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The Choctaw Tribe

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Choctaw (alternatively spelled Chahta, Chactas, Tchakta, Chocktaw, and Chactaw) are Native American people originally from the Southeastern United States (Oklahoma, California, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas,Alabama). The Choctaw language belongs to the Muskogean linguistic group. Henry Halbert, a historian, suggests that their name is derived from the Choctaw phrase Hacha hatak(river people). (“Choctaw,” n.d.) Choktaw is the approved, anglicized form of the tribal name Chahta (Chäh’ta).It seems to have been first applied to the tribe about the beginning of eighteenth century and is found spelled in a number of different ways in historical records. It has been suggested that the name Choctaw is from the Spanish word chato, meaning "flat," descriptive …show more content…
They were the first Native Americans forced under the Indian Removal Act. Many place names in the Southeast all the way to the Atlantic Coast are undoubtedly of Choctaw origin. In Oklahoma, the Choctaw are one of the Five Civilized Tribes and have been associated in history with the Chickasaw, a closely related tribe. (“Choctaw,” n.d.) Those Choctaw who removed to the Indian Territory are federally recognized as the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. The removals became known as the "Trail of Tears. (“Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma(2),” …show more content…
Many are also serving in federal, state, and county offices, and in the United States Indian Service—agencies, schools, and hospitals. Most of these groups are of mixed Indian and white descent, though the fullblood Choctaw are also represented in rural communities in the southeastern counties. Most of these people are poor, engaging in farming and stock raising, small­business enterprises, clerking, lumbering, or day labor. (Wright, 1986)

The Tribe is governed by the Choctaw Nation Constitution, which was ratified by the people on June 9, 1984. The Constitution provides for an Executive, a Legislative and a Judicial branch of government. The Chief of the Choctaw Tribe, elected every four years, is not a voting member of the Tribal Council. They are also elected for four-year terms. The legislative authority of the Tribe is vested in the Tribal Council, which consists of twelve members. The Choctaw Nation's annual tribal economic impact was over $822,280,105 in 2010. The Choctaw Nation employs about 8,000 people worldwide; 2,000 of those work in Bryan County,

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