The hatulhpushik (butterfly) is meaningful within Chickasaw culture. Butterflies represent perseverance and the ability to adapt and change. Butterflies also serve as the symbol of the annual Dynamic Women of the Chickasaw Nation Conference.
Since 2015, the Chickasaw Nation has worked with several First American tribes to establish butterfly-friendly habitats throughout Oklahoma. This effort increases the availability of food critical to monarch butterfly survival during their annual migration from Mexico to Canada.
The Chickasaw Nation has harvested hundreds of thousands of native butterfly-friendly seeds. Some are stored in a seed bank, but thousands of seeds are grown at the Chickasaw Cultural Center.
Located in the monarch butterflies’ prime migration flight path, the Chickasaw Cultural Center’s 184-acre campus features more than 45 butterfly gardens containing butterfly-friendly native plants. One of the gardens contains educational panels about the plight of the monarch butterfly and serves as the primary butterfly garden for visitors.
While the Chickasaw Cultural Center hosts the crown jewel of a network of gardens sponsored by the Chickasaw Nation and other First American tribes, there are many gardens maintained by the Chickasaw Nation. These include sites at the Chickasaw White House, Boggy Depot Park, WinStar Golf Course and Chickasaw Nation Headquarters.