Choctaw Landing Art Hike

When the Choctaw Nation came to us with the idea for the Choctaw Art Hike at their new resort, Choctaw Landing in Hochatown, Oklahoma, we immediately saw the opportunity to create something truly special. They wanted to celebrate tribal artists and Choctaw heritage in a way that felt immersive, engaging, and modern – something that would stand out and leave a lasting impression on guests. We took that vision and brought it to life through an innovative blend of cultural storytelling and digital technology. Our solution included a lifelike artificial intelligence (AI) avatar of Chief Gary Batton, a mobile website experience that gamified the on-site art tour, and a suite of in-room promotional videos to round it all out. It was a deeply collaborative project, and we’re proud of the result: an experience that blends tradition and tech to honor the culture while enhancing the guest experience.

The main challenge was balancing innovation with cultural sensitivity. We needed to create a high-tech solution that wouldn’t just entertain but would educate – and do so accurately. The Choctaw Nation was clear: There was no room for error or improvisation when it came to cultural representation. That meant we couldn’t rely on traditional generative AI models to provide unscripted responses; we had to maintain complete control over every word spoken by the avatar. On top of that, the experience needed to function in a busy casino environment, with all the noise and distractions that come with it.

We approached the project in three parts: the digital avatar, the mobile site, and the promotional content.

The digital avatar of Chief Batton was created using HeyGen’s AI avatar platform and displayed on a Proto M holographic unit. We filmed Chief Batton delivering a core script and then used AI to animate and voice 40+ unique, preapproved responses to questions about the Art Hike and Choctaw culture. Rather than using an open-ended large language model (LLM), we built a closed-loop system that allowed guests to ask natural questions, which were matched via a similarity search to one of the scripted answers. The avatar would then deliver that message using accurate Choctaw pronunciations and natural voice inflection. To initiate the interaction, users physically touched the screen, activating the system in a way that avoided picking up random background noise from the casino floor. The kiosk used OpenAI’s Whisper for speech-to-text processing and was configured to run smoothly in a proprietary, locked-down browser environment.

For the mobile experience, we built a responsive web app that worked like a native app but with no need for downloads or logins. Guests could scan QR codes placed beside various art installations throughout the resort to unlock artist bios and details about the pieces. To encourage exploration, we included collectible Choctaw art cards – guests could “collect” them by scanning key pieces around the property. The app also featured an interactive map to guide visitors to each piece. Built using React and Next.js and hosted via WP Engine, the mobile site relied on local storage to track progress and made the experience feel personal without needing a back-end database. Originally designed just for Choctaw Landing, this mobile site ended up being so successful that the Choctaw Nation asked us to go back and retrofit their earlier experience at Choctaw Casino & Resort–Durant to match the new one.

To promote the Art Hike throughout the property, our team also developed a suite of videos for in-room and on-site screens. These videos explained how to participate in the experience, introduced Chief Batton’s digital avatar, and helped guests understand the cultural importance of the artwork. Our goal was to make sure guests understood that this wasn’t just entertainment – it was a meaningful connection to Choctaw heritage.

The final experience was a win across the board. Chief Batton was thrilled with how the avatar turned out, and resort guests found the experience to be both memorable and engaging. The kiosk performed reliably in a complex environment and gave us the flexibility to test and deploy updates remotely – no on-site interventions necessary. The mobile site helped guests discover more of the property and drove deeper engagement with the art installations. And the videos ensured that guests were aware of the experience from the moment they entered their rooms. The project ultimately became a showcase for how technology can enhance cultural storytelling – honoring tradition while creating a rich, immersive guest experience that sets Choctaw apart as a culturally rooted, luxury destination.