On November 16, the Carthaginian newspaper in Carthage, Mississippi ran a front-page story about the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians’ casino referendum under the headline, “Chocs go to polls today.” Tribal members consider “Choc” to be offensive. Publisher Waid Prather took responsibility for using the “derogatory” term. He said, “I hope the members of the tribe who know me well and with whom I have worked will recognize I made an unintentional and unfortunate mistake, and will recognize it in no way reflects a lack of respect for them personally or for the tribe as a whole.”
The story concerned the tribe’s recent vote rejecting the proposed Red Water Casino in Leake County. The turnout barely met the threshold required for a referendum to be considered valid under tribal law.
Chief Phyliss J. Anderson supported the casino and said it would create new jobs and generate more revenue for the tribe. However, in a statement sent to local media, she accepted the loss and also addressed the offensive headline. Anderson wrote, “Moving forward, it is my hope that we create a healthier discussion and higher awareness about our culture and people.” She said the paper employed a “derogatory tone and word” in the headline.
The tribe owns the Pearl River Resort, which offers two casinos, as well as the Bok Homa Casino.
