Halito! Chim achukma? A, vm achukmah akinlih. Ant chukoa, bininili. Sa hohchifo ut Oklili~hila.
I am ShadowDancer. Although I am far from the lands
of my people, I hear their voices on the wind. My people are
the Choctaw, driven from their lands in the Mississippi Valley
to the dry plains of Oklahoma along with their cousins, the
Cherokee. Indeed, Cherokee blood also flows in my veins, as
does the blood of the Osage, and the blood of several
European people. But these are native voices that call
to me now as I reach my later years, the years of wisdom.
And it is to them I offer my song.
Cry for our
Mother Earth
Lakota Morning Prayer
Disclaimer:
I consider myself a Native American, although I have been raised in a strictly white society . Those living on the Reservation and walking the red path will probably consider me a "wannabe", but let me say in my own defense, that this was not of my doing.
My parents came to California from Oklahoma to work in the shipyards during the second world war. My Mother, from whom I inherit my Choctaw blood, never spoke of her native roots, preferring to tell those who remarked on her dark coloring that she was "Black Dutch". My Father, honoring her wishes, also did not speak of it. I find this was fairly common in those of her generation in the South where, at one time, a Native American who married an Anglo ran the very real risk of waking up hanging from a tree.
Consequently, I did not realize I had Indian blood until I was an adult and we were contacted by the BIA regarding the relocation my Great- Grandmother's burial site. I was immediately fascinated with learning the history of my people, but my Mother was very reluctant to talk about it. Year after year she returned to the family reunion in Oklahoma alone, refusing to take me with her. I finally began to realize that she must have been ashamed of my white blood. Unfortunately for her, I inherited my Father's Irish-German coloring. As time went on, other members of the family were somewhat more willing to discuss the family history. I have been studying the culture and history of my people ever since and this page comes out of the search for my native identity.
I want to emphasize that, although I do consider myself a Native American, I was raised Anglo and thus cannot be considered any kind of an authority on anything native. I am a seeker, a student and, as all of my family is now gone, grateful to anyone who can aid me in my quest.
If you find any errors in this page, please let me know. I am always trying to learn more. This page is my tribute to those who went before and whose voices should not be lost.
Yokoke. Wanbli Sapa.
The Choctaw are one of the Muskogean tribes that were originally from the Mississippi Valley area, and are generally assumed to have decended from the
"Mound Builder" culture. Legends tell that the Choctaw People originated from"Ninah Waya",a sacred hill near Nozapter, Mississippi. The name "Ninah Waya" means "Productive Mountain" and is often referred to as "The Mother Mound". The "emergence myth"is a part of Choctaw history. In 1830, as a result of the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek ,the Choctaw were forcibly relocated from their homelands in the Mississippi Valley to what later became known as Oklahoma. Twenty thousand Choctaw began the journey. Approximately seven thousand survived. This was the
infamous "Trail of Tears".
Culturally, the Choctaws have always honored their women as the head
of every family household. They were, and still are today, considered the care-takers of our children, our elders, and the home. Decent is counted through the female line. My Grandmother was Choctaw and my Grandfather was Osage, therefore my Mother and I are Choctaw.
The Choctaw had their own government, which they maintain until 1907, when the
state of Oklahoma had it dissolved and Choctaw were declared general citizens of
Oklahoma. In 1977, a group of Choctaws petitioned the Federal court, asking that
the 1860 Choctaw Constitution be legally declared the valid Constitution
of the Choctaw Nation. the Choctaw people voted in 1979 for and adopted
the document which would serve as a guide for the government and proposed
constitution. In 1981 the Federal Courts did declare that the 1860 Choctaw
Constitution was valid. The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma operates under a
written Constitutional form of Government ratified by the Choctaw people
on July 9, 1983.
The Choctaw have grown from the seven thousand who survived the Choctaw removal (Trail of Tears) to (as of the 1990 US census, 86,231 or 4.5% of the Native American population.
The Cherokee were not the only tribe that suffered on the "Trail of Tears", there were several other tribes involved, among them the Choctaw , Chickasaw and the Creek.
In 1828, the Choctaw were far from nomadic savages. In fact, they had been among the first tribes to assimilate many European-style customs, including the wearing of gowns by Choctaw women and, on occasion, suits by Choctaw men.. They built roads, schools and churches, had a system of representational government, and were farmers, owned plantations and, sadly, held slaves. Choctaw were doctors, teachers and lawyers, many of them attending "white" universities and obtaining degrees. The Choctaw joined with the Cherokee in their attempt to fight removal legally by challenging the removal laws in the Supreme Court and by establishing an independent Indian Nation. In Cherokee Nation vs. Georgia, the Court refused to hear a case extending Georgia's laws on the Cherokee because they did not represent a sovereign nation. In 1832, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Indian on the same issue in Worchester vs. Georgia, but the ruling was never enforced by President Andrew Jackson, who was known to be an Indian hater. Among the few who spoke out against the removal of the Choctaw, Cherokee and other tribes was Tennessee Senator Davy Crockett.
The Georgia Compact of 1802 provided tAt that time this area
extended westward to the eastern banks of the Mississippi River, and included
the lands (then held by treaties) of the Creek, Cherokee, Chickasaw and
Choctaw Tribes.
In 1830 the United States began the removal to Oklahoma, fulfilling a promise the government made to Georgia in 1802, that the federal government,
at their own expense, would "as soon as could peaceable be accomplished"
extinguish the Indian title to all lands within the reserved limits that
the state of Georgia had claimed for themselves. . Early that summer General Winfield Scott and the United States Army began the invasion of the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw and Creek Nations. Men, women, and children were taken from their land, confined under apalling conditions, then forced to march a thousand miles to a way of life they were no longer familiar with. It is true that among the first
groups removed, which were mostly Cherokee, loss of life was extremely high which prompted tribal leaders to appeal to Washington to be allowed to lead their tribes rather than the military. The Federal Government agreed, and the tribes were split into smaller groups which were moved separately so they could forage for food along the way. Although this lessened the loss of life, the losses for all tribes were still great.
Many people speak of the Navajo troops in WWII being so successful as radio operators because the enemy was never able to break their "code" which was their native language. But the Navajo "Codetalkers" of WWII were not the first native americans to use the "trick". Before the Navajo, were the Choctaw in the closing days of WWI, yet they are not so widely recognized.
The following is an excerpt from the Native American Almanac on Native American Codetalkers. Following is the portion that deals with the Choctaw Codetalkers. Please visit their site to read about the other tribes involved.
WORLD WAR I AND II - CHOCTAW CODE TALKERS
In the closing days of World War I, fourteen Choctaw Indian men in the Army's Thirty-Sixth Division, trained to
use their language, helped the American Expeditionary Force win several key battles in the Meuse-Argonne Campaign in France, the final big German push of the war. The fourteen Choctaw Code Talkers were Albert Billy, Mitchell Bobb, Victor Brown, Ben Caterby, James Edwards, Tobias Frazer, Ben Hampton, Solomon Louis, Pete
Maytubby, Jeff Nelson, Joseph Oklahombi, Robert Taylor, Calvin Wilson, and Walter Veach.
With at least one Choctaw man placed in each field company headquarters, they handled military communications by field telephone, translated radio messages into the Choctaw language, and wrote field orders to be carried by "runners" between the various companies. The German army, which captured about one out of four messengers, never deciphered the messages written in Choctaw.
During the annual Choctaw Labor Day Festival in 1986, Chief Hollis E. Roberts presented posthumous Choctaw Nation Medals of Valor to the families of the Code Talkers. This was the first official recognition the Choctaw Code Talkers had been given. On November 3, 1989, in recognition of the important role the Choctaw Code
Talkers played during World War I, the French government presented Chief Roberts with the "Chevalier de L'Ordre National du Merite" (the Knight of the National Order of Merit), the highest honor France can bestow.
The Choctaws were recognized as the first to use their native language as an unbreakable code in World War I.
The Choctaw language was again used in World War II. Choctaws conversed in their language over field radios to
coordinate military positions, giving exact details and locations without fear of German interception. For more about the Choctaw Codetalkers go here.
Native Americans in the Arts
The other day a friend of mine was remarking that she was beginning to notice a lot of Native Americans in movies and television and realized she was right. Not so long ago, that wasn't the case. In fact, my cousin and I used to laugh about all the Italian "Indians" in Hollywood. Not that there aren't any Italian/Indians out there, but for a while it seemed that any nationality could make a good living as a Hollywood "Indian" except Native Americans.
So I was wondering how many well known entertainment figures were Native American or had Native American blood and what their tribal affiliation was. I searched the 'net but never found a listing so I decided to make my own. The following information is subject to correction (please). If you have any additions, corrections or completions, please e-mail me.
| Name: | Profession: | Tribe: |
|---|
| Graham Green | Actor | Onieda |
| Wes Studi | Actor | Cherokee |
| Irene Bedard | ActressLakota |
| Russell Means | Actor/Activist | Lakota/Oglala |
| Buffy St. Marie | Musician | |
| Floyd Red Crow Westerman | Actor | Dakota |
| Carlos Nakai | Musician | Ute/ |
| Ronnie Robertson | Musician | Mandan |
| Chief Dan George | Actor | Salish | M/tr>
| James Garner | Actor | Cherokee |
| Billy Wirth | Actor | Huron |
| Rodney K Grant | Actor | |
| August Schellenberg | Actor |
| Will Sampson | Actor | |
Native American Links.
- CodeTalk Information Superhiway running through Indian country
- CodeTalk is an information-sharing network for, and about, Native Americans. It is sponsored by all of the Federal agencies who operate Native American programs. Its name is based on the Native American Code Talkers, heroes of two world wars.
- USET- The United South and Eastern Tribes.
- This is a site representing a confederation of 24 tribes including the Mississippi Band of Choctaw and the Jena (LA) Band of Choctaw.
- Native American Courage and Wisdom
- Native Web
- This is a wonderful site. Please visit.
- Native American Resource Server
- All kinds of resources here.
- The Powersource
- One of the best sites on the 'net and my favorite. Recommended by the History Channel. And check out Dana Tiger's (Creek) art.
- Native American Home Page Index
Some Native American Stories
Read More About Them
A Choctaw and Osage Reading List
All of the books listed below can be purchased directly from this site.
Choctaw
- The Changer
~ Ships in 2-3 days
- Tatiana Strelkoff / Paperback / Published 1995
- The Choctaw (Indians of North America)
- Jesse O. McKee, Frank W., III Porter / Library Binding / Published 1989
- The Choctaw (New True Books)
- Emilie U. Lepthien / School & Library Binding / Published 1988
- The Choctaw Code
~ Ships in 2-3 days
- Russell G. Davis, Brent K. Ashabranner / Hardcover / Published 1997
- Choctaw Genesis 1500-1700 (Indians of the Southeast)
~ Ships in 2-3 days
- Patricia Galloway / Hardcover / Published 1995
- How Thunder and Lightning Came to Be : A Choctaw Legend
~ Ships in 2-3 days
- Beatrice Orcutt Harrell, Susan L. Roth (Illustrator) / Hardcover / Published 1995
- How Thunder and Lightning Came to Be : A Choctaw Legend
~ Ships in 2-3 days
- Beatrice Orcutt Harrell, Susan L. Roth / Library Binding / Published 1995
- The Rise and Fall of the Choctaw Republic.
~ Ships in 2-3 days
- Angie, Debo / Paperback / Published 1989
- Choctaw Music.
- Frances, Densmore / Hardcover / Published 1972
- The Constitution & Laws of the Choctaw Nation (Constitutions & Laws of the American Indian Tribes Ser 2: Vol 13)
- Jonathan Cogswell / Hardcover / Published 1975
- The Mississippi Choctaws at Play
- Kendall Blanchard / Hardcover / Published 1982
- Removal of the Choctaw Indians
- Arthur H. De Rosier / Paperback / Published 1970
- Social Order and Political Change : Constitutional Governments Among the Cherokee, the Choctaw, the Chickasaw, and the Creek
- Duane Champagne / Hardcover / Published 1992
- Source Material for the Social and Ceremonial Life of the Choctaw Indians
- John Reed Swanton / Hardcover / Published 1993
(Special Order)
- After Removal : The Choctaw in Mississippi
- Samuel J. Wells, Roseanna Tubby (Editor) / Published 1986
(Hard to Find)
- The Choctaw Before Removal
- Carolyn Keller Reeves (Editor) / Published 1985
(Hard to Find)
- Choctaw Boy
- Paul. Conklin / Published 1975
- A Choctaw Source Book (North American Indian)
- John H. Peterson (Editor) / Published 1985
(Hard to Find)
- Peter Pitchlynn : Chief of the Choctaws (Civilization of the American Indian Series, Vol 116)
- W. David Baird / Published 1986
(Hard to Find)
- Removal of the Choctaw Indians
- Published 1970
(Hard to Find)
- Social History of the Choctaw Nation 1865-1907
- James D Morrison / Published 1987
(Hard to Find)
Osage
- An Eagle Nation (Sun Tracks, Vol 24) Vol 24
~ Ships in 2-3 days
- Carter Revard / Paperback / Published 1993
- Maria Tallchief : America's Prima Ballerina
~ Ships in 2-3 days
- Maria Tallchief, Larry Kaplan / Hardcover / Published 1997
- The Osage (Indians of North America)
~ Ships in 2-3 days
- Terry P. Wilson / Library Binding / Published 1988
- The Osage in Missouri (Missouri Heritage Readers Series)
~ Ships in 2-3 days
- Kristie C. Wolferman / Paperback / Published 1997
- Osage Life and Legends : Earth People/Sky People
- Robert M. Liebert / Paperback / Published 1987
- Bibliography of the Osage (Native American Bibliography Series, No 6)
- Terry P. Wilson / Hardcover / Published 1985
Our Price: $20.00
(Special Order)
- An Eagle Nation (Sun Tracks, Vol 24)
- Carter Revard / Hardcover / Published 1993
- Osage Indian Bands and Clans
- Louis F. Burns / Hardcover / Published 1984
- Traditions of the Osage
- George A. Dorsey / Hardcover / Published 194
(Special Order)
- Wah'Kon-Tah; The Osage and the White Man's Road
- John Joseph Mathews / Hardcover / Published 1932
(Publisher Out Of Stock)
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- History of the Osage People
- Louis F. Burns / Published 1989
(Hard to Find)
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- The Origin of the Osage Indian Tribe Vol 3
- Carl Haley Chapman / Published 1974
(Hard to Find)
- The Osage : An Ethnohistorical Study of Hegemony on the Prairie-Plains
- Willard H. Rollings / Published 1992
(Hard to Find)
- The Osage Ceremonial Dance I'N-Lon-Schka (Civilization of the American Indian Series, Vol 201)
- Alice Anne Callahan / Published 1990
(Hard to Find)
- Osage Indian Customs and Myths
- Louis F. Burns / Published 1984
(Hard to Find)
- Osage Life and Legends : Earth People/Sky People
- Robert M. Liebert / Published 1987
(Hard to Find)
- Symbolic and decorative art of the Osage people
- Louis F. Burns
(Hard to Find)
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