LIVINGSTON, Texas — A tribe in Texas has come under new leadership and the change has made tribal history.
On Tuesday, the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas introduced its new principal chief, Donnis Battise, and second chief, Millie Thompson Williams. Battise and Williams were officially inaugurated on Sunday, January 1, 2023.
Within the tribe, the principal chief is known as the Mikko Choba and the second chief is known as the Mikko Istimatokla.
Williams is the first woman in the history of the tribe to serve as a chief, according to a Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas release.
“This is an absolutely historic moment for our Tribe,” Ricky Sylestine, the Chairman of the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas Tribal Council, said. “We are proud of our new Second Chief and look forward to this new chapter in our story."
Williams is a mother of four, grandmother to six, and a tribal elder who is consulted for language preservation within the community. She is a lifelong resident of the Alabama-Coushatta Tribal community.
The new second chief has been an educator and health/mental health coordinator of the tribe’s Head Start Program for more than thirty-five years.
"She will be a great leader for our tribe, and her election will send a positive message to all of the young people in our community," Sylestine said.
Sylestine describes Williams as a woman who is humbly honored by the monumental and distinguished vote as the tribe’s next Mikko Istimatokla. This will place her in a highly esteemed position within the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas.
The principal and second tribal chief serve for a lifetime. Their role is to act as ambassadors of the tribe and to provide cultural advice to the Tribal Council and key tribal committees.
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