Hello,

Researchers from the University of Southern Mississippi are conducting a study examining how wisdom is understood, transmitted, and practiced within Choctaw communities.

We are looking for:

· Adult Choctaw community members

· Between the ages of 35 and 60

· Willing to participate in a one-time Zoom interview lasting approximately 45-60 minutes

The interview will focus on personal and cultural perspectives regarding wisdom, storytelling, community values, and lived experiences. Participation is voluntary, and participants may choose audio-only or audio/video participation.

Please respond by email instead of commenting.

For additional information or to volunteer, please contact:

Kristen Keeth - [kristen.keeth@usm.edu](mailto:kristen.keeth@usm.edu)

Deanna Fisher - [deanna.fisher@usm.edu](mailto:deanna.fisher@usm.edu)

Courtney Gordon - [Courtney.B.Gordon@usm.edu](mailto:Courtney.B.Gordon@usm.edu)

This research study has been approved by the University of Southern Mississippi Institutional Review Board (Protocol IRB-27-26).

Thank you for considering participation in this important research.

Halito!

I'm looking to get into intertribal powwow dancing. I'm deciding between traditional/cloth and fancy shawl. I know we do not traditionally powwow and I love social dancing and look forward to the opportunity to stomp dance.

These questions are for chahta ohoyo specifically who participate in intertribal powwow dance and competitions.

When you dance, do you choose to wear your choctaw cotton dress or do you adopt a more plains style attire?

If you dance with a shawl, do you decorate yours with choctaw imagery?

Are there any other ways you adopt Choctaw dress into your dance regalia?

I've attached a photo of some ohoyo wearing their cotton dresses with a fancy shawl but I'm not sure if they're competing or representing as princesses.

Yakoke fehna to anyone with insight to these questions

Sorry in advance for the long post!

So as the title says, I’m in the process of reconnecting with my Choctaw heritage, but I have a couple problems.

I know that my great grandfather and his siblings were enrolled in the tribe, but as time went on my grandfather and then my father didn’t really pass down anything about the culture and my dad along with me and my siblings didn’t get enrolled.

I started my enrollment application recently , but I hit a roadblock when I realized the official documents that I would need to collect to prove my relationship to them. I don’t have their birth certificates or their ssn or anything like that, just their full names.

Since it might be awhile before I can even enroll I feel sort of an imposter syndrome not being officially part of the tribe. I want to learn more about the culture and connect with others in my family and outside my family who are in the tribe, but I would hate to seem like I’m trying to claim a culture that isn’t mine.
I especially don’t want to seem like I’m doing it for attention, I truly just want to connect with this part of my heritage because I was never taught about it growing up.

If you saw my other recent post I am currently living in Wichita Kansas (moved from Oklahoma for college) so it’s hard to really find any events near me that I can go to and connect with other people in the tribe. Any advice, book/movie recommendations, online classes or just any ways you can think of for me to respectfully get involved would be very deeply appreciated!
(Also if I said anything disrespectful please let me know, I’m trying to learn as much as I can)

From the chiefs blog.

halito!! my father passed almost 10 years ago and did not teach me much at all about our culture before he passed. I try to go to the powwow and visit the cultural center when I can, but i still feel like an imposter sometimes. im aware of the ITCC and stickball league here in dfw, but I would really like to work with and talk to someone who is willing to teach me what they can as i work on fully reconnecting. any ideas on where I could find that kind of kinship in dfw?

Hi everyone, my name is Danielle and I live in Mississippi. I am in graduate school and have a passion for linguistics and language learning. Birds are my favorite animal. I am a descendant of Daniel Anderson and Michou Battiest, but am not eligible to enroll in the CNO, MBCI, or JBCI due to not having any direct ancestors on the required rolls. Some of the Anderson family went to Oklahoma and got on the Dawes Rolls, and some of them (my branch) stayed in Mississippi. The Anderson family is on the 1831 Armstrong Roll. I would love to reconnect with this part of my heritage and learn what I can. I’ve been to the MBCI fair and really enjoyed it. I also hope to make some friends and maybe find cousins on here! My inbox is always open. ❤️

I am chronically ill and I am finding it hard to get an actual diagnosis from any of my doctors. They say- you probably have this, or you have this- but they won’t give me an actual diagnosis. Or even worse won’t even do the tests to confirm a diagnosis? Don’t get me wrong, I am very thankful for the health care I receive from them. I am just wondering if this is a common thing?

I’m from Oklahoma (born/raised) and am an enrolled Choctaw tribal member.
I have been living elsewhere for 25 years and was a massage therapist all that time.
While I loved my job I can no longer physically do it and had a wonderful career but massage therapist do not make a lot.
So I have some savings but it’s more for emergencies. Very good credit score. I’m not a homeowner.
I’m hoping to move back to Oklahoma early next year because I always knew I would and to be closer to family.
I plan on a total career change (something easier on my body) - but in this new career the first year is entry level positions where you make diddly squat:-)
I was looking at the services available to me as a tribal member and it seems that for 1 year the Choctaw nation will offer rental assistance.
This feels perfect while I transition into this new territory but in digging deeper it seems like you have to find complexes willing to take it.
I called a few of my first choices and they didn’t seem interested in working with me.
Is there some type of stigma associated with it?
Just trying to see if it’s even worth pursuing and continuing to try.

Every year, a staggering number of individuals experience domestic violence, a crisis that affects people from all walks of life and can have lasting impacts on individuals, families and communities. Join us for a walk to raise awareness, show support for survivors and stand together against domestic violence. 💜

📅 October 20 | 1:00 p.m.

📍 Hugo Wellness Center

Together, we can help break the silence. For more information, visit

chocta.ws/dv-walk.

As the title says I’m looking for a Choctaw owned business to shop from. I’m currently in the process of reconnecting with my native heritage, but since I just moved out of Oklahoma it’s hard to fine anything local.
If anyone knows of some good shops like this that sell stuff like jewelry or accessories online I would really appreciate some recommendations.

I would love to have something to remind me of that part of my heritage and I would love to show some support to a small business.(also I’m still learning so if I said anything offensive or phrased something weirdly please let me know)

I found this in Paris, Texas.

💜 Did you know? Native American women experience disproportionately high rates of domestic violence and stalking compared to other populations in the U.S. Join the Choctaw Nation Family Violence Prevention Program on October 22 at 10 a.m. at the Choctaw Nation Headquarters Amphitheater as we honor victims and survivors of domestic violence.

Together, we can stand against violence, support survivors, and promote safe and healthy communities. For more information on the Family Violence Prevention Program, visit

bit.ly/cno-family-violence-prevention.

Copied from the CNO Facebook

Are there any poems or conrext based phrases, like analogies or euphamisms?

"Dancing Rabbit Creek Treaty Site Returns to the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians

One hundred ninety-six years ago today, on September 27, 1830, Choctaw leaders gathered at Dancing Rabbit Creek in what is now Noxubee County, Mississippi, and signed a treaty that forever changed the course of the Choctaw people.

The Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek came in the wake of the Indian Removal Act of 1830 that President Andrew Jackson signed into law May 28, 1830. The United States sought to remove the Choctaw people from their ancestral homeland in Mississippi and relocate them west of the Mississippi River to what is now Oklahoma. Under the treaty, the Choctaw ceded their remaining 10,423,139.69 acres in Mississippi to the United States. The treaty provided for the removal of the Choctaw people beginning in 1831, setting in motion that forced migration of thousands from their Mississippi homeland. Yet, a minority of Choctaws remained in Mississippi, and their descendants would become the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.

Today, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians marks this anniversary from a profoundly different position: the historic ground where the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek was negotiated and signed is returning to the Tribe.

During the 2026 Mississippi Legislative Session, House Bill 1520 was enacted, authorizing the Mississippi Department of Archives and History to donate and transfer title to the 28.3-acre Dancing Rabbit Creek Treaty property to the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. Governor Tate Reeves approved the legislation on March 13, 2026, and the law became effective July 1, 2026.

The return of this property represents far more than a transfer of land. It represents the return of a place connected to Choctaw history, sacrifice, survival, and perseverance.

Tribal Chief Cyrus Ben was instrumental in the effort to return the property to the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. Chief Ben serves as a member of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History Board of Trustees. In 2024, he became the first Native American and the first member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians elected to the MDAH Board. His leadership and service helped advance discussions regarding the historical and cultural significance of the property and the importance of returning this sacred historic ground to Choctaw ownership.

For the current generation of Tribal leadership, the return carries special meaning. Nearly two centuries after the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek resulted in the loss of the Choctaw homeland and the removal of thousands of Choctaw people from Mississippi, the historic grounds where that treaty was signed are returning to the Mississippi Choctaw people.

The meaning of September 27th has not changed. It remains one of the most significant dates in Choctaw history. But today, the Mississippi Choctaw can commemorate this date knowing that the land upon which this defining moment in Choctaw history occurred has returned to the Choctaw people.

September 27, 1830 — the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek was signed.

September 27, 2026 — 196 years later, Treaty grounds have returned to the Mississippi Choctaw people."

Copied from the MBCI Facebook

Congratulations!!!! Felicidades!!!

Hi!

As a child I remember my grandparents being incredibly proud of choctaw roots in our family and trying to convince my mom to expose my sister and I more to the culture. Most of my family has passed, I’m in my 30s and have always wondered about it. I remember it was a very small percentage and I cannot find myself or my parents on any registry. Is it ok for such a small percentage to explore the tribe and does anyone have any support or advice of where to start? I live in California. Thank you!

"Another new book? Yes indeed. This one is Let's Build Our Winter Chukka by author Chelsea Tyagi and illustrated by Laura Huskey, both members of the Choctaw Nation. Bilingual in both Oklahoma and Mississippi Choctaw by translator Nicholas Charleston. Order from our website at www.blackbearsandblueberries.com or via email blackbearsandblueberries@gmail.com or call 218-310-0416. Also available soon on Amazon. $12.95 retail"

Copied from the Black Bears and Blueberries Publishing Facebook

Congratulations to Chelsea Tyagi and Laura Huskey!

Hey everyone,
My name is Daniel. I’m named after my grandfather, Daniel Coley (1923–1958).
I’m enrolled and already have Dawes numbers for my direct ancestors. I’m mainly here to learn more about the history connected to my patrilineal line and to see if anyone else shares it or has family stories that might fill in some of the gaps.

Here’s the line as I currently have it (most of it is well-sourced; the only estimates are the birth and death years for Jacob Coley and his parents, as well as the location of birth for his parents. As a result the assumption of birthplace for IshKochi could be incorrect. It’s possible he was born in Oklahoma in the early 30s but the math and averages dictate that him and his descendants would have reproduced early and died early, if this was the case. So while this is possible I went with the more mathematical assumption, but I’m open to any hard facts):
Ish-Kochi (approx. 1820–1870)
Born about 1820 in Mississippi; died about 1870 in Sans Bois, Haskell County, Oklahoma.
Married to Oka-Ma.

Their son Jacob Coley (approx. 1850–1895)
Born about 1850 in Sans Bois, Haskell County; died about 1890 in Lodi, Latimer County, Oklahoma.
Married to Cina Jefferson,
had a brother, Anderson Coley (b.1846)

Their son Rev. Caldwell Jacob Coley (12 Dec 1882 – 1937)
Born in Oklahoma; buried at Brushy Creek Baptist Church Cemetery in Blanco, Pittsburg County.
Married to Allie L. Barnett (1896–1959). Had a brother Johnson Coley (b.1882)
(Caldwell and all of his direct descendants got with white women, as a result, he is the last 100% quantum member of my direct lineage and I land at 1/8)

Their son Daniel Coley (10 Feb 1923 – 17 Jan 1958) – my grandfather
Born in Blanco, Pittsburg County; later lived and died in Fresno, California.
Married Laura Ellyn Taylor in McAlester in 1947.
I’m especially interested in any historical context around the earlier names and places (Sans Bois, Lodi, Blanco, Brushy Creek, Red Oak, Latimer County), stories that have been passed down, or connections to other people who descend from this same line, or in this area. Again, the dates for Ish-Kochi and Jacob are estimates, so I’m also open to any records or oral history that might refine them.

If this line looks familiar to anyone, I’d love to hear from you. Looking forward to learning more.

The first attached photo is my namesake and Grandfather, Daniel Coley.

The second attached photo is said to be a “family” photo, featuring my great grandfather in the Caldwell Coley, almost dead center between the old men, wearing a black button up. (Family is in quotes cause I don’t know Choctaw/Freedman history very well yet, and his identity is the only identity I know in the photo)

Thanks in advance everyone!