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CHOCTAW

The Choctaw were Eastern Woodlands Indians who lived in central and southern Mississippi. They spoke Muskogean, a language in the same family as Iroquoian. Choctaw were known as successful farmers: they enjoyed a long growing season and ample rainfall. The Choctaw were also known as one of the Five Civilized Tribes of the Southeast, who were so named for their adoption of European customs.

When the Spaniards arrived in the early 1500s, the Choctaw were one of fifteen remaining tribes descended from the Mississippian (Mound Builders). When the French settled the region (by 1699) only the Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Natchez tribes remained. In 1830 the Removal Act forced the Choctaw to give up their lands and in 1832 they were moved west into Indian Territory (Oklahoma).

See also: Eastern Woodlands Indians, Five Civilized Tribes, Mound Builders, Native American Policy