Choctaw Nation Mississippi River Clan

Choctaw Nation Mississippi River Clan is a sovereign Choctaw Nation ("Chahta"). The Nation is a United Nation-, United States Federal- and State-recognized peaceful Tribe/Nation.Fact|date=September 2007

The members of this tribe originally inhabited the Mississippi River valley, down through present day Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana. Their language, the Choctaw language ("Chahta Anumpa"), is a member of the Muskogean language family.

History

During the War of 1812 Pushmataha, a Choctaw brigadier general in the U.S. army, fought under future president Andrew Jackson. Pushmataha's valour and leadership sincerely impressed Jackson, who would later pay his respects at the Choctaw leader's funeral. [cited to The National Journal, Washington, December 28, 1824 at a genealogy.rootsweb.com biography [http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~prsjr/na/people/choctaw/pushmat1.htm here] ] While president, however, Jackson's policies ultimately led to the removal of the Choctaw people to Indian Territory. During the 1820s the U.S. Federal government increasingly pressured the southeastern tribes to move west of the Mississippi River. Several times before 1830 the American government officials proposed to the Choctaws that they exchange their homeland for Indian Territory, present day Oklahoma. At the same time the future states of Alabama and Mississippi were pressuring the federal government to remove the Indian nations from their chartered state boundaries. In 1830 American Treaty Commissioners asked the Choctaw leaders to meet them at Dancing Rabbit Creek in order to consider land session and removal. Most Choctaw opposed removal west and the Choctaw District Chiefs declined saying the Choctaws did not want to leave their country. The Chiefs were told that Article XIV of the treaty allowed people to remain in the east, their homeland, but that the state of Mississippi would extend its law over the Choctaws and the people could no longer live under their own government and laws. The Choctaw's would be forced to live under U.S. and Mississippi law and become U.S. citizens. Under these threats the Chiefs agreed to accept removal and exchange their land for Indian Territory, although many of the people refused to leave their homeland. Under the Treaty the Choctaw's were to move west over the next 2 years.

Between 1831 and 1833 3/4 of the Choctaw migrated to Indian Territory while roughly 2000 stayed in the east, the ancestral Choctaw Nation. Only a small number of Choctaw were officially registered under the treaty for remaining in Mississippi State, and many were destined to live economically and socially marginal existences throughout the rest of the 19th and well into the 20th century. In 1833 the Choctaw formed a Constitutional Government, which remained under Choctaw control until 1907. By the 1850s roughly two thousand Choctaws lived in several small communities that were scattered from New Orleans to Mobile, where they continue to speak their native tongue and to practice the ceremonies and rituals that had and continue to give meaning to their lives. It is from these groups that the Choctaw Nation Mississippi River Clan finds its members. [A request has been made that "Any “lost” or “disband” family may contact the Choctaw Nation Mississippi River Clan by e-mail at: [mailto:[e-mail] [e-mail]] "]

Citation

* Much of this article is written from the personal thoughts of Shaman Lemmuel Walker, Shaman Cloud Rainbow Walker, and Shaman GoldenEagle RedHawk
* Haag, M; Willis, H. (2001) Choctaw Language & Culture Chahta Anumpa