His great-great grandfather, John Carnes, walked the Trail of Tears in 1835, and his paternal grandmother attended Native American 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.
[3] Tingle is a featured storyteller at festivals across the nation, after getting his start telling stories when he visited the school his son attended.
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 Native American.
Flying Lessons, the anthology of stories edited by Ellen Oh for the We Need Diverse Books movement includes a piece by Tingle.