Choctaw Tribe
Tribal Origin: Muskhogean FamilyNative Name: Chahta – The name of a legendary chief. Home Territories: Alabama, Luisianna, Mississippi and eventually OklahomaLanguage: ChoctawAlliances: Sided with the Americans during Revolutionary War. Sided with the Confederacy during the United States Civil WarEnemies: Chickasaw
The Choctaw occupied the Mississippi Valley and parts of Alabama. They were farmers who lived in a matriarchal society.
A peaceful people, the Choctaw saw economic opportunities and sold goods and livestock to the Europeans who ventured into their territory.
Between 1801 and 1830, the Choctaw made a series of treaties with the U.S. government, ceding 23 million acres of land. They were forced to relocate to Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma) in 1832. Once on the reservation, the Choctaw adapted to white culture through interaction with missionaries.
Choctaw soldiers were code-talkers in WWI. The Germans could not understand their language.
Famous Choctaw Chiefs and Leaders
In doing research on Choctaw genealogy, it is useful to combine standard genealogical research with information from federal records. The typical research of records in the county courthouse or state archives frequently leads to other information from the federal records.
There are extensive governmental records relating to trade, military affairs, treaties, removal to Oklahoma, land claims, trust funds, allotments, military service and pensions, and other dealings with the Choctaw Indians, which reach back to the early days of the existence of the Republic.