Durant City Council voted in a meeting last week to rename Big Lots Boulevard Chahta Way, a name that the city and tribe said honors the rich heritage, history, and continued presence of the Choctaw people in the community and reflects the strong partnership between the City of Durant and the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.
Chahta means Choctaw. The Choctaw Nation bought the former Big Lots Distribution Center earlier this year after rumors were circulating that the federal government was interested in converting the building into a detention center. Big Lots opened in 2004 on Enterprise Drive, and it closed in 2025 due to financial struggles.
A resolution by the city states that the road provides access to the property and “Chahta Way reflects the heritage and identity of the Choctaw people and provides a more appropriate designation for the roadway serving the property.”
Choctaw Tribal Council member for District 9 James Dry mentioned partnerships between the tribe and the city.
“We appreciate you all so much,” Dry said.
Sara Jane Smallwood-Cocke is an employee of the executive branch for the Choctaw Nation, and she said the name was developed in partnership with the tribe’s communications division, language school and ultimately, Chief Gary Batton.
“I think it’s very symbolic to show the Chahta Way, the Choctaw Way in that partnership with the city so we appreciate it so much and I’m just always proud that we serve so many of the same residents here in the City of Durant,” Smallwood-Cocke said. “So, thank you, yakoke.”
Mayor Martin Tucker was absent from last week’s meeting, but in a news release, Tucker said, “The renaming represents more than a change to a street sign. It is a recognition of the Choctaw Nation’s profound impact on our community and an opportunity to honor the history and culture that are deeply woven into the fabric of Durant. We are proud to celebrate this partnership and the shared future we continue to build together.”
Durant City Manager Pam Polk spoke of the broader significance of the road’s new name.
“Renaming this street to Chahta Way is important to the City of Durant, the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, the State of Oklahoma, and our nation as the name brings remembrance to the ways of the Chahta people, past, present and future,” Polk said, in a news release.
Batton is appreciative of the collaboration and significance of the road’s new name.
“We are honored by the City of Durant’s partnership in changing the road name, which now reflects the heritage and ongoing presence of the Choctaw people in southeastern Oklahoma,” Batton said, in a news release. “This roadway, which connects to the former Big Lots Distribution Center, is also situated directly in front of the Choctaw Nation headquarters. Since the nation acquired the Big Lots property, the facility now represents an important connection to our future growth and continued investment in the region. Renaming the road Chahta Way acknowledges the rich history of the Choctaw people and our deep ties to this community.”