How Did The Choctaw's Culture Affect The Culture Of Native Americans?

Choctaws are very interesting individuals that have great cultural influence in the southern United States. The earliest mention of the Choctaws was from the Spanish explorer, Hernando de Soto, around 1540 (“Choctaw Tribe”). Their unique customs have formed the history of Oklahoma and Mississippi. They continue sharing the tribal stories and spreading the legacy of the tribe. They are a member of the Five Civilized Tribes, in which they were the first to be removed from their homelands. Choctaws take great pride in their tribe. They are known mostly from the fact they were more civilized than most of the tribes in that era. They are a tribe with a solid foundation on, Faith, Family, and Culture. The name “Choctaw” derives from a legend of a

Women made the jewelry and sewed clothes (“Choctaw Tribe”). Colorful clothes and symbols were very important to their society, most of the symbols on their clothes resembled stars or the sun. Feathers were not commonly worn by the Choctaws. The women of the Choctaw Nation were domesticated. They mainly farmed, cooked and made clothes. Their other job was to come with the man on his hunts, to make the men’s meals and to drag his kill back to his camp (Carson 496) The Choctaw men were avid hunters and fished often. Men governed the tribe, performed rituals, and declared war on neighboring tribes (496). When a Choctaw was born the mother and father would separate during the birth. After the baby was delivered the parents chose a name. The names were for a particular skill, an animal, or something unique that involved the birth (Milligan

They built their houses out of bamboo stalks, in the shape of a circle. The walls were well constructed by adding another row of bamboo, which also kept them warmer. The roof was made into a cone shape, covered with leaves, to allow rain water to repel easily (Milligan 6). When a Choctaw died there would be a large gathering of family and friends. It was a custom in Choctaw villages to bury their dead in bone houses. Elderly men were assigned the duty of being “bone-pickers”, which meant they had to grow their nails out very long to pick the flesh off of the deceased’s bones (Choctaw Tribe). They believed that there was great power in an individual’s bones. When the bone-pickers duties to the Indian concluded, they created a large stand, and placed the person’s horse(s) on it, and then they roasted them. The meat was then shared between the whole tribe (Carson 498). Choctaws were natural equestrians. They incorporated horses in most of their everyday activities, from farming to long distance travel. Choctaws were exceptionally good at riding horses. For many Choctaw children, riding horseback was the first lesson that they were taught (Choctaw tribe). When a tribe wanted an alternative to war, they proposed a face-off of “Ball Play”. Otherwise known as the game of stickball. Often times there would be several hundred to even a thousand tribesman