Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1882-05-25
COurtship and Marriage Among the
ChOctaWs of Mississippi.

The two thousand Choctaws still living
in their ancestral homes in Mississippi
retain, in their pristine vigor, many of
the usages of their ancestors. Among
these are the methods employed in con-
Quoting a courtship and the marriage
ceremony.
When young Choctaw of Kemper or
Neshoba County sees maiden who
p1eases his fancy, he watches his oppor-
tunity until he finds her alone. He
then approaches within few yards of
her and gently casts a pebble toward
her, so that it may fall at her feet. He
may have to do this two or three times
before he attracts the maiden's atten-
ton. If this pebble throwing is agree
able, she soon makes it manifest; if
otherwise, a scornful look and decided
s'ekwah" indicate that his suit is in
vain. Sometimes instead of throwing
pebbles the sutton enters the woman's
cabin and lays his hat or handkerchief on
her bed. This action is interpreted as a
desire on his part that she should be the
sharer of his couch.
If the mans suit is acceptable the
woman permits the hat to remain; but
if she is unwilling to become his bride,
it is removed instantly. The rejected
sutton, in either method employed,
knows that it is useless to press his suit,
and beats as graceful retreat as pos
sible.
When marriage is agreed upon, the
lovers appoint a time and place for
the ceremony. On the marriage day the
friends and relatives of the prospective
couple meet at their respective houses or
villages, and thence march toward each
other. When they arrive near the mar
riage ground-generally an intermedi-
ate space between the two villages
they halt within about hundred yards
of each other. The brothers of the
woman then go across to the opposite
party and bring forward the man and
seat him on a blanket spread upon the
marriage ground. The mans sisters
then do likewise by going over and
bringing forward the woman and seat
ing her by the side of the man. Some
times, to furnish little merriment for
the occasion, the woman is expected to
break loose and run. Of course she is
pursued, captured, and brought back.
All parties now assemble around the ex-
pectant couple. A bag of bread is
brought forward by the woman's rela-
tives and deposited near her. In like
manner the mans relatives bring for
ward bag of meat and deposit it near
him. These bags of provisions are lin
gering symbols of the primitive days
when the man was the hunter to pro-
vide the household with game, and the
woman was to raise corn for the bread
and hominy. The mans friends and
relatives now begin to throw presents
upon the head and shoulders of the
woman. These presents are of any
kind that the donors choose to give, as
articles of clothing, money, trinkets,
ribbons, etc. As soon as thrown they
are quickly snatched off by the woman's
relatives and distributed among them
selves. During all this time the couple
sit very quietly and demurely, not a
word spoken by either. When all the
presents have been thrown and dis
tributed, the couple, now man and wife,
arise, the provisions from the bags are
spread, and, just as in civilized life, the
ceremony is rounded off with a festival.
The festival over, the company dis
perse, and the gallant groom conducts
his bride to his home, where they enter
upon the tolls and responsibilities of the
future.-Anaerican Naturalist.