Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians
Encyclopedia
The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians is one of three federally recognized tribes of Choctaw
Indians. On April 20, 1945, the tribe organized under the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934. Also in 1945 the Choctaw Indian Reservation
was created in Neshoba
and surrounding counties. The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians is the only federally recognized Indian tribe in Mississippi
.
By a deed dated August 18, 2008, the state returned Nanih Waiya
to the Choctaw. The ancient earthwork mound
, built about 1 CE-300 CE, has been venerated since the 17th century as a place of origin of the Choctaw, and they have made August 18 a tribal holiday to celebrate.
was ratified by the U.S. Senate on February 25, 1831, and U.S. President Andrew Jackson
was anxious to make it a model of Indian removal to territory west of the Mississippi River
. After ceding close to 11 million acres (44,515.5 km²), the Choctaw were to emigrate in three stages; the first in the fall of 1831, the second in 1832, and the last in 1833. Although the removals continued into the early 20th century, some Choctaws remained in Mississippi. They continued to live on their ancient homeland. Nearly 5000 Choctaws remained in Mississippi to become citizens of the state.
For the next ten years, they were objects of increasing legal conflict, harassment, and intimidation. The Choctaws described their situation in 1849, "we have had our habitations torn down and burned, our fences destroyed, cattle turned into our fields and we ourselves have been scourge
d, manacled, fettered and otherwise personally abused, until by such treatment some of our best men have died." Racism
was rampant. Joseph B. Cobb, who moved to Mississippi from Georgia, described Choctaws as having "no nobility or virtue at all, and in some respect he found blacks, especially native Africans, more interesting and admirable, the red man's superior in every way. The Choctaw and Chickasaw, the tribes he knew best, were beneath contempt, that is, even worse than black slaves."
Conditions declined for the Choctaw after the American Civil War
and Reconstruction
, as in the Democrats' effort to restore white supremacy, they passed a new constitution in 1890 that effectively disfranchised all blacks and people of color. In addition, under racial segregation and Jim Crow laws, the whites included all people of color in the category of "other" or black, and restricted their use of public facilities. This situation lasted until the middle of the twentieth century.
During the Great Depression
and the Roosevelt Administration
, officials began numerous initiatives to alleviate some of the social and economic conditions in the South. The 1933 Special Narrative Report described the dismal state of welfare of Mississippi Choctaw, whose population by 1930 had declined to 1,665 people. John Collier, the US Commissioner for Indian Affairs (now BIA), used the report as instrumental support in a proposal to re-organize the civilized Mississippi Choctaw as the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. This enabled them to establish their own tribal government, as well as to have a beneficial relationship with the federal government.
In 1934, President Franklin Roosevelt signed into law the Indian Reorganization Act. This law proved critical for survival of the Mississippi Choctaw. Baxter York, Emmett York, and Joe Chitto worked on gaining recognition for the Choctaw. They realized that the only way to gain recognition was to adopt a constitution. A rival organization, the Mississippi Choctaw Indian Federation
, opposed tribal recognition because of fears of dominance by the Bureau of Indian Affairs
(BIA). They disbanded after leaders of the opposition were moved to another jurisdiction. The first Tribal Council members were Baxter and Emmett York with Joe Chitto as the first chairperson.
With the tribe's adoption of government, in 1944 the Secretary of the Interior declared that 18000 acres (72.8 km²) would be held in trust for the Choctaw of Mississippi. Lands in Neshoba
and surrounding counties were set aside as a federal Indian reservation
. Eight communities were included in the reservation land: Bogue Chitto
, Bogue Homa, Conehatta
, Crystal Ridge, Pearl River
, Red Water, Tucker
, and Standing Pine
.
Under the Indian Reorganization Act, the Mississippi Choctaws re-organized on April 20, 1945 as the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. This gave them independence from the state government, which continued with its system of racial segregation under the Democratic Party.
The Choctaw people continued to struggle economically due to bigotry, cultural isolation, and lack of jobs. With reorganization and establishment of tribal government, however, over the next decades they took control of "schools, health care facilities, legal and judicial systems, and social service programs."
In the 1950s, successive Republican administrations (supported by conservative Democrats in the South, still a one-party region) became impatient with gradual assimilation of Native Americans. They settled on a policy to terminate
tribes as quickly as possible. Out of concern for the isolation of many Native Americans in rural areas, the federal government created relocation programs to cities to try to expand job and cultural opportunities for American Indians. Indian policy experts hoped to expedite assimilation of Native Americans to the larger American society, which was becoming increasingly urbanized.
Democratic President John F. Kennedy
decided against implementing additional terminations. He did enact some of the last terminations in process, such as with the Ponca
. Both presidents Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon
repudiated termination of the federal government's relationship with Native American tribes. In 1959, the Choctaw Termination Act was passed. Unless repealed by the federal government, the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma would effectively be terminated as a sovereign nation as of August 25, 1970.
Phillip Martin
, who had served in the U.S. Army in Europe during World War II, returned to visit his former Neshoba County, Mississippi
home. After seeing the poverty of his people, he decided to stay to help. Martin served as chairperson in various Choctaw committees up until 1977. Martin was then elected as Chief of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. He served a total of 30 years, being re-elected until 2007. Will Campbell, a Baptist minister and Civil Rights activist, witnessed the destitution of the Choctaw. He would later write, "the thing I remember the most ... was the depressing sight of the Choctaws, their shanties along the country roads, grown men lounging on the dirt streets of their villages in demeaning idleness, sometimes drinking from a common bottle, sharing a roll-your-own cigarette, their half-clad children a picture of hurting that would never end."
The Choctaw witnessed the social forces that brought Freedom Summer
to their ancient homeland. The Civil Rights Era produced significant social change for the Choctaw in Mississippi, as their civil rights were also enhanced. Prior to the Civil Rights Act of 1964
, most jobs were given to whites, then blacks.
The Choctaw, who for 150 years had been neither white nor black, were "left where they had always been"-- in poverty. Donna Ladd
wrote that a Choctaw, now in her 40s, remembers "as a little girl, she thought that a 'white only' sign in a local store meant she could only order white, or vanilla, ice cream. It was a small story, but one that shows how a third race can easily get left out of the attempts for understanding." The end of legalized racial segregation
permitted the Choctaw to participate in public institutions and facilities that had been reserved exclusively for white patrons.
Soon after this, Congress passed the landmark Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975
, completing a 15-year period of federal policy reform with regard to American Indian tribes. The legislation included means by which tribes could negotiate contracts with the BIA to manage more of their own education and social service programs. In addition, it provided direct grants to help tribes develop plans for assuming responsibility. It also provided for Indian parents' involvement on school boards.
Starting with New Hampshire in 1963, numerous state governments began to operate lotteries and other gambling to raise money for government services. In 1987 the Supreme Court of the United States
ruled that federally recognized tribes could operate gaming facilities on reservation land free from state regulation. In 1988 the U.S. Congress enacted the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act
(IGRA). It set the terms for Native American tribes to operate casino
s.
After years of waiting under the Ray Mabus
administration, Mississippi Governor Kirk Fordice
in 1992 gave permission for the Mississippi Band of Choctaw to develop Class III gaming. The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians (MBCI) has one of the largest casino resorts in the nation; it is located in Choctaw, Mississippi
. The Silver Star Casino opened its doors in 1994. The Golden Moon Casino opened in 2002. The casinos are collectively known as the Pearl River Resort
.
Purporting to represent Native Americans before Congress and state governments in this new field, Jack Abramoff
and Michael Scanlon
used fraudulent means to gain profits of $15 million in payment from the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. Congressional hearings were held and charges were brought against Abramoff and Scanlon. In an e-mail sent January 29, 2002, Abramoff tells Scanlon "I have to meet with the monkeys from the Choctaw tribal council."
. For years protected as a Mississippi state park, Nanih Waiya was returned to the Choctaw in 2006, under Mississippi Legislature State Bill 2803. The deed was signed in August 2008, which the Choctaw have made a tribal holiday. They have celebrated the day since, and made it an occasion for telling and performances of dances and stories of their origin and history.
In July 2007, Beasley Denson was elected to replace the previous Chief Philip Martin. Martin had been democratically elected for seven consecutive terms. Under Denson, the title of Chief was changed to Miko, the Choctaw name for the tribe's leader.
Martin brought the tribe from a 70% unemployment rate in 1997 to less than 3% unemployment in 2007. During his tenure, he led the tribe to become the third largest employer in Mississippi. Denson served until 2011.
Choctaws regularly traveled hundreds of miles from their homes for long periods of time. They set out early in the fall and returned to their reserved lands at the opening of spring to plant their gardens. At that time they visited the Europeans at Columbus, Miss., Macon, Brooksville, and Crawford, and the region where Yazoo City now is located.
Presently, the Mississippi Choctaw Indian Reservation has eight communities.
These communities are located in parts of ten counties throughout the state, although the largest concentration of land is in Neshoba County
, at 32°48′56"N 89°14′46"W, which comprises more than two-thirds of the reservation's land area and over 62 percent of its population as of the 2000 census
. The total land area is 84.282 km² (32.541 sq mi), and its official total resident population was 5,190 persons. The ten counties are Neshoba, Lincoln, Newton
, Leake
, Kemper
, Jones
, Winston
, Attala
, Jackson
, and Scott
Counties.
Choctaw
The Choctaw are a Native American people originally from the Southeastern United States...
Indians. On April 20, 1945, the tribe organized under the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934. Also in 1945 the Choctaw Indian Reservation
Indian reservation
An American Indian reservation is an area of land managed by a Native American tribe under the United States Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs...
was created in Neshoba
Neshoba County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 28,684 people, 10,694 households, and 7,742 families residing in the county. The population density was 50 people per square mile . There were 11,980 housing units at an average density of 21 per square mile...
and surrounding counties. The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians is the only federally recognized Indian tribe in Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
.
By a deed dated August 18, 2008, the state returned Nanih Waiya
Nanih Waiya
Nanih Waiya is an ancient earthwork mound in Winston County, Mississippi, constructed by indigenous people during the Middle Woodland period, about 0-300 CE. Since the 17th century, the historic Choctaw have venerated Nanih Waiya as their sacred origin location in traditional beliefs.Today the...
to the Choctaw. The ancient earthwork mound
Mound
A mound is a general term for an artificial heaped pile of earth, gravel, sand, rocks, or debris. The most common use is in reference to natural earthen formation such as hills and mountains, particularly if they appear artificial. The term may also be applied to any rounded area of topographically...
, built about 1 CE-300 CE, has been venerated since the 17th century as a place of origin of the Choctaw, and they have made August 18 a tribal holiday to celebrate.
Removal era
The Treaty of Dancing Rabbit CreekTreaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek
The Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek was a treaty signed on September 27, 1830 between the Choctaw and the United States Government. This was the first removal treaty carried into effect under the Indian Removal Act...
was ratified by the U.S. Senate on February 25, 1831, and U.S. President Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
was anxious to make it a model of Indian removal to territory west of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. After ceding close to 11 million acres (44,515.5 km²), the Choctaw were to emigrate in three stages; the first in the fall of 1831, the second in 1832, and the last in 1833. Although the removals continued into the early 20th century, some Choctaws remained in Mississippi. They continued to live on their ancient homeland. Nearly 5000 Choctaws remained in Mississippi to become citizens of the state.
For the next ten years, they were objects of increasing legal conflict, harassment, and intimidation. The Choctaws described their situation in 1849, "we have had our habitations torn down and burned, our fences destroyed, cattle turned into our fields and we ourselves have been scourge
Scourge
A scourge is a whip or lash, especially a multi-thong type used to inflict severe corporal punishment or self-mortification on the back.-Description:...
d, manacled, fettered and otherwise personally abused, until by such treatment some of our best men have died." Racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
was rampant. Joseph B. Cobb, who moved to Mississippi from Georgia, described Choctaws as having "no nobility or virtue at all, and in some respect he found blacks, especially native Africans, more interesting and admirable, the red man's superior in every way. The Choctaw and Chickasaw, the tribes he knew best, were beneath contempt, that is, even worse than black slaves."
Conditions declined for the Choctaw after the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
and Reconstruction
Reconstruction
In the history of the United States, the term "Reconstruction Era" has two senses: the first covers the entire nation in the period 1865–1877 following the Civil War; the second one, used in this article, covers the transformation of the Southern United States from 1863 to 1877, with the...
, as in the Democrats' effort to restore white supremacy, they passed a new constitution in 1890 that effectively disfranchised all blacks and people of color. In addition, under racial segregation and Jim Crow laws, the whites included all people of color in the category of "other" or black, and restricted their use of public facilities. This situation lasted until the middle of the twentieth century.
Reorganization
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and the Roosevelt Administration
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
, officials began numerous initiatives to alleviate some of the social and economic conditions in the South. The 1933 Special Narrative Report described the dismal state of welfare of Mississippi Choctaw, whose population by 1930 had declined to 1,665 people. John Collier, the US Commissioner for Indian Affairs (now BIA), used the report as instrumental support in a proposal to re-organize the civilized Mississippi Choctaw as the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. This enabled them to establish their own tribal government, as well as to have a beneficial relationship with the federal government.
In 1934, President Franklin Roosevelt signed into law the Indian Reorganization Act. This law proved critical for survival of the Mississippi Choctaw. Baxter York, Emmett York, and Joe Chitto worked on gaining recognition for the Choctaw. They realized that the only way to gain recognition was to adopt a constitution. A rival organization, the Mississippi Choctaw Indian Federation
Mississippi Choctaw Indian Federation
The Mississippi Choctaw Indian Federation is a now-defunct organization of Choctaws and a former rival governing body of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. They opposed federal tribal recognition because of fears of dominance by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and were never federally recognized...
, opposed tribal recognition because of fears of dominance by the Bureau of Indian Affairs
Bureau of Indian Affairs
The Bureau of Indian Affairs is an agency of the federal government of the United States within the US Department of the Interior. It is responsible for the administration and management of of land held in trust by the United States for Native Americans in the United States, Native American...
(BIA). They disbanded after leaders of the opposition were moved to another jurisdiction. The first Tribal Council members were Baxter and Emmett York with Joe Chitto as the first chairperson.
With the tribe's adoption of government, in 1944 the Secretary of the Interior declared that 18000 acres (72.8 km²) would be held in trust for the Choctaw of Mississippi. Lands in Neshoba
Neshoba County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 28,684 people, 10,694 households, and 7,742 families residing in the county. The population density was 50 people per square mile . There were 11,980 housing units at an average density of 21 per square mile...
and surrounding counties were set aside as a federal Indian reservation
Indian reservation
An American Indian reservation is an area of land managed by a Native American tribe under the United States Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs...
. Eight communities were included in the reservation land: Bogue Chitto
Bogue Chitto, Mississippi
Bogue Chitto is a census-designated place in Kemper and Neshoba Counties in the U.S. state of Mississippi. The population was 533 at the 2000 census. It should not be confused with the other Bogue Chitto, which is an unincorporated area in Lincoln County....
, Bogue Homa, Conehatta
Conehatta, Mississippi
Conehatta is a census-designated place in Newton County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 997 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Conehatta is located at ....
, Crystal Ridge, Pearl River
Pearl River, Mississippi
Pearl River is a census-designated place in Neshoba County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 3,156 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Pearl River is located at ....
, Red Water, Tucker
Tucker, Mississippi
Tucker is a census-designated place in Neshoba County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 534 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Tucker is located at ....
, and Standing Pine
Standing Pine, Mississippi
Standing Pine is a census-designated place in Leake County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 509 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Standing Pine is located at ....
.
Under the Indian Reorganization Act, the Mississippi Choctaws re-organized on April 20, 1945 as the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. This gave them independence from the state government, which continued with its system of racial segregation under the Democratic Party.
Post-Reorganization
In the 1950s, successive Republican administrations (supported by conservative Democrats in the South, still a one-party region) became impatient with gradual assimilation of Native Americans. They settled on a policy to terminate
Indian termination policy
Indian termination was the policy of the United States from the mid-1940s to the mid-1960s. The belief was that Native Americans would be better off if assimilated as individuals into mainstream American society. To that end, Congress proposed to end the special relationship between tribes and the...
tribes as quickly as possible. Out of concern for the isolation of many Native Americans in rural areas, the federal government created relocation programs to cities to try to expand job and cultural opportunities for American Indians. Indian policy experts hoped to expedite assimilation of Native Americans to the larger American society, which was becoming increasingly urbanized.
Democratic President John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
decided against implementing additional terminations. He did enact some of the last terminations in process, such as with the Ponca
Ponca
The Ponca are a Native American people of the Dhegihan branch of the Siouan-language group. There are two federally recognized Ponca tribes: the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska and the Ponca Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma...
. Both presidents Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
repudiated termination of the federal government's relationship with Native American tribes. In 1959, the Choctaw Termination Act was passed. Unless repealed by the federal government, the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma would effectively be terminated as a sovereign nation as of August 25, 1970.
Phillip Martin
Phillip Martin
Phillip Martin was the democratically elected Tribal Chief of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, a federally recognized American Indian tribe of 8,300 enrolled members living on or near 30,000 acres of reservation land in east central Mississippi...
, who had served in the U.S. Army in Europe during World War II, returned to visit his former Neshoba County, Mississippi
Neshoba County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 28,684 people, 10,694 households, and 7,742 families residing in the county. The population density was 50 people per square mile . There were 11,980 housing units at an average density of 21 per square mile...
home. After seeing the poverty of his people, he decided to stay to help. Martin served as chairperson in various Choctaw committees up until 1977. Martin was then elected as Chief of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. He served a total of 30 years, being re-elected until 2007. Will Campbell, a Baptist minister and Civil Rights activist, witnessed the destitution of the Choctaw. He would later write, "the thing I remember the most ... was the depressing sight of the Choctaws, their shanties along the country roads, grown men lounging on the dirt streets of their villages in demeaning idleness, sometimes drinking from a common bottle, sharing a roll-your-own cigarette, their half-clad children a picture of hurting that would never end."
The Choctaw witnessed the social forces that brought Freedom Summer
Freedom Summer
Freedom Summer was a campaign in the United States launched in June 1964 to attempt to register as many African American voters as possible in Mississippi which had historically excluded most blacks from voting...
to their ancient homeland. The Civil Rights Era produced significant social change for the Choctaw in Mississippi, as their civil rights were also enhanced. Prior to the Civil Rights Act of 1964
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a landmark piece of legislation in the United States that outlawed major forms of discrimination against African Americans and women, including racial segregation...
, most jobs were given to whites, then blacks.
The Choctaw, who for 150 years had been neither white nor black, were "left where they had always been"-- in poverty. Donna Ladd
Donna Ladd
Donna Ladd is an American investigative journalist who helped create The Jackson Free Press, an award-winning freely distributed newsweekly...
wrote that a Choctaw, now in her 40s, remembers "as a little girl, she thought that a 'white only' sign in a local store meant she could only order white, or vanilla, ice cream. It was a small story, but one that shows how a third race can easily get left out of the attempts for understanding." The end of legalized racial segregation
Racial segregation
Racial segregation is the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. It may apply to activities such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a public toilet, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home...
permitted the Choctaw to participate in public institutions and facilities that had been reserved exclusively for white patrons.
20th century
In the social changes around the Civil Rights era, between 1965 and 1982, Native Americans renewed their commitments to the value of their ancient heritage. Working to celebrate their own strengths and exercise appropriate rights, they dramatically reversed the trend toward abandonment of Indian culture and tradition. During the 1960s, Community Action programs connected with Native Americans were based on citizen participation. In the 1970s, the Choctaw repudiated the extremes of Indian activism. The Mississippi Choctaw would lay the foundations of business ventures. Policy continued toward the ideology of Self-Determination.Soon after this, Congress passed the landmark Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975
Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975
The Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975 authorized the Secretaries of the Department of Interior, Health, Education and Welfare and some other government agencies to enter into contracts with, and make grants directly to, federally recognized Indian tribes...
, completing a 15-year period of federal policy reform with regard to American Indian tribes. The legislation included means by which tribes could negotiate contracts with the BIA to manage more of their own education and social service programs. In addition, it provided direct grants to help tribes develop plans for assuming responsibility. It also provided for Indian parents' involvement on school boards.
Economic development
Beginning in 1979, the tribal council worked on a variety of economic development initiatives, first geared toward attracting industry to the reservation. They had many people available to work, natural resources and no taxes. Industries have included automotive parts, greeting cards, direct mail and printing, and plastic-molding. The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians is one of the state's largest employers, running 19 businesses and employing 7,800 people.Starting with New Hampshire in 1963, numerous state governments began to operate lotteries and other gambling to raise money for government services. In 1987 the Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
ruled that federally recognized tribes could operate gaming facilities on reservation land free from state regulation. In 1988 the U.S. Congress enacted the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act
Indian Gaming Regulatory Act
The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act is a 1988 United States federal law that establishes the jurisdictional framework that governs Indian gaming. There was no federal gaming structure before this act...
(IGRA). It set the terms for Native American tribes to operate casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
s.
After years of waiting under the Ray Mabus
Ray Mabus
Raymond Edwin "Ray" Mabus, Jr. is the 75th United States Secretary of the Navy. Mabus served as the 60th Governor of the U.S...
administration, Mississippi Governor Kirk Fordice
Kirk Fordice
Daniel Kirkwood "Kirk" Fordice, Jr. was a politician from the US state of Mississippi. He was the 61st Governor of Mississippi from January 14, 1992, until January 11, 2000.-Biography:...
in 1992 gave permission for the Mississippi Band of Choctaw to develop Class III gaming. The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians (MBCI) has one of the largest casino resorts in the nation; it is located in Choctaw, Mississippi
Choctaw, Mississippi
Choctaw is an unincorporated community and Indian reservation in Neshoba County, Mississippi, United States. It is the home of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, the only federally recognized Indian tribe in Mississippi....
. The Silver Star Casino opened its doors in 1994. The Golden Moon Casino opened in 2002. The casinos are collectively known as the Pearl River Resort
Pearl River Resort
Pearl River Resort is a Native American-run resort located in Choctaw, Neshoba County, Mississippi. It is owned and operated by the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians....
.
Purporting to represent Native Americans before Congress and state governments in this new field, Jack Abramoff
Jack Abramoff Indian lobbying scandal
The Jack Abramoff Indian lobbying scandal is a United States political scandal relating to the work performed by political lobbyists Jack Abramoff, Ralph E. Reed, Jr., Grover Norquist and Michael Scanlon on Indian casino gambling interests for an estimated $85 million in fees. Abramoff and Scanlon...
and Michael Scanlon
Michael Scanlon
Michael Scanlon, AKA "Sean Scanlon", is a former communications director for Rep. Tom DeLay, lobbyist, and public relations executive who has pleaded guilty to corruption charges related to the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal...
used fraudulent means to gain profits of $15 million in payment from the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. Congressional hearings were held and charges were brought against Abramoff and Scanlon. In an e-mail sent January 29, 2002, Abramoff tells Scanlon "I have to meet with the monkeys from the Choctaw tribal council."
Nanih Waiya
After nearly two hundred years, the Choctaw have retaken control of the ancient site of Nanih WaiyaNanih Waiya
Nanih Waiya is an ancient earthwork mound in Winston County, Mississippi, constructed by indigenous people during the Middle Woodland period, about 0-300 CE. Since the 17th century, the historic Choctaw have venerated Nanih Waiya as their sacred origin location in traditional beliefs.Today the...
. For years protected as a Mississippi state park, Nanih Waiya was returned to the Choctaw in 2006, under Mississippi Legislature State Bill 2803. The deed was signed in August 2008, which the Choctaw have made a tribal holiday. They have celebrated the day since, and made it an occasion for telling and performances of dances and stories of their origin and history.
Government
The current Miko or tribal chief of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians is Phyliss J. Anderson. She was elected in September 2011 and is the first female chief of the tribe.In July 2007, Beasley Denson was elected to replace the previous Chief Philip Martin. Martin had been democratically elected for seven consecutive terms. Under Denson, the title of Chief was changed to Miko, the Choctaw name for the tribe's leader.
Martin brought the tribe from a 70% unemployment rate in 1997 to less than 3% unemployment in 2007. During his tenure, he led the tribe to become the third largest employer in Mississippi. Denson served until 2011.
Locations
Old Choctaw country included dozens of towns like Lukfata, Koweh Chito, Oka Hullo, Pante, Osapa Chito, Oka Cooply, and Yanni Achukma located in and around Neshoba and Kemper counties.Choctaws regularly traveled hundreds of miles from their homes for long periods of time. They set out early in the fall and returned to their reserved lands at the opening of spring to plant their gardens. At that time they visited the Europeans at Columbus, Miss., Macon, Brooksville, and Crawford, and the region where Yazoo City now is located.
Presently, the Mississippi Choctaw Indian Reservation has eight communities.
- Bogue Chitto
- Bogue Homa
- Conehatta
- Crystal Ridge
- Pearl RiverPearl River, MississippiPearl River is a census-designated place in Neshoba County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 3,156 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Pearl River is located at ....
- Red WaterRedwater, MississippiRedwater is a census-designated place in Leake County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 409 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Redwater is located at ....
- TuckerTucker, MississippiTucker is a census-designated place in Neshoba County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 534 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Tucker is located at ....
- Standing Pine
These communities are located in parts of ten counties throughout the state, although the largest concentration of land is in Neshoba County
Neshoba County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 28,684 people, 10,694 households, and 7,742 families residing in the county. The population density was 50 people per square mile . There were 11,980 housing units at an average density of 21 per square mile...
, at 32°48′56"N 89°14′46"W, which comprises more than two-thirds of the reservation's land area and over 62 percent of its population as of the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
. The total land area is 84.282 km² (32.541 sq mi), and its official total resident population was 5,190 persons. The ten counties are Neshoba, Lincoln, Newton
Newton County, Mississippi
-History:Newton County was formed in 1836. All sources say it was named in honor of Sir Isaac Newton, including the 1896 history of Newton County.Newton County is adjacent to Jasper County, which was named for Sgt. William Jasper, a Revolutionary War hero of the Siege of Savannah in 1779. Sgt. John...
, Leake
Leake County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 20,940 people, 7,611 households, and 5,563 families residing in the county. The population density was 36 people per square mile . There were 8,585 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile...
, Kemper
Kemper County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 10,453 people, 3,909 households, and 2,787 families residing in the county. The population density was 14 people per square mile . There were 4,533 housing units at an average density of 6 per square mile...
, Jones
Jones County, Mississippi
-History:Jones County, formed out parts of Covington and Wayne counties, was established on January 24, 1826 and was named for John Paul Jones. There are other counties named Jones, but it appears that this is the only one named for John Paul Jones...
, Winston
Winston County, Mississippi
-Demographics:At the 2000 census, there were 20,160 people, 7,578 households and 5,471 families residing in the county. The population density was 33 per square mile . There were 8,472 housing units at an average density of 14 per square mile...
, Attala
Attala County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 19,661 people, 7,567 households, and 5,380 families residing in the county. The population density was 27 people per square mile . There were 8,639 housing units at an average density of 12 per square mile...
, Jackson
Jackson County, Mississippi
There were 47,676 households out of which 37.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.70% were married couples living together, 14.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.10% were non-families. 20.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.10% had...
, and Scott
Scott County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 28,423 people, 10,183 households, and 7,535 families residing in the county. The population density was 47 people per square mile . There were 11,116 housing units at an average density of 18 per square mile...
Counties.
Notable people
- Beasley DensonBeasley DensonBeasley Denson served as Miko or Tribal Chief of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians from 2007 to 2011. He is the third person to become Tribal Chief since the tribe adopted its modern constitution....
, tribal chief, 2007—2011 - Jeffrey GibsonJeffrey GibsonJeffrey Gibson is a Choctaw-Cherokee painter and sculptor. He is known for his landscape-like artworks and his unique use of silicon and urethane foam.-Early life:...
, artist - Phillip MartinPhillip MartinPhillip Martin was the democratically elected Tribal Chief of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, a federally recognized American Indian tribe of 8,300 enrolled members living on or near 30,000 acres of reservation land in east central Mississippi...
, tribal chief, 1959—2007
See also
- ChoctawChoctawThe Choctaw are a Native American people originally from the Southeastern United States...
- Choctaw Nation of OklahomaChoctaw Nation of OklahomaThe Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma is a semi-autonomous Native American homeland comprising twelve tribal districts. The Choctaw Nation maintains a special relationship with both the United States and Oklahoma governments...
- Jena Band of Choctaw IndiansJena Band of Choctaw IndiansThe Jena Band of Choctaw Indians are one of three federally-recognized Choctaw groups in the United States. They are based in La Salle and Catahoula Parishes in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The Jena Band received federal recognition in 1995. Tribal membership totals 241.-Government:The tribe is...
External links
- Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, official website