Choctaw Nation
Nation de Chactas
Chahta Okla
The Choctaw state is the modern descendant of a proud and old chiefdom whose roots lie in the ancient mound-building civilizations of the Southeast. The Choctaw tell two stories about their origins, and both give central importance to the mound Nanih Waiya, which is a few miles north of the capital city Kunsha. In one version of the story, the founder brothers Chiksa' and Chahta led their people out of the far west. They parted ways at the site of Nanih Waiya, with the Choctaw staying and the Ckicasaw continuing to wander. The Choctaw people then built the mound themselves. In another version, the people emerged from the earth beneath the mound itself, with Chahta becoming the leader of the people who stayed closest.
Although the Choctaw and Chicasaw acknowledge one another to be close relatives, much of their history has been defined by conflict between them. When the French arrived in the lower Mississippi in 1699, this gave the Choctaw a new source of weapons and trade goods. This led to an alliance between Choctaw and France, which drove the Chicasaw to ally with England.
By the late eighteenth century, Choctaw was an emerging state in the French imperial system. Its main towns were grouped in three geographic divisions, East, West, and South, each of which was led by its own chiefs. The chiefly class was cautiously appropriating elements of French culture, with the Southern division, also called the Six Towns, being the most francicized.
The war of 1803 did not come to Choctaw: shifting geopolitics had moved their rival Chicasaw to transfer its alliance from England to republican Virginia, which put the two feuding relatives on the same side in the war. The two nations resumed low-level fighting until 1818, when a landmark treaty finally formed a permanent peace between them. All the Choctaw chiefs gave their support to the Kingdom of New France in 1810-1833, and this period also saw the first institutions of state government.
The growth and decline of slavery in Choctaw was gradual and followed its own unique course in the state. Black slavery superimposed itself on traditional systems where enslaved captives were brought in to replace Choctaw men or women who had died. This slavery was not a permanent condition, and captives could expect to rise in status and be adopted as a member of the community. Chattel slavery from Louisiana gave new meaning to African slaves, who arrived together with European trade goods. Principal chiefs began to view these slaves as a status symbol, the same as other goods. But these slaves too could attain freedom as their skills were needed by the community. As Choctaw transitioned to a more agricultural economy and men's labor was needed in the fields, slave ownership was one way that Choctaw men could assert their masculinity in that context. Slaves and freedmen provided a lot of agricultural labor to 19th-century Choctaw, but the plantation system as it existed in some neighboring states never took root on any large scale.
Mixed-race Choctaw of partial African ancestry were key to the transition to a new economy: as hunting for a living became less feasible, they showed that farming could still be manly. The same groups also facilitated the spread of Christianity in the state. Many slaves coming from Louisiana were already Catholic, while freedmen and their children proved some of the most eager converts for Catholic missionaries. Black and mixed-race Choctaw people were also the leading advocates against slavery in the state. Choctaw freed its slaves at about the same pace at the other Indian states of the interior, but each division enacted abolition at a different time. The West division, where the slave trade along the Mississippi had become a vital part of the economy, was the last part to become free soil.
Choctaw today is a unitary state, but the traditional divisions remain as the second-level divisions. Kunsha's district comprises a fourth division. The divisions also vary in their form of government. South Choctaw abolished its hereditary chiefly lineages in the wake of the fall of the French Empire, while the other two have kept theirs, and hereditary chiefs continue to play a role. Choctaw religion can be seen as a spectrum between "proper" Catholicism and traditional belief. A minority of Choctaw people never embraced Christianity at all, while many Catholics maintain an array of traditional pre-Christian practices. Louisiana Voudou has also interacted with both traditions to produce a lively mixture of belief and practices that varies greatly among different areas and families.
The flag of Choctaw takes its design from traditional beaded sashes worn by chiefs. The three swirl motifs represent the three geographic divisions of the nation.
Although the Choctaw and Chicasaw acknowledge one another to be close relatives, much of their history has been defined by conflict between them. When the French arrived in the lower Mississippi in 1699, this gave the Choctaw a new source of weapons and trade goods. This led to an alliance between Choctaw and France, which drove the Chicasaw to ally with England.
By the late eighteenth century, Choctaw was an emerging state in the French imperial system. Its main towns were grouped in three geographic divisions, East, West, and South, each of which was led by its own chiefs. The chiefly class was cautiously appropriating elements of French culture, with the Southern division, also called the Six Towns, being the most francicized.
The war of 1803 did not come to Choctaw: shifting geopolitics had moved their rival Chicasaw to transfer its alliance from England to republican Virginia, which put the two feuding relatives on the same side in the war. The two nations resumed low-level fighting until 1818, when a landmark treaty finally formed a permanent peace between them. All the Choctaw chiefs gave their support to the Kingdom of New France in 1810-1833, and this period also saw the first institutions of state government.
The growth and decline of slavery in Choctaw was gradual and followed its own unique course in the state. Black slavery superimposed itself on traditional systems where enslaved captives were brought in to replace Choctaw men or women who had died. This slavery was not a permanent condition, and captives could expect to rise in status and be adopted as a member of the community. Chattel slavery from Louisiana gave new meaning to African slaves, who arrived together with European trade goods. Principal chiefs began to view these slaves as a status symbol, the same as other goods. But these slaves too could attain freedom as their skills were needed by the community. As Choctaw transitioned to a more agricultural economy and men's labor was needed in the fields, slave ownership was one way that Choctaw men could assert their masculinity in that context. Slaves and freedmen provided a lot of agricultural labor to 19th-century Choctaw, but the plantation system as it existed in some neighboring states never took root on any large scale.
Mixed-race Choctaw of partial African ancestry were key to the transition to a new economy: as hunting for a living became less feasible, they showed that farming could still be manly. The same groups also facilitated the spread of Christianity in the state. Many slaves coming from Louisiana were already Catholic, while freedmen and their children proved some of the most eager converts for Catholic missionaries. Black and mixed-race Choctaw people were also the leading advocates against slavery in the state. Choctaw freed its slaves at about the same pace at the other Indian states of the interior, but each division enacted abolition at a different time. The West division, where the slave trade along the Mississippi had become a vital part of the economy, was the last part to become free soil.
Choctaw today is a unitary state, but the traditional divisions remain as the second-level divisions. Kunsha's district comprises a fourth division. The divisions also vary in their form of government. South Choctaw abolished its hereditary chiefly lineages in the wake of the fall of the French Empire, while the other two have kept theirs, and hereditary chiefs continue to play a role. Choctaw religion can be seen as a spectrum between "proper" Catholicism and traditional belief. A minority of Choctaw people never embraced Christianity at all, while many Catholics maintain an array of traditional pre-Christian practices. Louisiana Voudou has also interacted with both traditions to produce a lively mixture of belief and practices that varies greatly among different areas and families.
The flag of Choctaw takes its design from traditional beaded sashes worn by chiefs. The three swirl motifs represent the three geographic divisions of the nation.