Choctaw Topics – Page 25 of 26

Okwa Naholo

The Okwa naholo, or “White People of the Water,” inhabit clear, deep pools in rivers like the Abita, contrasting with the surrounding muddy waters. These beings are described as resembling light-skinned individuals and are said to draw children into their depths. A notable account from Heleema, a Choctaw woman, recounts her near drowning by the Okwa naholo as a child. Those who remain in the pool for three days undergo a transformation, becoming unable to survive outside the water, living like fish thereafter.

Choctaw Houses

The Choctaw habitation near Pontchartrain consisted of two primary types: circular and rectangular. Constructed from small saplings and covered with palmetto thatch, these homes provided significant shelter, often accommodating multiple occupants. Typically, they featured a single entrance facing south and a central fire pit with a smoke vent. Later, the design evolved to incorporate thin wooden planks, while still maintaining elements of the traditional structure. A historical photograph from around 1879 illustrates a palmetto thatch house in this community.

Why ‘Possum Has A Large Mouth

In a time of scarce food, Deer encounters ‘Possum, who explains his ability to stay fat through eating persimmons. ‘Possum reveals his method of dislodging the fruit by running down a hill and striking the tree. Curious, Deer attempts the same technique but tragically dies from the impact. Witnessing this, ‘Possum laughs so heartily that his mouth stretches, resulting in its large size today. The tale illustrates themes of envy and the dangers of imitating others without understanding the consequences.

Choctaw Food and Preparation

The Choctaw people utilized a variety of foods from their environment, with several traditional preparation methods still known. Key staples included Ahe (Smilax laurifolia), which was made into fried cakes; boiled Ahelo’sa (Phaseolus diversifolius); and acorns (Nuse) processed into meal. The Choctaw also consumed corn, nuts, and wild crabapples, with preservation techniques for game and fish being significant for their diet. Despite the availability of fish, it was rarely eaten, indicating a preference for other food sources.

The Hunter Who Became A Deer

A hunter, after killing a doe, unexpectedly finds himself guided by her to the realm of deer, where he is transformed into one. As he sleeps in a cave, deer fit him with attributes of their kind. While his friends mourn his disappearance, they eventually find him as a deer. Despite his mother’s pleas to free him from his new form, his companions warn that doing so would lead to his death. Ultimately, the mother’s insistence results in the hunter’s demise, and he is buried with honors.

Choctaw Marriage Ceremony

The traditional Choctaw marriage ceremony involved several steps before the wedding day. A man would confide in a female relative, who would seek the girl’s family’s consent. After obtaining approval from chiefs of their respective ogla, the ceremony took place in the girl’s village, featuring playful antics between the two parties. Following the vows and satisfactory responses to the chiefs’ questions, a feast and dancing commenced. The man lived in his wife’s village, and children belonged to her ogla, with provisions for separation and property succession also specified.

The Hunter and the Alligator

In a winter tale, a hunter from a village struggles with his luck in hunting deer, while others succeed. After three days without a kill, he encounters a weak alligator asking for water. The hunter agrees to help, binding the alligator before carrying him to a pool. After being freed, the alligator promises the hunter great success in hunting if he follows his guidance. The hunter obeys, sparing smaller animals until he successfully kills a large buck, ensuring his future prosperity in hunting.

Hoklonote’she

A hunter, away from his village, encountered Hoklonote’she, a malevolent spirit disguised as an owl that could read his thoughts. While the hunter initially felt apprehensive, he took action by stirring the fire, sending sparks that frightened the owl. The spirit, overwhelmed and burned, fled and never returned to disturb the hunter again.

The Girl And The Devil

In this tale, a young Choctaw girl encounters a mysterious man who reveals himself as the Devil after luring her to his home. Captured and locked in a cave, she learns from a talking frog that the Devil plans to kill her. Following the frog’s escape instructions, she flees to a bayou. When the Devil attempts to board her boat, she cleverly tricks him into falling into the water, where he is ultimately destroyed, symbolizing his defeat and the formation of bayou gravel.

Skate’ne

In this tale, children encounter an old woman claiming to be their ancestor, Skate’ne. After they assist her with food, she secretly beheads their father during the night. When discovered, her actions alert the local animals, who conspire to kill her. However, through clever deceit, she escapes by transforming into an owl, evading capture and maintaining her elusive presence in the folklore. The story highlights the themes of fear, cunning, and the connection between humanity and nature.

Choctaw Medicine

The Choctaw utilize various traditional remedies for health issues, including a salve of pine pitch and grease for boils and wounds. For snake bites, they use tobacco smoke, submerging the limb in saturated earth, or steam from boiled Carolina poplar. They treat stomach pain with a burning irritant and rely on heavy blankets and hot liquids for warmth. For fractures, they apply splints and bandages. These practices highlight the Choctaw’s resourcefulness in addressing common medical challenges.

Tashka and Walo

Tashka and Walo, two brothers, embarked on a lifelong journey to follow the sun, seeking to discover where it set each day. After many years, they reached a vast body of water and entered the sun’s domain, where they encountered the sun and moon. Sun transformed them but sent them home under a strict condition: they could not speak for four days. Upon returning, they inadvertently spoke to their mother and subsequently died, ascending to heaven.

Crimes and Punishment Among the Choctaw

Historically, Choctaw individuals were not subject to legal prosecution for crimes like murder if the victim was also a tribe member. Murder was seen as the ultimate crime, and punishment was often death, accepted as an obligation rather than a disgrace. Victims’ families would demand the execution of the murderer, who typically did not evade this fate. Additionally, theft was addressed by returning stolen goods or compensating their value. The Choctaw maintained a reputation for honesty and viewed lying as a severe offense.

Section of Ross Map, 1765

The 1765 Ross Map illustrates the region inhabited by the Choctaw people near Bayou Lacomb, highlighting Lake Pontchartrain. This map serves as a historical record of the Indigenous settlement patterns and geographical features significant to the Choctaw community during that period.

Bayou Lacomb Choctaw Creation Myth

In the Choctaw creation myth as related by Pisatuntema in 1909, Aba, the good spirit, created the Choctaw people from yellow clay, allowing them to understand one another. When they attempted to reach the sky by building a mound, strong winds thwarted their efforts, causing them to speak different languages upon waking. This confusion led to conflict and separation into various tribes, while those who retained the original tongue formed the Choctaw tribe, explaining the existence of diverse tribes today.

Kwanoka’Sha

Kwanoka’sha is a diminutive spirit in Choctaw legend, responsible for guiding children to potential paths of good or harm. When a child falls ill, Kwanoka’sha leads them to his cave, where they encounter three elder spirits offering choices: a knife, poisonous herbs, or beneficial herbs. The choices determine the child’s future—accepting the knife leads to malevolence, poisonous herbs result in ineffectiveness, while choosing the good herbs grants the child knowledge to become a skilled healer and respected community member.

Place Names In St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana

The post details the origins of various place names in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, with a focus on their Choctaw roots and corresponding meanings. Names like Abita, Bayou Castine, and Chinchuba Creek are discussed alongside interpretations of their origins, reflecting both indigenous culture and early French influence. The text emphasizes the importance of understanding these names within their historical context, suggesting that many terms used today have persisted since precolonial times, highlighting the region’s rich linguistic heritage.

Kashehotapalo

Kashehotapalo is a mythical creature described in a 1909 account by Ahojeobe. It embodies features of both man and deer, possessing a shriveled face and cloven hooves. Residing in swampy areas, it scares hunters by calling out in a voice that mimics a woman’s cry, then swiftly running away. While its characteristics may resemble the Latin Faun, the Choctaw believe in its existence as an ancient tradition, suggesting that the myth has been preserved through generations rather than influenced by European contact.

Hunting and Fishing Among the Bayou Lacomb Choctaws

The Choctaws of Bayou Lacomb historically utilized a primitive blowgun, known as kaklu’mpa, for hunting small game like squirrels and rabbits, with only one specimen discovered, dating back about ten years. Toshkachîto, a local, demonstrates its use. The blowgun, made from cane, measures seven feet and fires darts crafted from slender canes or yellow pine. While bows and arrows were once common, firearms have largely replaced them. Interestingly, despite the abundance of fish in nearby waters, the Choctaw show little interest in fishing, hinting at a lost tradition of fish trapping.

The Choctaw of Bayou Lacomb

Toshkachîto Demonstrating Usage of a Blowgun

This collection depicts the specific culture and history of the Choctaw tribe residing within Bayou Lacomb, Louisiana. Included are the geography, history, society, language, ethnology, and myths, legends and religion of the Choctaws who resided within the area of Bayou Lacomb. By the people of the tribe, or, more correctly, that portion of the tribe now under consideration, they themselves are called the Chata’ogla or the Chata’ people or family. According to them, the first word can not be translated as it is merely a proper name.