The Choctaw TribeThe Choctaw Indians were an important tribe and the largest of the Muskogean tribes. The Choctaws have two stories about their origins in their traditional homeland in central Mississippi. The first is that their ancestors came from west of the Mississippi River and settled in what is now their homeland. The other is that the tribe is descended from spirit-trained ancestors from the wetland of Nanih Waiyah, a large mound in northeastern Mississippi. Regardless, the Choctaws resided in places, holding most of southern Alabama and Mississippi as well as neighboring parts of Louisiana. The Choctaws had a strong tradition of doing business. They were very intelligent people. The tribe developed a strong economy based on agriculture and the sale of goods and livestock to Europeans who were beginning to venture into Choctaw territory. They worked primarily as farmers and were the quintessential South Indian farmers. Additionally, the Choctaws were known as a peaceful people. They were ready to defend themselves when necessary, but they rarely launched wars against neighboring tribes. The Choctaws' main weakness was that they had limited choices for their future. There was no recognized tribal government and very few Choctaws owned land. They were said to be the poorest pocket of poverty in the poorest state in the country. There was a lack of educational opportunities and few schools were open to Choctaw children. government formed, these problems could have been resolved, but it was not until the removal of the Choctaws that a stable government was formed. The Choctaw tribe is certainly an i...... middle of paper ...... They have also taken it upon themselves to make their new life in Oklahoma better than in Mississippi. I think it was a very rewarding project, in the sense that I learned about the difficulties and conflicts that this tribe had to go through. do to save themselves and their heritage, and I learned this from the Choctaw tribe.Bibliography1 www.mshistory.k12/features/feature34/choctaw.html2 www.college.hmco.com/history/readerscomp/naind /html. /na_oo7300_choctaw.htm3. “Choctaw” The indigenous tribes of North America. Johnson, Michael. New York: 1994 edition4. “Choctaw.” The World Book Encyclopedia, Volume 3. Scott Fetzer Co. Chicago: 19945 edition. "Choctaw" UXL Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes-Volume 1. Sharon Malinowski, Anna Sheets, Linda Schmitroth. Detroit: 19946 edition. www.accessgenealogy.com/native/tribes/choctaw/chostawhist.htm