History

• The Choctaw customs developed in the Missippian area: Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana. They were forced off their land and into Oklahoma, where their decedents still live. The Choctaw are related to the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Muscogee (Creek) and Seminole and their languages and customs are similar.
  
  

Features

• The Choctaw were known as one of the civilized tribes, which meant that they very easily adapted to European customs, blending them in with their own centuries old traditions. They were farmers and hunters. The women did the farming and the men the hunting.
  
  

Types

• Clothing
  The Choctaw women wore dresses made of deerskin and decorated with things like beads. They were not as long as those of other tribes. As they began to trade with the white man, they added dresses made of cloth, but they always kept their traditional ones. Today, when the Choctaw want to dress in traditional garb, they use a combination of their traditional blankets and homemade garments made from cloth.
  
  Games
  Many of the early Indian tribes developed games and the Choctaw were no different. Many of their games are similar to the ones we play today. They played a game called stickball which actually is similar to today's La Crosse and they played against other tribes instead of waging war. Another popular game was called Chunke in which a flat disk was thrown down an alley and the object was to be the first to hit it with a stick. Twist that around a bit and you have the modern game of bowling.
  
  Houses
  The Choctaw houses were models of primitive architecture. They were round, with the frame being made of rivercane, wood and vines which were tied at the top to form the dome roof. The exterior was a mixture of plaster and thatch.
  
  Ceremonies
  The Choctaw ceremonies were more civil than religious in nature. They did not have an organized religion before the missionaries came although they did believe in good and bad spirits. Dances were very common and they had elaborate wedding and funeral ceremonies.
  
  

Significance

• The Choctaw culture remained intact even though they were forced from their homeland to Indian Territory. The Choctaw was one of only about five of the Indian Nations that were known to easily adapt to western ways, and blend it with their traditional culture. Many of the older tribal members will wear the traditional dress in every day life. The younger, however, will only wear it for ceremonies.
  
  

Effects

• The Choctaw culture reaches far beyond the reservations of today. They operate resorts and casinos and their culture is a big part of the tourist experience.