Geography

• Historically, the Choctaw were culturally tied to their homeland, which included the sacred Nanin Waiya mound in east central Mississippi. There are different Choctaw beliefs surrounding the significance of Nanin Waiya, but most Choctaw believe that is either where the first Choctaw was created or that it is the location where the Choctaw tribe settled after travelling from the west as Paleo-Indians in prehistoric times. In 2006 Nanin Waiya was returned to the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians by the state.
  
  

Features

• The Choctaw language was an integral part of the tribe's identity and culture and is still written and spoken by many on the Choctaw reservations in Mississippi and Oklahoma. Choctaw religion centers around a good spirit and an evil spirit, and many historians believe the Choctaw were sun worshipers. Stickball was also an important element of Choctaw culture because it served as a way for Choctaw communities to settle disputes amongst themselves. Choctaw stickball is considered the oldest field sport in America and could accommodate up to 300 players. The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians continues to play the sport during their annual Choctaw Indian Fair.
  
  

Identification

• Formed out of several different Mississippian cultures, the Choctaw tribe emerged during the seventeenth century. During the American Revolution and the War of 1812, the Choctaw sided with the newly formed United States. In the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek in 1830 the Choctaw turned their native lands over the United States government and effectively divided the tribe into two factions: the Nation in Oklahoma and the Tribe in Mississippi. Today these groups still exist as the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.
  
  

Size

• The best known estimates for the size of the Choctaw tribe come from the time period beginning with their removal to Indian Territory in present day Oklahoma. Beginning in 1831, 15,000 Choctaw followed the Trail of Tears to Indian Territory. The removal process last for several decades, and by 1930 there were fewer than 1,700 Choctaw remaining in Mississippi. Today the U.S. Census Bureau lists the Choctaw population at 160,000.
  
  

Evolution

• Despite the encroachment of American Colonists and the eventual relegation of the Choctaw to federal reservations, the Choctaw tribe has played a major role in Native American history and has maintained its cultural identity. The Choctaw were eager to foster good relations with the United States from an early date, and the Choctaw chief Mushulatubbee even sought a seat in the U.S. Congress in 1830. As slaveholders the Choctaw of both Mississippi and Oklahoma sided with the Confederacy during the Civil War. In World War I Choctaws served a vital role in the U.S. military as codetalkers and Van Barfoot, a Mississippi Choctaw, was awarded a Medal of Honor for his services during World War II. Today the Choctaw live on federal Indian reservations in Mississippi and Oklahoma.