Larry Hawkins posthumously honored with Lifetime Service Award
OKLAHOMA CITY — The annual Chickasaw Historical Society (CHS) Ittafama Ithana (Gathering to Learn) Conference provided an opportunity to connect historical knowledge with contemporary Chickasaw identity and explore Chickasaw culture. The annual conference was conducted May 21-22 at OKANA Resort & Indoor Waterpark.
The 2026 conference was designed to reflect the theme “Weaving the Past into the Future” and featured presentations, panel discussions and cultural activities designed to engage the 190 CHS members who attended.
Byron “Larry” Hawkins, a Chickasaw citizen who dedicated his career to preserving Chickasaw culture and history, was posthumously awarded the CHS Lifetime Service Award. The award was accepted by his wife, Joanna Hawkins.
The CHS Lifetime Service Award is presented by the CHS board of directors to individuals who exemplify a lifetime of service and outstanding contribution to Chickasaw history, culture and community.
Chickasaw Nation Governor Emeritus Bill Anoatubby appointed Larry Hawkins to serve on the CHS board of directors in 2023. Hawkins was passionate about the organization’s goal of preserving Chickasaw history and culture through communal efforts, according to CHS board members.
He also served as the pastor of Okchamali “Blue” Baptist Church in Connerville, Oklahoma, for 32 years.
Board member Wayne Edgar presented the award, recognizing Hawkins for his “unwavering dedication to his calling to the ministry of the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
“Larry Hawkins was dedicated to being faithful to the Scriptures,” Edgar said, adding it was gratifying to recognize him. “To be able to honor brother Larry Hawkins with the lifetime achievement award, it is so wonderful.”
Joanna Hawkins said her late husband of more than six decades was her hero. She also shared a story of his ability to speak the Chickasaw language and the connection made to her family.
“When I started dating him, I took him home to meet my mom and dad. My mother was a full-blood Chickasaw and was not comfortable speaking English, she just spoke our language,” Joanna Hawkins said. “Larry started speaking (Chickasaw) to her, and that was the thing that won her heart, that he could speak our language.”
She thanked the group for the honor. “He was a great man. I miss him terribly, but I thank you for honoring him today.”
Larry Hawkins was born to John Edward Fulsom and Mary Fulsom in 1941. His grandparents were Charlie Fulsom and Lena Hawkins, both Chickasaw citizens. When he was 6 years old, Hawkins was adopted by Bill and Dora Hawkins, who were also Chickasaw. He grew up near Fittstown, Oklahoma, on allotted Chickasaw land. The primary language spoken was Chickasaw, and Larry Hawkins only began speaking English when he started school.
He joined the Army National Guard in his junior year of high school, serving more than 25 years and attaining the rank of major.
He worked as an insurance adjuster and was also employed with the Chickasaw Nation, where he worked in insurance and health systems before serving as an instructor for the defensive driver safety program.
Larry Hawkins died Jan. 21, 2026, at age 84 at his home in Stonewall, Oklahoma.
He had three children, seven grandchildren and a great-granddaughter.
Ittafama Ithana
The annual CHS conference promotes cultural involvement and historical awareness to preserve, protect and celebrate Chickasaw history and culture.
The two-day gathering featured presentations, panel discussions and cultural activities designed to engage CHS members. Sessions were available in person and virtually, allowing participants from across the country to attend.
Michael Cornelius presented “The Chickasaw Flute: The Untold Story,” Lokosh (Joshua Hinson, Ph.D.) presented “With My Tongue Half Dead: Chickasaw Poetry,” Dustin Mater presented “Rabbit Trails and Returning Home” and Sue Fish presented “Weaving Culture Through Native Southeastern Basketry.”
A guided tour of the First Americans Museum (FAM), a basket-weaving class and a reception were offered the first day of the conference. Jessica Imotichey moderated a panel discussion featuring Chickasaw artists Abby Gaines, Lauren John, Cotie Poe-Underwood and Lokosh.
Chickasaw citizen Norma Bush has attended the conference for five years. This year, she traveled about five hours from her home in Tyler, Texas, to attend.
Studying her family genealogy led her to discover and join the historical society. She said she enjoys learning new aspects of Chickasaw culture and heritage presented at the conference and has witnessed attendance grow each year.
“The growth is really amazing,” she said.
CHS member Judy Barker, a Chickasaw citizen from Oklahoma City, has attended the conference for many years and always enjoys connecting with friends, family members and her own history.
“The best thing of our 2026 conference was the opportunity to bond with my history through stories of flute making, poetry and basketry, and most of all was the opportunity and time to bond with my Chickasaw friends and family.”
Membership in the Chickasaw Historical Society supports the organization’s work to promote the study and preservation of Chickasaw history through conferences, publications and educational programs.
For more information about the Chickasaw Historical Society or the Ittafama Ithana conference, visit Chickasaw.net/CHS, email CHS@Chickasaw.net or call (580) 436-7282.