The Tribe is one of the : Choctaw, Cherokee, Chickasaw,and Creek, and Seminole Choctaw Bands: Band of Choctaw Indians The early Mississippi Choctaw were in constant contact with non-Indian culture from the early 1600's. When the Removal Act was passed by Congress in 1830, the Choctaw were offered a choice under the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek, provided that any Choctaw who wished to remain in Mississippi to become a United States citizen might do so and would receive land from the State. There were about 20,000 Choctaw Indians in Mississippi and more than one-third chose to stay. Mount Tabor Indian Community The Treaty of Birds Fort, September 29,1843, and the purchase of land by Benjamin Franklin Thomson in 1844 helped to establish what is known today at Mount Tabor Indian Community. President James K. Polk allowed members of the Old Settler and Ridge Party Cherokee to leave for Texas. MOWA Band of Choctaw Indians Choctaw Clans: Wind, Bear, Deer, Wolf, Panther, Holly Leaf, Bird, Raccoon and Crawfish

History[edit | edit source] A Muscogean based tribe, the Choctaw is similar to the Creek Confederation. The Choctaw evolved from multiple smaller tribes that shared similar language and culture. The Choctaw were early allies of the French, Spanish and British during the 18th century. In the 1750's the tribe was involved in a Civil War that decimated whole villages. The division was driven by factions affiliated with the Spanish and the other the French. In the 18th century the Choctaw were generally at war with the Creeks or the Chickasaw Nation.[2] The Choctaw like all of the Muscogean tribes was a matriarchal and clan culture.[3] Brief Timeline 1540: De Soto first recorded non-indigenous person to encounter the tribe 1763: with the French surrendered to the British many moved west of Mississippi 1784: Treaty with Spain 1786: Treaty of Hopewell 1792: Treaty talks with Spain and United States 1801: Treaty of Fort Adams 1802: Treaty of Fort Confederation 1803: Treaty of Hoe Buckintoupa 1805: Treaty of Mount Dexter 1816: Treaty of Fort St. Stephens 1818: Reverend Kingsbury established Elliot Mission. Reverend Kingsbury was called the Father of the Choctaw Missions. 1820: Treaty of Doak's Stand; ceded some land 1825: Treaty of Washington City 1825: Tribal population: 21,000 (Mississippi and Alabama) reported by T. C. Mc Kenny- Indian Office 1830: Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek, * (Article 14 - removal) 1831-1833: First of Five Civilized Tribes forced from their homeland. Removed to Indian Territory. ● Part of the Tribe 5-6,000 individuals remained in Mississippi and became known as the Mississippi Band of Choctaw who were recognized in 1945.1832-1955 Wheelock Academy at Millerton, served he Indian girls of Southeastern Oklahoma. 1838: First testimonies taken in what is known as the Net Proceeds Case. 1838: Twelve neighborhood schools were in operation, Some of them were Mission stations founded by various church organizations, Presbyterian, Baptist and Methodist. Five mission schools operated as part of church work at: Wheelock, Providence, Shawneetown, Red River, Lukfats and Pine Ridge. 1844: Second set of testimonies taken in what is known as the Net Proceeds Case. 1846 Wheelock Mission Church was built. 1855:Treaty with the Chickasaw, gives Chickasaw nation their own land from lands of the Choctaw. 1856: Choctaw Nation created with three districts: Apukshunnubbee District, Moshulatubbee District and District. 1856: Annuity Roll (Census) of the Choctaw and Chickasaw as a result of the treaty of 1855. 1867: Tribal population: 22,500; reported by Commissioner of Indian Affairs. 1875: Testimonies taken to determine heirs for the monies won from the Net Proceeds Case. 1889: Second set of testimonies to determine heirs for the monies from the Net Proceeds Case. 1903: 300 left Mississippi for Oklahoma and the Choctaw Nation 1907: Oklahoma became the 46th State ● Choctaw Nation divided into eight counties: Choctaw, Atoka, Haskell, Latimer, Le Flore, Mc Curtain, Pittsburg and Pushmataha. 1910: Tribal population: 14,551 in Oklahoma, and 15,917 in other states 1918: Choctaw Indian Agency in Philadelphia, Mississippi established 1945: Mississippi Band of Choctaw Federally recognized ● 1953: U.S. Congress began a new policy of termination for the Indian tribes. The policy ended the protected trust status of all Indian-owned lands. The BIA began a voluntary urban relocation program. American Indians could move from their rural tribes to a metropolitan area. Many Indians relocated to Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas and Seattle. It is estimated that 750,000 Native American migrated to the cities between 1950-1980. World War I and II: the U.S. Military used members of the Choctaw Nation for secure communications. They became the first code-talkers

Reservations[edit | edit source] Oklahoma: Latimer and Pushmataha counties Mississippi: Neshoba, Newton, Leake, Scott, Jones, Attala, Kemper, Winston counties

Groups or Parts of the Tribe[edit | edit source] Choctaw Nation (Oklahoma) Jena Band (Louisiana) Mississippi Band

Records[edit | edit source] Records From the Choctaw Nation, (1830-1900) Indian Territory, Oklahoma. Oklahoma Historical Society. (census, Cemetery Records, Church Records, Military and other records). FHL Film 1666451 (first of 90 microfilm reels) Joe R. Goss. A Complete Roll of all Choctaw Claimants and their Heirs. Reprint. Originally published: St. Louis, MO: Robt. D. Patterson Stationary Co., 1889. FHL Book 970.3 C451g

Allotment Records[edit | edit source] Chickasaw and Choctaw Indians Homestead and Allotment Patents, 1903-1910 FHL Collection Census Records[edit | edit source] ● 1830 www.accessgenealogy.comalso included in American State papers, Vol 7. This is in most libraries or is located online at http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/amlaw/lwsp.html ● 1831 Census (Armstrong Roll) Choctaw, records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, RG75 FHL Collection ● 1855 Cooper Roll of Eastern Choctaw www.accessgenealogy.comFamilies living East of the Mississippi River in the states of Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama. (roll contains: names of heads of families, place of residence, and numbers of men, women, and children in families) ● 1855 Annuity Roll, first census of all individuals within a household. Actually done in 1856. Located at the Oklahoma Historical Society. ● 1868 Census of Cedar County, Choctaw Nationlocated within the Choctaw Nation Collection, University of Oklahoma. View online at digital.libraries.ou.edu/whc/nam/manuscript.asp ● 1885 Census of the Choctaw Nation. Every name in household is included on this census. This can be viewed in two places online, both for a fee. It is found under the rolls U.S. Indian Census Rolls, and under the category of Union. It is searchable by name (be careful of spelling) on Ancestry.com browsable only on Fold3.com You can also order transcriptions by county from the Bryan County Heritage Association, Bryan, Oklahoma. ● 1893 Census/Annuity Roll (for both Choctaw and Chickasaw) for Leased District monies. Referred to in several Dawes files, I have been unable to locate this film. I have been told it may be in some counties (ie. Haskell)in Oklahoma, but it is not listed in the NARA or the OHS contents. ● 1896 Census (cemetery, church, and marriage1897-1901, 1907-1910)FHL Film: 1206500 second filming FHL Film:488191 ● The Census of Atoka County, 1885, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory. by James P. Cummings. Mesquite, Texas, 1976. FHL Book 970.1 Al#86[1] ● There are miscellaneous censuses recorded on three rolls of microfilm from the OHS, included in the inventory for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and also at the Oklahoma Historical Society and Arkansas Historical Commission. All three rolls cover different counties of the Choctaw nation, and have the 1896 census transcribed, and in some cases the original. The other censuses on the rolls vary to undated or dated, and are heads of household only for the most part. ● NARA office Fort Worth has microfilm of Muster rolls for various dates prior to 1855. ● Indian Census Rolls, Choctaw, 1926-1939 containing births and deaths some marriages. FHL Collection

Post - 1885 FHL Location of Census M595 Tribe Agency Original RG 75 Rolls Film Records 693 Number Roll Number

Union Agency - Washington Choctaw Muskogee Area D.C. and Fort Roll 685 - 1875-80 Worth Choctaw Choctaw, Washington Rolls 15, FHL#124;Films: Mississippi Philadelphia, D.C. 41-42 574200-574201 Mississippi, 1926-39

Enrollment Records[edit | edit source] The Family History Library Applications and Enrollment of the Commission for the Five Civilized Tribes, 1898-1914. - Dawes Commission

FHL Record Record NARA # First Rolls Group Film

Applications for Enrollment 75 M1301 1439798 468

Applications, Muskogee Area Office M 1650 (RG75) FHL first {{FHL|1405798|item|desp=FHL film 75 M1650 film 54 2445769}} index and applications for four of the Five civilized 2445769 tribes. Seminole applications not included.

Enrollment of the Five Civilized Tribes 75 Original 1022497 - records in Muskogee, Oklahoma

Enrollment Cards 75 M1186 1490261 93

Index to Letters received by commission 75 M1314 1694814 23

Five Civilized Tribes and the Dawes Commission- Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole (Delaware adopted by Cherokee)

FHL Record Tribe NARA # First Rolls Group Film

Choctaw ● Application (M1650) films 2445769-2445777 Final Rolls- first film: 830228 Enrollment-first film: 1022497 Enrollment cards Choctaw-first film: 1490299 ● Mississippi Choctaw -first film: 1022514-1022522 48 T529 830228 232 Application for enrollment (M1301) - first film: 1439798 ● Mississippi Choctaw - films: 1439879-1439967 Enrollment cards for Mississippi Choctaw-first film: 1490316 ● Choctaw-Chickasaw (Act of 1902) - first film: 1439969

Choctaw-Chickasaw - Fort Worth, Texas 48 T529 1730868 2 ● Applications(M1650) film 2446501 Indexes to dockets and appearance dockets-first film:1730868 General dockets - first film:1730869

On Line ● The Final Rolls of Citizens and Freedmen of the Five Civilized Tribes in Indian Territory, 03/04/1907 (National Archives) - arranged by enrollment number; gives age, sex, blood degree, and census card number. Indexes for the Dawes Rolls and the Enrollment Cards: ● Index to the Final Rolls of Citizens and Freedmen of the Five Civilized Tribes in Indian Territory, 03/04/1907 (National Archives) - arranged alphabetically; gives only enrollment number. (Surname entries are not always in strict alphabetical order) Searchable indexes: ● Dawes Final Rolls (Oklahoma Historical Society) - gives card number and enrollment number. ● Final Rolls (Accessgenealogy) - gives card number and enrollment number. ● Dawes Commission Enrollment Records ● Dawes files can be viewed online at www.Fold3.com or on www. archive.gov. While archive.org is free, they do not have a search function, it is browse only. There are two parts to each Dawes case. The enrollment card (Dawes Card) and the packet. In many cases the packet will be empty. In cases of some of the rejected files, there are numerous pages, but referenced information may be absent. Accessgenealogy has a transcription of the Dawes cards available to search and a list of final enrollee's listed on the Dawes Records.

Genealogy[edit | edit source] Who Was Who Among the Southern Indians: a Genealogical notebook, 1698-1907 by Don Martini FHL Collection

History[edit | edit source] Alokoli: the Choctaw Country bicentennial book by Choctaw County Bicentennial Commission FHL Collection The Choctaws in Oklahoma: From Tribe to Nation, 1856-1970. by Clara Sue Kidwell. FHL 1396223 Oral History[edit | edit source] ● Duke Indian Oral History Collection and Index., Duke University Library FHL Collection ● FamilySearch has the story of Chieftain Greenwood Leflore and the Choctaw Indians of the Mississippi Valley : last chief of Choctaws east of Mississippi river published in 1936.

Land Records[edit | edit source] Choctaw certificates of ownership in Boone County, Arkansas. FHL Film: 1031068 item 33 The land records for Choctaw lands in Mississippi is found at the National Archives, in Washington, D.C. This collection is indexed by name and includes individuals for whom land was granted out of the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek. Some cases of land that are disputed within Mississippi are located at county courthouses. Allotments from the Dawes are found in the county the land was located in in Oklahoma.

Military Records[edit | edit source] Genealogical Records on the Confederate Indian Troops by Sherman Lee Pompey FHL Collection Union Indian Brigade in the Civil War. by Willey Britton. FHL Collection

Periodicals[edit | edit source] Choctaw Community News, 1969-1973. FHL Film: 965784 item 5 and FHL Film: 979257 item 9 Bishnik, available on the website for the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.

Removal Records[edit | edit source] The was signed May 26, 1830 by President . The Act initiated a policy of removal of American Indians tribes living east of the Mississippi River to land west of the river. The Choctaw were the first of the Five Civilized Tribes to be removed. Many walked 800 KM Journey to Oklahoma Many of the Choctaw traveled by steamboat: Talmar, Cleopatra, Walter Scott, Brandywine, and Raindeer Additional Sources DeRosier, Authur H. Jr., The Removal of the Choctaw Indians, Knoxville, University of Tennessee Press, 1970. FHL book 970.3 C451da and digital version Debo, Anggie. The Rise and Fall of the Choctaw Republic, Univesity of Oklahoma Press, 1934. FHL book 970.3 C451d Burt, Jesse and Robert B. Ferguson. Indians of the Southeast: Then and Now. Nashville, Ablingdon Press, New York.

Number Populati Number Years of stayed Information Nation Removal on Deaths Emigration Emigrate in of Interest Treaty Before d Southea Removal st

Dancing Rabbit Choctaw 1831-1 Relinquishe Creek Septem 836 d more Chiefs: ber 27, 1830 than 11 Nittakechi, million Nituckachee acres in Government Mississippi Nail, Leaders over exchange removal:Col. Peter for 15 Childress, Maj. Pitchlynn, million William 1838; Mushulatubb 19,554 2,000-4, acres in Armstrong, Old and e, Thomas infirm including 000 Indian 12,500 7,000 Territory (Greenwood John Coffee, Choctaw and 6,000 (Choler ) LeFlore, Capt. J. B. s (177 Black a) and George Clark, Lt. member Slaves When the W. Hawkins, Stephen Van s) tribe Rensselaer removed Shuk-ha-nat reached Ryan, Capt. by S. T. -cha, Little Rock Jacob Brown, Cross Punnubbee, George S. the Gaines, John 1845; Choctaw St. Cross H. Eaton, 1,280 chief Peter P. Wharton Choctaw stated to Pitchlynn, Rector, F.W. from the Arkans Armstrong, Mississip as David Folsom, pi moved Gazette th Agent to Indian at the Colquhoun Territory removal was a "trail 1846; of tears 1,000 and death" move came 1847; Some 1,623 deaths due came in to Cholera eight groups.

● 1847 Muster Roll of Big Black River Band (arrived at Fort Coffee)www.accessgenealogy.com ● 1847 Ha Cubbees Band Muster Roll (arrived at Fort Coffee) www.accessgenealogy.com ● There are two books by Monty Olsen (available from Bryant County Heritage Association) on Choctaw emigration muster rolls. ● Betty Wilshire also wrote a book on Choctaw muster rolls. It is available from various vendors.FHL Collection ● National Archives (NARA) has the information on emigration/muster rolls and not the Oklahoma Historical society. Check with the NARA to see if the holdings are in Fort Worth, Texas or Washington, D.C. ● The Removal of the Choctaw Indians by Arthur H. DeRosier, Jr FHL Book 970.3 C451da

School Records[edit | edit source] The Choctaw Academy: official correspondence 1825-1841 by Joe R. Goss FHL Collection

Trade[edit | edit source] Superintendent of Indian Trade. Records of the Choctaw Trading house 1803-1824. FHL Films: 1025085-1025090 Trade during the Spanish period 1781-1798 will be found in the Panton and Leslie papers, located at the University of West Florida. They also have a collection of the Papelas de Cubas, Spanish records of the period. Records o the Choctaw Trading House, 1803-1824. Office of Indian Affairs. Superintendent of Indian Trade FHL Collection Records of the Choctaw Trading Post: St. Stephens, by Ben and Jean Strickland. FHL Collection

Treaties[edit | edit source] ● 1783 January 3, at Hopewell ● 1796 June 29, with Creek ● December 17, 1801, at Fort Adams ● 1802 October 17, at Fort Confederation ● 1803 ● 1805 November 16, at Mount Dexter ● October 27, 1805, Chickasaw ● August 9, 1814, ● 1816October 24, ● 1820 October 18 near Doaks Stand ● 1825 January 20, at Washington ● February 12,1825, Creek ● May 6, 1828, - Cherokee ● 1830 September 27, at Dancing Rabbit Creek ● February 14, 1833, ● 1835 August 24, at Camp Holmes, with Comanche ● 1835 January 17, at Doaksville ● 1837- Chickasaw ● 1854 November 4, at Doaksville, with Chickasaw ● 1855 June 22, at Washington, with Chickasaw ● September 13, 1855, at Fort Smith-unratified ● 1865 Cherokee and other Tribes in Indian Territory with Comanche and Kiowa ● 1865 ● July 4, 1866, with Delaware ● 1866 ● August 28, 1866, at Washington

Vital Records[edit | edit source] Oklahoma Marriage Records, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory., by Ellen Tiffee and Gloryann Hankins Young. 9 volumes. (Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory, 1890. for Counties of McCurtain, Latimer, Hughes (part), LeFlore, Bryan (part), Pittsburg, Choctaw, Atoka, Haskell, Pushmataha, and Coal (part).FHL Book 976.6 V2t vol. 1-10 Film 1321223 itmes 11-16

Indian Pioneer Papers[edit | edit source] In 1936, the Oklahoma Historical Society and University of Oklahoma requested a writer's project grant from the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in which interviews would be conducted with early settlers in Oklahoma who had lived on Indian land. More than 100 writers conducted over 11,000 interviews and were asked to "call upon early settlers and (record) the story of the migration to Oklahoma and their early life here."[4] The University of Oklahoma Western History Collection has digitized the Indian Pioneer Papers which consists of approximately 80,000 indexed entries arranged alphabetically by personal name, place name, or subject. [5] An index to the Indian Pioneer Papers may also be found at OkGenWeb Oklahoma Genealogy. A separate index of Indians interviewed, including the Choctaw, may be viewed at: “Indians in the Indian Pioneer Papers” Some of the surnames from the Choctaw tribe found in the collection are: Anderson, Baker, Beam (Stevens), Bond, Homer/Homma (Latimer), Jones (Choate), Kemp, Labor (Airington), Moore, Miashintubbee.Family History Library microfiche number: FHL Collection (first fiche)

FamilySearch Catalog[edit | edit source] The FamilySearch Catalog has over 260 records of interest to the Choctaw

Websites[edit | edit source]

Wikipedia has more about this subject: Choctaw

● Constitution and By-laws of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma ● Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Official Website ● Choctaw Native Americans http://choctawnativeamericans.blogspot.com ● Native American Research http://nativeamericanresearch.blogspot.com ● Indian Research http://researchindians.blogspot.com ● Choctaw Tribe - Access Genealogy

For Further Reading[edit | edit source] ● Lennon, Rachal Mills. Tracing Ancestors Among the Five Civilized Tribes; Southeastern Indians Prior to Removal. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2002. FHL Book 970.1 L548t. For background information to help find Native American ancestors see For Further Reading.

References[edit | edit source] 1. ↑ Indian Entities Recognized and Eligible To Receive Services From the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs, Federal Register, Vol. 67, No. 134, 12 July 2002 Available online 2. ↑ O'Brien, Greg, "Choctaws in a Revolutionary Age", University of Nebraska Press, 2005 3. ↑ Swanton, John R. "The Indian Tribes of North America" Smithsonian Institute, Bulletin 514. 4. ↑ .” Blackburn, Bob L. "Battle Cry for History: The First Century of the Oklahoma Historical Society." n.d. Oklahoma Historical Society. 5 Oct. 1998. 5. ↑ The University of Oklahoma Western History Collections http://digital.libraries.ou.edu/whc/pioneer/

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● Indigenous Tribes of Louisiana ● Indigenous Tribes of Alabama ● Indigenous Tribes of Mississippi ● Indigenous Tribes of Oklahoma ● Indigenous Tribes of Florida http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/amlaw/lwsp.html American State Papers The American State Papers, comprising a total of thirty-eight physical volumes, contain the legislative and executive documents of Congress during the period 1789 to 1838. The collection includes documents that cover the critical historical gap from 1789 to the printing of the first volume of the U.S. Serial Set in 1817. The books are arranged into ten topical classes or series: I. Foreign Relations VI. Naval Affairs

II. Indian Affairs VII. Post Office Department

III. Finances VIII. Public Lands

IV. Commerce and Navigation IX. Claims

V. Military Affairs X. Miscellaneous The compilation, printing, and distribution of the Papers took place from 1831 to 1861 and the thirty-eight volumes contain 6,278 documents. Not all of the classes contain documents from the entire 1789-1838 period. Every volume contains an index and all but one has a table of contents, both with machine-searchable transcriptions. The Introductory Notice in the first printed volume of the American State Papers cites legislation on its development. Further legislation concerning this title may be found in other documents in A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation. Some examples include:

● H.R. 639, 35th Cong., 1st Sess. (1858) ● H.R. 436, 22nd Cong., 1st Sess. (1832) ● Register of Debates, 22nd Cong., 1st sess., 41 ● Act of March 2, 1831, ch. 65, 4 Stat. 471 ● Act of March 3, 1837, ch. 33, 5 Stat. 174

Related Information

● American State Papers, Davidson College Library ● Library Resources for Administrative History: Congressional Serial S