The Chickasaw Indians were a Native American tribe known for their hunting and warfare skills. They occupied the Mississippi Valley region and now have their own government in south central Oklahoma. They had contact with Europeans, became successful cotton farmers, and were relocated to Indian Territory in the 19th century. They sided with the Confederacy during the Civil War and built schools and businesses afterwards. The US dissolved their tribal governments in 1906, but they were allowed to elect their own officers in 1970 and adopted a new constitution in 1983.
The Chickasaw Indians are a Native American tribe known in ancient times as the “Spartans of the Mississippi Valley.” They were great hunters and fierce warriors who lived mostly near what is now the Tombigbee River in northeastern Mississippi, but they occupied the entire Mississippi Valley region. The territory of the Chickasaw Nation now encompasses more than 7,500 square miles in south central Oklahoma. The capital is Tishimongo, and the Chickasaw Indians have their own constitution, with executive, legislative, and judicial government departments, and a governor and lieutenant governor elected by popular vote every four years.
In 1600, the Chickasaw Indians numbered only about 5,000, but they still managed to amass huge numbers of hunting grounds throughout western Kentucky and Tennessee, northern Alabama, and Mississippi. They were made up of numerous clans and the leadership included a chief called High Minko and council members who came from other clans and tribal elders. Men were responsible for hunting, fishing, building and warfare. Women took care of agriculture, food gathering and housework. The Chickasaw built sophisticated cities with advanced systems of government, including law and religion.
The Chickasaw Indians made their first contact with Europeans in 1540, when they met Hernando De Soto from Spain, who was looking for treasure. The Chickasaw drove out the Spanish, but a century later they participated in trade with the French and British and sided with the British in the French and Indian War. In the early 19th century, the Chickasaw Indians became successful cotton farmers and owned more than 19 black slaves.
In 1830, the Chickasaw Indians were one of five tribes relocated to Indian Territory, now known as Oklahoma, during the “Great Removal” on the “Trail of Tears.” The other tribes displaced were the Cherokee, Chocktaw, Creek, and Seminole. The Chickasaw settled with the Chocktaw in 1837 after the Treaty of Doaksville, then split from the Chocktaw to form their own autonomous government in 1856.
After the Civil War began in the United States, the Chickasaw sided with the Confederacy. After the war, they built some of the first schools, businesses and banks in Indian Territory. In 1906, the United States dissolved the tribal governments of the Chickasaw, Cherokee, Chocktaw, Creek, and Seminole tribes, and in 1907, US President Theodore Roosevelt appointed the principal officers of the Chickasaw Nation. The US Congress passed a law in 1970 allowing the Chickasaw Indians to elect their own officers, and in 1983 they adopted a new constitution.
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