Indian Fair Contents: Partial magazine about the fair and a letter to the library containing a bibliography of Choctaw and Neshoba materials.

Location: Vertical Files at B.S. Ricks Memorial Library of the Yazoo Library Association| 310 N. Main Street, Yazoo City, Mississippi 39194 VERTICAL- FfL^ : C/?a:-taiu)

■ THE MAGAZINE OF SOUTH CENTRAL BELL 4/1973

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YAZOO LIBRARY ASSOCIATION 310 North Main YAZOO city, miss. 39194-

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Published by South Central Bell Tele phone Company

Editor: Ron Hatcher Editorial Staff; Catherine McDonald, Jan McCaa Editorial Offices: P. O. Box 771, Birmingham, Alabama 35201 205 321-2232 Art Direction: Harry Mayronne Studios Printing: Franklin Printing Co.

Special Service for Special People 1 Even a Magician Can't Make Florins Come out of a Hat 9 All the People in All the Jobs Help Us Keep Customers 12 More Fun Than a Liter of Monkeys? 20 Choctaw Indian Fair 26 Paragraffiti 33 Choctaw

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THE CELEBRATION OF A CULTURE

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I By Cathye McDonald uly in Mississippi is hot and humid. Like billowing soapsuds, mounds of white clouds cover the brilliant blue sky over the little town of Philadelphia. Miss., on this mid-July day, threatening one of those sudden summer thun derstorms with drenching rain. With a few dubious looks at the clouds, local folks and visitors hesitantly choose their spots along the street and around the "court square," waiting. "Is it time yet?" "Can you see them?" Mur murs from small gatherings. Suddenly,"Here they come!" It's a strangely silent procession —not at all what's expected for the opening parade of a fes tive fair. There are no bands, no music, none of the laughter and gaiety usually associated with such an event. The sounds are the slap of shoe

26 leather against pavement, the rumble of auto week' when from all over this country mobile engines, the jingling of a few bells and return to Mississippi for visits. And at least once the boom of a lone drum. each year, everybody pitches in and works to The Choctaw Indians silently and proudly pa gether on something. rade through the town in their colorful cos "Through the fair, we want to preserve our tumes, marking the opening of one of the most traditions, customs, dances, arts and crafts." dramatic and most nearly authentic festivals in he added. "We've lost quite a bit of our culture the South—the Choctaw Indian Fair, For them over the past years. We want to hold on to what this is no tourist show, but the beginning of four we have left." packed days in which they celebrate their age- The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians is old culture and heritage. Festivities include made up of descendants of the 1.200 Choctaws ceremonial dancers in brilliant costumes, skill who refused to leave their traditional homeland contests with blowguns and bows and arrows, when the rest of the tribe was moved to the the selection of an Indian Princess and the Oklahoma Territory in the early 19th century. traditional and dangerous Choctaw stickball The majority of today's 4.000 tribe members live game. in seven rural communities in the Neshoba "This fair is one of the bigger events in the County. Miss., area, not far from the historic year for my people," said Robert Benn, who last NatchezTrace. Their 18,000-acre reservation is year became the first Indian appointed superin the remnant of more than 14.000,000 acres of tendent of the U. S. Bureau of Indian Affairs in land in Alabama and Mississippi once controlled Philadelphia, Miss. "It's sort of like 'old home by a powerful and populous Choctaw tribe.

27 A proud people who cherish their heri tage, the Choctaws have diligently preserved their ethnic identity. They still adhere to many of the customs and traditions of the past. Some of the older women still wear the long native dresses, and Choctaw is spoken in the homes almost exclusively. Once a year for the past 24 years, the Choc taws have gathered at the Pearl River Indian Community near Philadelphia to salute their traditions and culture—and share that culture with the rest of the world. Visitors to the Choctaw Indian Fair are wel comed, even though the fair is not primarily a tourist attraction. If you're one of those tourists who include the fair in a trip, you're in for a unique experience. Not only will you find some unusual entertainment, but you will also have a chance to learn about the Indian's true way of life, both past and present. Start by soaking up a little Choctaw culture at the fair's opening event. Learn a l ittle bit of Choctaw history. Hear the spoken. See traditional Choctaw clothing modeled by cute little Choctaw boys and girls. Watch the exciting, rapid plains-style dancers in brilliant feather costumes, followed by the slow er. more gentle Choctaw social dancers. Then meander on over to the exhibit hall to watch an Indian woman painstakingly weaving. She works about three hours to make just one small, authentic Choctaw basket. Unusually shaped baskets, along with many other intri cate, handmade items such as beadwork and weaving, are for sale in the exhibit hall. Pick up something for a souvenir. Meanwhile, back at the grandstands, the dancers are on stage again. The frenzied war dances of the plains Indians come first, amid whoops and the beat of drums as the dancers demonstrate their skill. More social dances are demonstrated,too. These are somehow reminis cent of an old-time square dance, as the danc ers move in circles or single file to the beat of a lone drum and the chant of a "caller."

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30 Hang around after the dancing, be cause the most spectacular event of the day is yet to come. Two community teams will be battling in a playoff game of the Choctaw World Series of Stickball. And they do mean battling. This game may just be the roughest "sport" you'll ever see. combining some aspects of football, baseball, basketball and ice hockey into one rough-and-tumble mixture. This bone-crushing granddaddy of all North American sports was at one time actually used to settle disputes between warring tribes. Things got a l ittle rough during those days, with as many as 700 players on each side. There are not so many members on each team today, but the game itself hasn't changed much. There are few rules and no boundaries to the playing area. Barefooted and with no pro tective padding, Choctaw men battle to gain ¥ possession of the baseball-sized ball. They scoop it up between two spoon-shaped hickory sticks and either run with it or toss it to team mates. The result is many head-on collisions be tween men and sticks as each team tries to bounce the ball off the goalpost. U v7;-U..V

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A II the while, a lone drummer stands nize that name, perhaps you'll remember Tonto near the goalpost, pounding his drum through from "The Lone Ranger" radio and television out the game. He's sort of the ancient medicine shows. Tonto is followed by lovely Indian maid man, team captain, cheerleader and marching ens vying for the title of Choctaw Indian Prin band for his team. His looks like the safest spot cess. The winner will represent her people at on the field. And you'll probably be glad to be official tribal functions throughout the coming in the grandstand rather than down on the field. year. The excitement dies down after the stickball Each night at the fair holds its own special game. Then it's pleasant to wander over to the treat—a dramatic pageant portraying Choctaw midway with its merry-go-round, Ferris wheel tragedy and triumph ... a country-western music and such. Try your luck at the coin toss, shoot festival featuring Nashville recording artists . . . ing gallery or other games of chance and skill. gospel singing and more. Win a Kewpie doll or teddy bear. Eat a hot dog, There's variety at the Choctaw Indian Fair some popcorn, a candy apple or a mound of .. . some of the past. . . some of the present. . . fluffy pink cotton candy. even some of the hoped-for future. It's fun. It's As twilight dims the sky and bright lights il colorful. It's entertaining. luminate the midway, head back to the grand But underneath it all lies a serious message stands, where crowds are gathering for the from a proud people, a people determined to evening entertainment. You may see a celebrity preserve their heritage, a people saying to the guest like Jay Silverheels. If you don't recog world "I am proud to be a Choctaw." ^

32 CHOCTAW MATERIAL IN VERTICAL FILE NESHOBA COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY September 1985

CHOCTAW INDIAN MATERIAL HISTORY, CULTURE, AND TREATIES, ETC.

CHOCTAW HISTORY Bennett, Robert T.: Tribal Soverigntry Breland's Columns in Neshoba Democrat re: Choctaw History Claibourne: Mississippi (excerpt) Cushman: History of the Indians 1899 Gaines: Reminiscences Gibson: Dr. A.M.: The Choctaws Goldman, T.: Coosha Town Halbert, H.S.: A Choctaw Migration Legend Halbert, H.S.: District Divisions of the Choctaw Nation Halbert, H.S.; Last Indian Council (other re: Pushmataha) Halbert, H.S.: Creek War Incidents Halbert, H.S.: Okla Hannali; or the Six Town District of the Choctaws Halbert, H.S.: Story of the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Holmes, Jack D.L.: The Choctaws in 1795 Lincecura: Life of Apushimataha Lincecum, Gideon: Traditional History of the Chahta Nation, Part I, Part II translated 1861 Penman, John T.: Historic Towns of the Southern Division Pushmataha: Biographical Material Pushmataha Monument Printing History of the Choctaw Language Bible Reorganization of Tribal Government 1934 Swanton, John R.: An Early Account of Choctaw Indians in Louisiana Tubby, Simpson: The Story of an Indian who became a Legend in his own Time Watkins, John R.: An Early Account of Choctaw Indians in Louisiana

CHOCTAW CULTURE: GAMES, FOOD, FUNERALS, WEDDINGS, MYTHS Bushenell, David I.: Myths of the Louisiana Choctaws Choctaw Folktales: Bilingical Project Materials Halbert, H.S.: The Choctaw Achaphih (Chungkee) Game Halbert, H.S.: The Choctaw Creation Legend Halbert, H.S.: The Choctaw Robin Goodfellow Halbert, H.S.: Courtship and Marriage among the Choctaws of Mississippi Halbert, H.S.: Funeral Customs of the Mississippi Choctaw Hudson, Peter J.: Choctaw Indian Dishes and other recipes Kohl, S.B.: Choctaw Chants Kohl, S.B.: Choctaw Indian Dishes Kohl, S.B.: Choctaw Stickball Missionary Herald Vol. 24 - Excerpts, Choctaws, Religious Opinions, Traditions, etc. References for Choctaw Music Swanton: Choctaw Ball Game CONTEMPORARY CHOCTAW STUDIES ^ Badger, Andrew: A Brief History of the Choctaw Language Blanchard, Kendall A.: Team Sports and Social Organization Among the Mississippi Choctaw Ferguson, Robert: An overview of Southeastern Indian Culture Peterson, John H.: Assimilation, Separation, and Out-Migration is an American Indian Group Peterson, John H.: The Effects of Post Indian-White contacts on Contemporary Studies Peterson, John H.: The Indian in the Old South Peterson, John H.: Louisiana Choctaw life at the End of the I9th century Peterson, John H.: Three Efforts at Development among the Choctaws of Mississippi Thompson, Bobby and Petterson, John: Mississippi Choctaw Identity

U.S. CHOCTAW TREATIES AND LEGAL DECISIONS Choctaw Labour Force 1976 Choctaw Self-Determination Project Report 1972 Choctaw Treaties with the U.S. Government 1st Meeting Choctaw Heritage Council Halbert, H.S.; Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek Kohl, S.B.: 151st Anniversary of Dancing Rabbit Creek List of Choctaw Claimouts and the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indian Position Statement Mississippi Band of Choctaw Public Documents: Information Sheet on Mississippi Choctaw Indians 1975 Rhodes, Author D.: Choctaw Legal Rights Supreme Court Decision 1978: autonomy of Indian Lands Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek

CHURCH HISTORY FILE Choctaw Education: Rodney L. Brod & others Halbert, H.S.: Choctaw Schools in Mississippi Halbert, H.S.: The Indians in Mississippi and their schools Nanih Waiya Mennonite Church WPA Account of Choctaw Schools

MEDICAL PRACTICES FILE Campbell, T.N.: Medical Plants used by the Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Creek Indians in the Early 19th century Houk, Anita: Contemporary Medicine and Choctaw Tribal Medicine

CHOCTAW INDIAN FAIR: 1938 Choctaw Fair Pictures 1978 Choctaw Fair: Choctaw Today 1978 1981 Choctaw Fair Material

SPECIAL COLLECTION The Minnie Hand Music Collection Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians Overall Development Program 1978-1982 The Music of the Mississippi Choctaw Indians by B. Martin Fenerty, (Background material and music scores to accompany American Indian Music of the Mississippi Choctaw Indians Vol. I., recording directed by Minnie Hand) Page 3 9-85 RECORDINGS Araercian Indian Music of the Mississippi Choctaws-Choctaw Chanters American Indian Music of the Mississippi Choctaws-Choctaw Chanters, Vol. II The Indian Music Chorus of Choctaw Central High School 1975-1976, Vol. II

DISSERTATION AND THESIS De Rosier, A.H., Jr.: The Removal of the Choctaw Indians from Mississippi, University of South Carolina, 1954, Ph.D. Dissertation, Xerox University Microfilms Fenerty, M.F.: An Attitudinal Survey of Southern Choctaws on Traditional American Music in Early Childhood Education. University of Mississippi 1981, Ph.D. Dissertation Nicklas, Thurston Dale: The Elements of Choctaw University of Michigan 1974, Ph.D. Xerox University Microfilms Dissertation Peterson, John H.: The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians: Their Resent History and current Social Relations University of Georgia, 1970, Ph.D. Dissertation Xerox University Microfilms Spencer, Marion H.: Employment Potential for Choctaw Indians in a Mississippi Town: An Attitudinal Survey of Retail Businessmen, Louisiana State University, 1976, M.A. Thesis Tolbert, C.M.: A Sociological Study of Choctaw Indians in Mississippi Louisiana State University 1958 Ph.D. Dissertation Xerox University Microfilms Watkins, Esther Belle: Some Social and Economic Aspects of Ante-Bellum Neshoba County, Mississippi, University of Alabama 1942, M.A. Thesis

MICROFILM-INDIAN POPULATION Choctaw Trading House-1804-1830 6 rolls National Archives Indian Census-Armstrong Roll, 1831 U.S. Bureau of Census Letters Received by the Office of Indian Affairs 1824-81 National Archives U. S. Census 1900, Choctaw and (part) Creek Nation 3 rolls CHOCTAW BILINGUAL COLLECTION ^ (Vertical File) Alphabet; Principal syllables in Choctaw Bobb: Copy of manuscript #1, translation book of proverbs, Hopaii In Anumpa Choctaw language - c. 1930-1940 Booker: Number supplication in North American Indian languages - 1982 Broadwell: A MS Choctaw-English Dictionary with and English-Choctaw Index-1985 Byington: Grammar of the Choctaw Language - 1870 Byington: Letters and Funeral Extract - 1853-1856 Campbell, Lyle & Mithum: Marianne, The language of Native America - 1979 Cearley: Mississippi Choctaw, A Basic Course - 1975 Cearley: Passives in -fFa - c. 1977 Children's Stories: Kanahat Ninak Toksali - 1976 Children's Stories: Kilitti Kanoh Kiya - 1976 Children's Stories: Chahta Icowa (Alphabet Book) - 1977 Children's Stories: Katohmiholsplsah - 1976 Choctaw Adult Literacy, (Lessons) - c. 1975 Choctaw Bilingual: Cahta, Icowa Holisso - Grade I, Lessons 1 through 9 with additional lessons. Grade II, Lessons 1 through 4. Grade III and appendix - 1979 Davies: Choctaw Switch-Reference and levels of syntactic representation-1984 Davies: Inalienable possession and Choctaw Referential Coding - 1984 Davis: Semantic Contribution to Choctaw Referential Coding Phenomena - 1982 Downing: Chata Anompa - 1971 Edwards: Letters (Byington) - 1855-1859 Fallon and Scott: Language Maintenance - 1983 Goodyear: Choctaw Verb Forms Goodyear: Vocabulary Breakdown, Drills Haas: The Last Words of Biloxi - 1968 Haas: Nasals and Nasalization in Creek - 1977 Hardy and Davis: Comparative in Alabama - 1984 Heath: Choctaw Cases - 1977 Jacob, Nicklas & Spencer: A Modern Choctaw Vocabulary Jacobsen: Typological and genetic notes on switch reference - 1983 McCardle & Walton: Choctaw English in Mississippi - 1984 McClanan & Herrod: Choctaw 'Articles' in Discources - 1977 Munro: Nasals and Nazalization in Western Muskogean - 1984 Munro: When 'Same' is Not Different - 1981 Munro: On Western Muskogean Source for Mobilian - 1984 Munro and Gordon: Systemic Relations in Western Muskogean - 1982 Muskogean/Southeastern Newsletter - 1985 Nicklas: A Choctaw Orthography Nicklas: Choctaw Morphophonemics - 1975 Nicklas: English for Speakers of Choctaw - 1969 Parental Attitude Toward Education, Bilingual Education Survey Results - 1979 Payne: Chickasaw Agreement Morphology - 1982 Payne: Switch-Reference in Chickasaw - 1979 Pulte: The Position of Chickasaw in Western Muskogean - 1975 Rand: The structural phonology of Alabama - 1968 Steinburger: Speech Error Collection and Fieldwork, Some Choctaw Speech Errors - 1983 Todd, Terry Lynn: Clause Versus Sentence in Choctaw - 1974 Tubby & Goodyear: An Introduction to Choctaw Grammar Walton and McCardle: Spoken English in Mississippi Choctaw Children-1984 West: The Phonology of Mikosuki - 1962 CHOCTAW LISTINGS IN CARD CATALOG ^ NESHOBA COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY

American Indian Music of the Mississippi Choctaws Baird, W. David: Peter Pitchlynn: Chief of the Choctaws Blanchard, Kendall: The Mississippi Choctaws at Play Bounds, Thelma V.: The Story of the Mississippi Choctaws Byington, Cyrus: Dictionary of the Choctaw Language A Choctaw Anthology II Choctaw Central: The Indian Music Chorus of Choctaw Central High School, Vol. II Choctaw Today, 1978 Conklin, Paul: Choctaw Boy Cushman, H. B.: History of the Choctaw, Chickasaw and Natchez Indians Damato, Dorothia Jean: Choctaw Social and Ceremonial Life Debo, Angie: The rise and fall of the Choctaw Republic Densmore, Frances; Choctaw Music DeRosier, A. H., Jr.: The Removal of the Choctaw Indians from Mississippi Gibson, Dr. A. M.: The Choctaw Indians Lane, Howard; The Choctaw Indians McKee, Jesse O.: The Choctaws: cultural evolution of a native American tribe Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians: Miss. Band of Choctaw Indians ■ An Era of Change Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians: Overall Economic Development Program, 1978-1982 The Mississippi Choctaw Indians Nicklas, Thurston Dale: The Elements of Choctaw Peterson, John Holbrook, Jr.: The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians: Their Recent Hisotry and current social relations Smith, Allene DeShazo: Greenwood Leflore and the Choctaw Indians of the Mississippi Valley Swanton, John R.: An Early Account of the Choctaw Indians Tribal Specific Health Plan for Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs: The Story of the Mississippi Choctaws Young, Mary Elizabeth: Redskins, ruffleshirts and rednecks; Indian allotments in Alabama and Mississippi, 1830-1860 NESHOBA COUNTY HOLDINGS ®

MICROFILM Mississippi Territorial and Census Records 1792-1866 The Neshoba Democrat - 1902-1977 (With the exception of 1961, 1962 and Jan. - June 1963.)

NESHOBA COUNTY Census 1840 through 1910 General Index to Deeds 1835-1975 Deed Records (actual deeds) Volumes A - U 1835 - 1888 Will Records 1837 - 1968 (Actual wills) Educable children 1892 - 1961 - (missing some early yrs.) McClain-Hays Funeral Home Death Records 1937-1970 Daws-Nowell Funeral Home Death Records, 1939-1979 Latimer's Funeral Home Death Records, 1979-1984 Probate Records, 1860 - 1890

VERTICAL FILE Family, church, community and school histories Collection of church, school and family photographs Church minute books and church Record books from several area churches History of county - Files on transportation, medicinal practices, business and industry, the fairs, community clubs and activities, agriculture, etc.

BOUND VOLUMES - NESHOBA COUNTY Cemeteries - (5 volumes with an index for each volume) Index to marriage records, 1877 - 1889 (both groom and bride index included) Index to death notices appearing in "The Neshoba Democrat", 1902 - 1930 Index census - 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870 1850 Agricultural census w/index 1860 Agricultural census w/index Index to will records, 1837-1947 Index to Land Patent Records Index to persons receiving Choctaw certificates and military warrants from earliest land records of Neshoba County Pension Rolls - Neshoba County, MS 1899-1918 with index Confederate Pension applications w/index Tract Book of original entries, 1835-1890 Index to the Tract Book of original entries

MAPS Plat map of Neshoba County, 1834 - 1900 Map of communities (Past and Present) Present Day Neshoba County City map of Philadelphia Ownership map of Neshoba County, 1960 Road map - WPA 1937 Publication funded by LSCA Title 1 through the Mississippi Library Commission