Tim Tingle


Tim Tingle is a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma an award-winning author and storyteller of twenty books.

Early life

Tingle was raised on the Gulf Coast outside of Houston, Texas. He is an Oklahoma Choctaw. His great-great grandfather, John Carnes, walked the Trail of Tears in 1835, and his paternal grandmother attended Indian boarding schools in the early 1900s. In order to preserve the legacy of the Choctaw culture, Tim's family shared stories of their heritage and the struggles that Native Americans face.

Education

Tingle received an bachelor's degree in English from the University of Texas, and he received his master's degree in English Literature from the University of Oklahoma in 2003.

Career

Tingle is a featured storyteller at festivals across the nation, after getting his start telling stories when he visited the school his son attended. He frequently performs at the Texas Storytelling Festival, most recently in March, 2018. In 2002, he was featured at the National Storytelling Festival. In June 2011, Tim spoke at the Library of Congress. In 2014, Tim was featured author and speaker at the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Tingle has also travelled to Germany to complete over ten speaking tours on behalf of the US Department of Defense, teaching children and military personnel about his experience as a Choctaw Indian. Tingle was a speaker at the Native American wing of the Smithsonian Institution in 2006 and 2007.
Tingle's first book, Walking the Choctaw Road, was recognized by Storytelling World Magazine as the Best Anthology of 2003. He has won awards for many of his other books for youth. Flying Lessons, the anthology of stories edited by Ellen Oh for the "We Need Diverse Books" movement includes a piece by Tingle.

Works