Chickasaw Annual Meeting Timeline

Kullihoma is a located between Ada and Allen, Oklahoma, on Highway 1 and serves as a gathering place for Chickasaws. The land was put in a trust for the Chickasaw Nation in 1936 and today spans more than 1,961 acres. Kullihoma features traditional Chickasaw structures and  is the site of many tribal activities, stomp dances and gatherings including Chikasha Ittifama (Chickasaw Reunion). The 1966 Annual Meeting took place at Kullihoma.

Byng High School is a public school in Byng, Oklahoma. The school is located approximately 6 miles north of the Ada, Oklahoma, headquarters of the Chickasaw Nation. As the Annual Meeting continued to grow in attendance through the late 1960s and 1970s, the gathering was relocated to Byng High School. The school was the site of the monumental 1979 Chickasaw Annual Meeting where Governor Overton James was re-elected and the first Lt. Governor of the Chickasaw Nation, Bill Anoatubby, was inaugurated. Byng High School was host for the Annual Meeting from 1968 through 1991.

The Chickasaw National Capitol grounds are located in Tishomingo, Oklahoma, and is home to the Chickasaw National Capitol. Building construction of the Capitol began in April 1898 and it served as the Capitol of the Chickasaw Nation until Oklahoma statehood in 1907. Johnston County utilized the building until Governor Anoatubby negotiated repurchase of the Capitol in 1992. The Capitol was later fully restored and is now a museum sharing Chickasaw history and culture with visitors from across the country.

Beginning in 2020, the Chickasaw Annual Meeting and Festival was celebrated virtually due to COVID-19 pandemic. Chickasaws from across the country were able to learn about our heritage and culture from the safety of their homes through an online format and special video premieres on Chickasaw history, language, storytelling and traditions.