Southeast Choctaw Native Americans in Olden Times for Kids and Teachers Illustration

The Choctaw Native Americans in Olden Times for Kids

The Choctaws were the first tribes to be moved to Oklahoma in 1830 on the Trail of Tears. They went voluntarily. They could see that it was a waste of time to rebel. At the time, instead of fighting back, they adapted.

Once in Oklahoma, the Choctaw quickly accepted a new religion, although they did not give up their own. They accepted a new educational system, the white man's school, although they taught their children about their own customs in their own way. They accepted a new constitution and legal system - the Constitution of the United States. They also kept their own laws. Women remained the head of households in the Choctaw tribes.

Today, the Choctaw Nation is involved in many economic development programs that benefit their people. These include new shopping centers, open to the public, staffed by Choctaws.

Choctaw Daily Life

See Also: The Mississippians

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