Chief Ben elected to MDAH board

Tribal Chief Cyrus Ben, the fifth democratically elected chief of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, has been elected to the board of trustees of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH). The action took place at the regular meeting of the MDAH Board of Trustees on Friday, July 12. His nomination will be submitted to the Mississippi State Senate for confirmation.

Chief Ben will be the first Native American and member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians elected to the MDAH Board of Trustees.

“Chief Ben brings an excellent background of public service and leadership experience,” said Spence Flatgard, MDAH Board of Trustees president. “MDAH will benefit greatly from his expertise and dedication.  We are thrilled to have him on our Board.”

A lifelong resident of the Pearl River community, Chief Ben has a 15-year record of public service and leadership to the Choctaw Tribal government, including eight years as the Tribal Council representative for the Pearl River community. He was elected as Tribal Chief in July 2019 and re-elected in 2023. He also served on the Mississippi State Flag Commission, which oversaw the selection of the new state flag that includes a symbol of native territory before statehood.

Chief Ben holds a bachelor’s degree from Mississippi College and an associate’s degree from East Central Community College. 

A member of the Mississippi USA Semiquincentennial Commission that will commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026, Chief Ben is also a board member of the Mississippi Commission for Volunteer Service and serves as a delegate on the Health Resources and Services Administration Tribal Advisory Council, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Office of Minority Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Center for Indigenous Innovation and Health Equity Tribal Advisory Committee.