Broadband Utility Building
Groundbreaking took place for a new 12,400-square-foot Broadband Utility Building that will serve as a key facility for expanding technological infrastructure. The design includes 5,000 square feet of office space, 5,000 square feet of warehouse space for storing materials and supplies, and an additional 2,400-square-foot covered area for equipment storage.
Situated on a 2.25-acre site, the structure will feature both climate-controlled and unconditioned work areas. Inside, it will include a conference room, two restrooms, four offices, and a workroom designed to support daily operations.
Funded by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program Grant, the project is expected to be completed by the end of the year 2026. Once finished, the facility will strengthen the tribe’s broadband capacity and support ongoing efforts to advance connectivity and community development.
New Choctaw Central Middle School and High School
The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians is building a new Choctaw Central Middle School and High School on 35 acres of Tribal land on Highway 16 West. There is a state-of-the-art two-story academic building for grades 7-12, guard shack, Career and Technical building (C-TEC), basketball arena, football stadium and bus barn (to accommodate the electric and gas-powered buses) with Mississippi Choctaw cultural themes throughout.
This school is replacing the current school building in 1963 and is over 60 years old. Students growth over the years have increased significantly and many must go to classes in double-wide trailers and bused to the C-TEC every day.
The school is expected to be completed this summer in time for the 2026-2027 academic school year.
Tribal Historic Preservation Office (THPO)
The THPO continues to lead in repatriation, cultural preservation, and Section 106 reviews. Twenty-five ancestral remains have been repatriated, with over 100 awaiting reburials. Collaboration continues with the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH) and Mississippi State University (MSU) for Nanih Waiya mound preservation and related cultural projects.
Nanih Waiya Mound Maintenance are in the planning stages. MBCI is currently working with the MDAH and the MSU Cobb Institute for nearby cultural soil significance near the mound and repair of the stairs.
Section 106 map encompasses Louisiana and parts of Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. The THPO receives between 25 to 100 Section 106 requests per week from development of companies, businesses, DOT.
Pipeline Oversight
Two major pipeline projects—the Mississippi Crossing Project and Kosci Junction Project—are being monitored for impacts to Tribal lands and resources. Both projects involve major infrastructure expansions across Mississippi, with construction extending through 2029.
Mississippi Crossing Project (MSX): A new ~206–208 mile Tennessee Gas (Kinder Morgan) pipeline stretching from Greenville, Mississippi, to Butler, Alabama. Construction is expected to begin in late 2027, with operations slated for November 2028.
Kosci Junction Project: Managed by Boardwalk Pipelines, this involves adding ~102 miles (Attala to Clarke counties) + 8 miles in Humphreys & Sunflower counties, along with new compressor stations and modifications to existing ones. Scheduled to go into service by April 2029.
NAGPRA/Cultural Repatriation
This is an on-going part of the THPO’s responsibilities to work toward repatriation of ancestral remains or cultural items. To date, over 100 remains and funerary objects need to be reburied. Some of the items are housed at the MDAH Museum and Harvard Peabody Museum. Currently the THPO is researching for best reburial site or repatriation cemetery for MBCI.
Carbon Credits Project
Climate Impact Partners’ NY Climate Week event, “Putting Carbon Credits to Work”, was held in September 2025. John Hendrix and Dr. Sarah Swanner-Medlock were on the panel.
Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) presentation of a check to the Tribe on November 04, 2024.