth Arkansas.
Erica’s parents divorced when she was very young, but her tight-knit family offered all the support she needed. Her grandparents brought her to church often, and her aunt Christie helped out after her grandparents passed away. Erica’s life centered on her congregation and school.
“Growing up in the church, we were there probably four times a week, and when we weren’t there, we were traveling to other churches,” said Erica. She recalls attending Friday night singings and youth rallies and conferences at Native American churches. “Those Native Americans I wasn’t closely related to, but they all helped with my upbringing and learning more about my culture and being part of a group of Native Americans because I’m Choctaw and Chickasaw.”
Erica’s family encouraged her to take full advantage of her educational opportunities. She was active in athletics from a young age, and her academic success was always important to her, but it was music that would broaden her horizons.
In 2004, Erica was chosen to be part of a choral group that toured Europe. They performed in nine countries over two weeks. In Switzerland, Erica felt like she could “really see God’s work in the mountains.”
She also had the opportunity to visit the sites of WWII concentration camps, which left a lasting impression on her. She felt a sort of kinship with the people who were held captive there, not only because her ancestors were also subjected to unspeakable horrors, but also because her grandfather was a prisoner of war during WWII, where he was forced to endure terrible conditions and starvation. He was awarded the Purple Heart when he eventually returned home.
In 2005, Erica was a senior in high school, and she decided to run for Miss Choctaw Nation in the Choctaw Princess Pageant, where she chose to sing a Choctaw hymn for her talent demonstration. She ended up winning her district and the final pageant. For a year, she served as an ambassador for the Tribe.
Traveling with the Choctaw Nation helped Erica come out of her shell, but perhaps most importantly, it helped spark a desire to learn about Choctaw culture and participate in traditional activities.
"You know you're Choctaw; you know who you are. Generations now can see who our tribe is and how important it is and can be a part of this group. You see your bloodline, you see your ancestry, and you're prouder of it because you can put a stake in it. You can touch and feel it."
Part of being Miss Choctaw Nation is attending powwows and meeting people from other tribes. Although she had always enjoyed going to powwows because of the community feeling and the connection she felt with the drumbeats, going as Miss Choctaw Nation led her to a deeper understanding of her story and heritage. People began to open up to her about their own stories.
“Whenever they addressed me as ambassador or princess, it was an honor to be able to have so many people want to talk to you and share their history and who they are,” said Erica. “It was so beautiful to hear where this person had come from, to actually see in my head their line of ancestors going way back and where they came from, who they are, what they went through, and how beautiful it is for them to be here standing in front of me right now.”
As a mother of young boys, Erica knows how important it is to keep her children grounded in their faith and their culture. She and her husband prioritize God in their home, and they ensure their boys reflect kindness and community in everything they do because those are both Christian and Choctaw values.
Several times a year, Erica takes the boys to the Choctaw Cultural Center to learn more about their history and participate in hands-on traditional activities. She also works to incorporate the Choctaw language at home, so they can help preserve and protect it.
"I want to teach my sons to make something of their lives because our ancestors sacrificed to make sure they have one," she said. "They come from a long line of warriors on both sides of the family."
To learn more about Choctaw hymns, visit our Language Department’s page. The Choctaw Hymn Book is also available in the App Store for Apple users.
If you are interested in participating in or learning more about traditional Choctaw activities, check out the Choctaw Cultural Center’s website.
