Many of today's Chickasaw elders are not fluent in the Chickasaw language as a result of the boarding school era their grandparents overcame. Today, they have the opportunity to heal a once missing connection to their native language, transforming their skills from novice to fluent speaker in the Tishomingo Adult Language Class.

"Whenever you get around some people who are fluent speakers ... it really makes me more motivated to learn," Clinton Factor, class participant, shares.

Bonded by a shared desire to preserve the Chickasaw language, the class creates an environment in which mistakes are a welcome part of the learning process. Together, the work being done within the walls of the Tishomingo Adult Language Class will aid in continuing the Chickasaw language for generations to come.