Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1913-08-28
Choctaws, Chickasaws, Musko-
gees and Seminoles Can
Trace Origin.
TRA1LED THE SACRED DOG
Believed to Have Been Torn Asunder
By fractional Wars and to
Have Wandered From
Mexico.
From the oklahoman.

"SAS LA VI o4IS ll1DSO u 1ldl1OuS CSSapS-
Ing the southeastern portion of the
United States from the Mississippi to
the Savannah river. 1t is the opinion of
many that internecine rebellions, en-
gendered by fractional quarrels and the
Jealousies of the chiefs, ultimately d.
vided this great nation into the four
distinct tribes named. who in the course
Of time learned different dialects, Gus
toms and laws.
After the dissolution of the nation.
the Seminoles claimed as their domain
the peninsula country, now the state
Of Florida; the Creeks, the region north
OF the Seminoles, comprising a part OF
eastern Alabama, Georgia and perhaps
part Of South Carolina; the Choctaws,
Chtckasaws, the lands to the north of
the Choctaws, comprising northern
Mississippi m q portion Of western
Tennessee. At the time DeSota ex-
plored this region, in 1910, these four
tribes occupied the territory in the
ann described.
The Choctaws and Chickasaws had
many traditions, a number of which
were preserved to a late day. In the old
Choctaw country was q cave in 8 hill
which the members Of the tribe held as
sacred, claiming that the first parents
of their people came therefrom by
magic. The Chickasaws had another
tradition.
Long centuries ago, when the two
tribes were of the same body, they
dwelt in a land far to the west Of the
Mississippi, and later, driven by fierce
tribes Of northern Indians from their
country, journeyed toward the sunrise
many, many moons, under the guar
dianship Of a Sacred dog" led on and
on by a magic pole which they planted
in the ground every night and at the
dawn Travelled in the direction to which
the pole leaned. At last after crossing
vast deserts, boundless forests, dismal
swamps, over towering hills and
through peaceful valleys, leaving thou
sands of their dead along the way, they
reached the great Father Of Waters.
After crossing this great stream, in
which the sacred dog was drowned.
and again guided by the magic pole,
they continued their Journey eastward
to the banks Of the Alabama river.
where he pole, after being unsettled
for several days, pointed distinctly
southwest. The red men proceeded in
that direction to the southern portion
Of what is now Mississippi, and the
pole, being again planted, held itself
firmly in a perpendicular line. This
was the omen for permanent settle
ment, and here the tribe dwelt.
Tradition concerning the rebellion
and ultimate formation of an indepen-
dent tribe by the Chickasaws is very
vague. The word Chickasha. (Chicka-
saw in the Choctaw tongue signifies
rebel" the latter rae giving its re
bellious offshoot hat name. which the
Chickasaws evidently accepted as their
tribal name.
When h early n%avigators touched
upon the u~nexplored, unknown shores
of the Gulf OF Mexico, the red men who
greeted them We're not savages, living
exclusively by the chase and by the
spoils of war. but in a measure were a
civilized people, having their rude arts,
laws, customs and religion, inferior but
somewhat similar to that of the Aztecs
and Incas, which leads to the belief
that the tradition Of the magic pole
had its origin in an exodus of these
tribes from Mexico.
Were Peaceful Race.
The theory that the Chickasaws and
Choctaws We're an offshoot of the civ
1lized tribe of Aztecs has some founda-
ton. They were not primarily a. war
ferocious although they were capable
Of waging long and bloody wars when
driven to such an extremity by perfdy
and wrong. The ancient government
Of the Choctaws and Chickasaws was
democratic and simple; their ruler was
called king, but his authority was
abridged by the powers Of the council,
which was made n unmade by the
members of the tribe at will. Their
ideas of Justice We're based on this
principles of equity. Virtue, truth and
honesty We're, 1t is claimed, striking
characteristics: their methods of agri-
culture were crude, but it is certain they
cultivated the great Indian cereal and
prepared the same for food by crushing
1t, the meal being baked for bread. or
the grain parched or boiled whole.
Their theology was beautifully poetic
and largely a worship of the heart,
without elaborate and barbarous rites
OF the sun w%orshippers farther south.
To their simple imagining the manifes-
tations Of the Great Spirit were con-
stantly heard n seen in the works of
nature. Their daily life was one Of de-
votion to quaint and pretty supersti-
tons and spirit worship.
When DeSoto, Deluna and the other
white explorers first penetrated the
country inhabited by these red men,
they found a race of people hospitable,
v%irtuous. ~peaceable and happy. They
were met as gods and lavised with gifts
and kindness They requited this gen
erous treatment by treachery, rapine
Inc conquest.
these Indians with the innovation
which we proudly term civilization, the
history of the Choctaws and Chicka-
saws is the history of the subtugation
OF the red race. Contact with the white
mans civilization began the work of
determination and implanted into hith-
erto trustful breasts the seeds of hatred
and revenge. The Choctaws and Chick
asaws were fearfully decimated by
wars with the Euro. sean and other
tribes. During the cd rIy explorations
1t Is said they had 15,0Ns warriors. while
in the e 1870 the tribes could mus
ter less than 1000 fighting men. The
Choctaws allied themselves with the
French In the war against Natchez.
whom the Chickasaws aided. The two
latter tribes were badly beaten.
Later Became Warliks.
From 1910 to the establishment OF
the American government q republic,
the Chickasaws and Choctaws were
almost constantly at war. AS progress
followed the star of the empire vest
ward the rights Of these Indians, M
they understood them. were more and
more carcunscribed. In 1865 the Chick
Asaws made their hrstagepsral treaty
with General Oglethrope. OF Georgia,