Joe Gaines

Joe grew up in rural SE Oklahoma on the Choctaw Nation. As a boy, he enjoyed being outdoors—hunting, fishing and running with his dog Mike.

Joe (Choctaw) is a traditional Indigenous drummer, singer, educator, and activist for social justice and human rights. He holds a bachelors degree in Liberal Studies with a concentration in Native American and Indigenous Studies, and a minor in Business from Southeastern Oklahoma State University, Durant, Oklahoma.

In 1830, Joe’s Choctaw ancestors walked the Trail of Tears. The United States government took away their land, crops, livestock, homes, etc., and force-marched them at gunpoint from their original Mississippi homeland to Southeastern Oklahoma. Many people died along the way and were left upon the cold ground on which they perished, as the military did not allow time to bury their bodies. Joe is a descendant of his strongest ancestors.

Mr. Gaines lives near Washington, D.C. He and his wife, T Carter currently own and operate a business called History Outside the Box.