Mississippi Choctaw Indian Federation Explained

The Mississippi Choctaw Indian Federation was an organization of Choctaws and a former rival governing body of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.^{[1] [2]} They opposed federal tribal recognition because of fears of dominance by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and were never federally recognized. Nevertheless, they were considered a legitimate parallel government.^{[3] [4]}

History

The Federation was formed on September 27, 1934.^[5] Reverend Ed Willis was installed as the first recognized chief.^[5] The group represented 400 Choctaw and had a functioning, written constitution.^[6]

The government disbanded after leaders were moved to another jurisdiction.

Notes and References

1. Book: Brescia , William (Bill) . Tribal Government, A New Era . 1982 . Choctaw Heritage Press . Philadelphia, Mississippi . Chapter 3, Treaties and the Choctaw People . 21–22 .
2. Book: McKee, Jesse O.. The Choctaws: Cultural Evolution of a Native American Tribe. 2008. University Press of Mississippi. 978-1-60473-170-5. 158.
3. Book: Lowery, Malinda Maynor. Lumbee Indians in the Jim Crow South: race, identity, and the making of a nation. 2010. University of North Carolina Press. Chapel Hill, North Carolina. 978-0-8078-7111-9. 130.
4. Osborne, Katherine, M.B. "In the Name of Justice and Fairness:The Mississippi Choctaw Indian Federation vs. the BIA, 1934", in Cobb, Daniel M.,Beyond Red Power:American Indian Politics and Activism Since 1900, 2007, School for Advanced Research Press, Santa Fe, New Mexico,
5. Web site: Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. Choctaw Chronology: Part V. Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. 2 August 2011.
6. Book: Hearings on H. R. 7902. 1934. United States Congress House Committee on Indian affairs. Washington, D.C.. 373.