The Original Americans

I recently had an occasion to go with my wife to a tribal meeting of the Choctaw Indians in Houston. My wife is a 'card-carrying' tribal member. The tribal chief and his entourage tour every couple of years to major cities and areas where there are a large number of tribal members outside of the reservation. The main speaker was none other than the chief himself, Chief Gary Batton. The story of the Choctaws is especially interesting, as was their presentation last night. The role that American Indians play in modern society isn't well-known by most people. I have been researching the tribe for several years as I am currently writing a novel and many of the characters in the book are based on real-life people who were indeed real Choctaw Indians. The tribal meeting I attended gave me a little more first-hand insight into the people and their culture. 

First, a little history of the Choctaws. The Choctaw Nation is the third-largest Indian Nation in the United States. There are over 225,000 tribal members. They were the first tribe over the Trail of Tears from their original homeland in what is now Mississippi and Alabama to Indian Territory in southeast Oklahoma. Today, Choctaw people are enrolled in four federally recognized tribes; The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, Jena Band of Choctaw Indians in Louisiana, and the Yowani Choctaws enrolled under the Confederacy of the Caddo Nation. Choctaw descendants are also members of state-recognized tribes. One Choctaw origin story relates to pre-historic times when the Choctaw people lived in areas near or around what is now the Yucatan Peninsula. Technological advances (DNA)  have provided insights into the origins of indigenous peoples of North and South America that were completely unknown until the past couple of decades. 

The Choctaw Reservation refers to the land designated as the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma which is a federally recognized Native American reservation primarily located in southeastern Oklahoma, where the Choctaw tribe resides. The Choctaw Nation functions as a sovereign entity within the United States. The reservation is in fact a self-governing sovereign nation. Tribal sovereignty is the right and ability to govern themselves as a people. The Choctaws have been exercising sovereignty since the 1830's. Choctaw Nation has a tribal government including executive, legislative and judicial branches.  Through treaties established with the US as early as 1786, they are guaranteed certain rights and responsibilities to their land and their people.  Tribal members living within the boundaries of the reservation are subject to the laws and constitution of the Choctaw Nation. Yes, they actually have their own constitution. Any ruling of the judicial courts of the Choctaw Nation cannot be overruled by any court, including federal courts, in the United States with but one exception, The United States Supreme Court. They are not even subject to being overruled by federal district courts that have been interfering with the executive agenda of the President of the United States that we have been seeing recently. 

Choctaw culture has historical roots going back to the 16th century. The very rich culture of the Choctaws is expressed through rich traditions of song, dance, dress, beading, pottery, basketry, and stickball. It is so wonderful to experience how the Choctaw people maintain their ancient traditions in their personal and daily lives. The Choctaws sense of community and enterprise is a paradigm rarely seen in modern society. One of the greatest acts of caring, compassion and empathy occurred in 1847 when the Choctaws, who had only recently suffered the travesty of the Trail of Tears to what is now Oklahoma, took up donations of about $5,000 to support the Irish during the Potato Famine. The Choctaws' donation was sent to the town of Midleton in County Cork, south of Dublin. Many years later, the people of Midleton learned the aid had come from a people who were themselves re-establishing their society and government after a long an painful migration. In 2018 Ireland's prime minister visited Choctaw Nation's headquarters to thank the Choctaws and establish continuing scholarships for Choctaw students to study in Ireland. It is a deeply meaningful relationship that still exists today and likely will forever. 

More than 90 years ago, 19 young Choctaw soldiers, who were not yet even American citizens, made a significant difference in the outcome of World War I. Through using their native language for communications on the battlefronts to confuse the enemy, the Germans were left clueless to Allied forces messages. After World War I, in 1924, Congress granted citizenship to all Native Americans in part because of native enlistment during World War I. 

I am currently wrapping up work on my second novel which is set in Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. Though it is fiction, it is set in a real location and based on real people, the Choctaws. From my research and experience, America and the world could learn a lot by looking to the nation within a nation. 

#choctawindians. #chatha  #originalamericans   #trailoftears   #nativeamericans  #historicalthriller   #novelintheworks