Size

• Mississippi has been home to several Indian tribes throughout its history--the Choctaw, Chickasaw and Natchez Indians were the three largest. Of those tribes, the Choctaw proved the most influential. Today, Choctaw are the most well-represented Indian tribe in the state despite their rapid decline during the Indian Removal Act.
  
  

Geography

• The Choctaw were located in various parts of the state, though many lived in central Mississippi. The Choctaw today are more concentrated in Neshoba County than anywhere else.
  
  

History of

• From the beginning of European exploration, the Choctaw and their sister tribes were thriving agricultural communities. Upon European integration, struggle and survival would be a mainstay. In the late 17th century, European interaction revealed the future of Indian struggle. The Choctaw allied with the French while the Chickasaw sided with the English. To that end, the competition between the British and English filtered down to their Indian allies. For some 30y years, the Choctaw battled the Chickasaw. During that time, around 500 Choctaw were sent to South Carolina and sold into slavery. By the mid 1700s, the Choctaw experienced an internal civil war.
  As the 19th century approached, these natives faced another difficult task: keeping their land. As more white settlers entered the Mississippi territory, land became a battle ground. With Mississippi becoming a state in 1817, these settlers and land speculators appealed to the federal government to remove the Choctaws from the state.
  A series of treaties, beginning in 1801, and the Indian Removal Act enacted by Congress under the leadership of President Andrew Jackson, appeared to spell the end of the Choctaw in Mississippi. The Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek in 1830 finalized the removal of Choctaw from the land. They ceded their remaining land with the agreement to move to Oklahoma or stay and register with the government. Only about 70 families remained to register while the others migrated to Oklahoma along the "trail of tears." By the time of the Civil War, the Choctaw population narrowed to about 1,000.
  
  

Effects

• The effects of the removal of the Choctaw were devastating. Death and despair ran wild in the Choctaw and other tribes removed from their homes. Many tribes suffered to the point of near genocide. The Choctaw, though, were able to survive the difficult cirmumstances and eventually thrive as a nation.
  
  

The Facts

• However, the spirit and determination of these people remained. As World War I neared an end, Choctaw men were enlisted as "code talkers" to prevent the Germans from intercepting vital information from the Allies. Using their native language, these men played a major role in turning the tide of World War I.
  
  

Significance

• On the home front, the Choctaw in Mississippi began to re-establish themselves in the state. After accepting the conditions of the Indian Reorganization Act in 1935, the Choctaw received land in 1939 from the secretary of the interior. Their constitution and by-laws were approved in 1945.
  Now known as "The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians," the Neshoba County reservation established an industrial park and a museum. With the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act in 1988, the Choctaw established casinos to further employ financial independence.
  
  

Features

• The Mississippi Band of Choctaw continue to ensure their cultural heritage by providing workshops to help inform the public. Some of the more popular cultural accomplishments include basket-making, beadwork, recreation and cuisine. Foods such as hominy are still enjoyed today. Hominy consists of dried kernels of corn boiled in water.
  The Choctaw continue to enjoy playing stick ball, similar to lacrosse. Each team has the same number of players, which may vary. While there are few rules, players must use their sticks to carry the ball and toss it between the goal posts. At no time can a player touch the ball with his hand.