USA CHOCTAW Nation

The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma (commonly referred to as the Choctaw Nation) 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. Approximately 250,000 people live within the Choctaw Nation, of which 70,000 are enrolled Choctaw.The Choctaw of Oklahoma were the first of the five "Civilized Tribes" to reluctantly accept expulsion from their native lands in what is now the southern halves of the states of Mississippi and Alabama and move to Oklahoma (ENAT, 61-63). Although their history included a long alliance with the government of the United States and they even served under then Gen. Andrew Jackson, when time came to move the Choctaw westward, they received no consideration from the government. As part of the "Trail of Tears" the Choctaw lost almost twenty five percent of their people to disease, starvation and predatory whites during the long march from the southeast to Oklahoma. Once there, they quickly reorganized their tribal government even though more died after arrival. The ravages of disease and starvation continued but were now compounded by attacks from hostile western Indians. When the United States Civil War broke out in 1860 the Choctaw, as well as most of the Indians forced into the Indian Territory, sided with the Confederacy. It is during this alliance that the Choctaw became the first United States tribe to adopt a flag.With the appearance of this new flag, the Choctaw Nation is one of the very few Native American peoples to have a traceable vexillological history. It is one that maintains a basic design for almost 150 years, but shows evolution and adaptation much like the Choctaw people themselves.