The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1914-04-23
CHOCTAWS AND CHICKASAWS

the Choctaws, Chickasaws, Muskhog
ees (Creeks), and Seminoles wer'
many centuries ago one tribe, occu
pying the southeastern portion Of thu
United States from the Mississippi
to the Savannah river. Intercine re
bellions, engendered by fractional quar-
rels and the jealousies of ambitious
chiefs, ultimately divided the great
nations into 4 tribes, which, in the
course of time, learned different dla-
lects, customes, and laws.
The Seminoles claimed as their do
main the peninsular country, new
Florida; the Creeks, the region north
of the Seminoles, comprising part
of eastern Alabama, Georgia, ao1
perhaps part of South Carolina; the
Choctaws large portion of Alabama
and the southern half of Mississippi to
the Chickasaws, the lands north of
Mississippi and a portion of west
Tennessee. When De Soto explored
the Choctaws, comprising northern
this region (154O) these tribes occu-
pied the territory in the manner de-
scribed.
The Choctaws and the Chickasaws
had their traditions, many of which
have been preserved to this day. In
the old Choctaw country is cave in a
hill which the Choctaws held as sacred
claiming that the first parents of their
people came from this cave by magic.
The Chicasaws have another tradition
Long centuries ago, when the Choc-
taws and Chickasaws were one people,
they dwelt far to the west of the Mis-
sissippi.
Driven by ferocious northern In
dams from their country, they jour-
neyed toward the sunrise many moons.
under the guardianship Of sacred
dog, led onward by a magic pole,
which they planted in the ground ev-'
cry night, and in the morning travelled
toward the direction the pole leaned.
At last, after crossing vast deserts,
boundless forests and dismal swanps.
leaving thousands of their dead along
the way, they reached the great Faith
er of Waters. While crossing the
Mississippi the sacred dog was drown
ed. Following the direction indicated
by the magic pole they continued east
ward to the banks of the Alabama
river, where the pole, after being I'M
settled for several days, pointed dis
tinctly southwest. They proceeded in
that direction to the southern portion
of Mississippi where the pole planted
itself firmly in a perpendicular line.
This was the omen for permanent SET
and here the tribe dwelt.
Tradition concerning the rebellion
and formation of an independent
tribe by the Chickasaws is very vague.
The word Chikasha (Chickasaws) in
the Choctaw tongue signifies to re-
bel, the latter tribe giving it's rebel
lious offshoot that name, which the
evidently accepted as
their distinctive tribal name.
When the early navigators touched
upon the unknown shores of the Gulf
of Mexico, the red men who greeted
them were not savages, living exclu-
sively by the chase and the spoils Of
war. In measure these Indians were
civilized. They had their rude arts,
laws, customs, and religion, inferior
but somewhat similar to those of the
Aztecs and Incas which leads to the
belief that the magic pole tradition
had it's origin in an exodus Of these
tribes from Mexico. The theory that
the Chickasaws and Choctaws were an
ofshoot of the civilized Aztecs has
some foundation. They were not pri-
marily a warlike race. Their DISPOSE
ton was not ferocious, although they
were capable of Waging long and
bloody wars when driven to such an
extremity by perfidy 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
power of the council
Their ideas of justice were based
on principles of equity. Virtue, truth
and honesty were, it is said, strik-
ing characteristic. Their methods of
agriculture were crude, but it is GER
tain that they cultivated the great In
dian cereal and prepared it for food
by crushing, the meal being baked as
bread, or the grain parched or boil
ed whole. The theology was beauti-
fully poetic and largely worship Of
the heart, without the elaborate and
barbarous rites of the sun worshippers
farther south. To their simple mag
lining the manifestations of the Great
Spirit were constantly heard and seen
IN the work Of nature. Their daily
life was one of devotion to quaint and
pretty superstitions and spirit wor-
strip. When DeSoto, Deluna, and 9TH
er white explorers first penetrated
their country they found race hospi-
table, virtuous, peaceable and happy.
They were met as gods, and lavished
with gifts and kindness. They requit-
ed this generous treatment by treach-
cry, rapine and conquest.
After the white man had come
among the Indians with the innova-
tons which we proudly term civiliza-
ton, the history of the Choctaws and
Chicksaws is the history of the subju-
cation of the red race. Contact with
the white mans civilization began the
work of determination and implanted
in heretofore trustful breasts the
seeds Of hatred and revenge. The
Chickasaws and Choctaws were fear
fully decimated by wars with the Eu-
ropeans and other tribes. During the
early explorations it is said they had
$4,000 warriors, while in 1920 the two
tribes could muster less than 1000
fighting men.
The Choctaws allied themselves to