About Choctaw Indians in Texas

The Choctaw Indians were first encountered by Europeans in what is now Mississippi and Alabama. Historically, their culture was divided into clans and villages and was led by a mingo or chief. Today, most of the Choctaw Indians in Texas are dispersed.

The Facts

Choctaw Indians living in Texas have origins that predate the forcible expulsion of the majority of their tribe from their homeland in Mississippi by President Andrew Jackson in 1881. Faced with increasing encroachment by immigrants of European extraction and the detrimental policies of the U.S. Government, small bands of Choctaw Indians began to relocate to the Spanish-Mexican lands in what is now east Texas as early as 1808. There they enjoyed a relative freedom in an environment more suited to their agricultural lifestyle than the barren prairies of the Indian Territories to the northwest. The Chickasaw Indians, a related tribe, accompanied them.

History of

In 1836, Anglo settlers in Texas formed the Republic of Texas, which gained independence from Mexico. The Choctaw, Chickasaw and Cherokee Indians made several treaties with the new republic, which enabled them to preserve their lands and cultures. One of the main settlements was on Attoyac bayou in east Texas. The treaty of February 23, 1836 between thirteen Native American tribes and the Republic of Texas recognized the Choctaw as a distinct tribal group.

Geography

After the forced relocation of the Choctaw from Mississippi along the infamous 'Trail of Tears" in the 1830s, a party of about 700 split off from the main group that was heading for the Indian territories and went south to Texas. Many of them settled in Nacogdoches and Shelby Counties. These settlements were later scattered after persecution by military forces under president of the Republic, Mirabeau Lamar, in 1839.
Remaining members of the Choctaw tribe in Texas eventually formed a community known as Mount Tabor Indian Community in what is now Rusk and Smith counties in Texas. After the Civil War ended in 1866, most of the Mount Tabor Community left Texas for the Oklahoma Territory.

Features

The original culture of the Choctaw placed women in charge of the family. Fathers weren't responsible for their children. Instead the eldest maternal uncle would be responsible for discipline. Today, the Choctaws retain much of their culture. They produce traditional Choctaw dresses that are similar to the ones worn in the nineteenth century. They also produce beadwork and baskets and participate in traditional dances.

Misconceptions

Many people think that all Native American Indians of the past were uncivilized nomads who lived in tepees. In fact, the Choctaw were referred to as one of the "five civilized tribes." In the nineteenth century the Texas Choctaws lived in log cabins, raised cattle, and grew crops such as melons, pumpkins, corn and tobacco.