Choctaw Country

The drive to the Choctaw reservation was pretty easy - right at an hour and a half.  The countryside there is lush, green farmland.  

It's hard to decide what exactly to write about at the moment because there are many facets to Choctaw culture and every person I spoke with has a great story to tell.  So, for now it'll be simple recap.


Once I got to the reservation, I met up with Wilma Simpson who is in the office of Public Information.  She was my guide for the day and toted me around everywhere, introducing me to people and sharing information and insight into Choctaw life.


I first met with Police Captain Harold Comby who is also a Mississippi Humanities Council Board member.  We talked for a long time about foodways, life, his work and traditions and his perspective and experiences as a Choctaw.  It was really incredible.  Before we knew it, our stomachs were rumbling and it was way past lunchtime.


Wilma, by request, took me to Peggy's.  If you haven't already heard, Peggy's is THE place to go in Philadelphia for good home-cooking.  Peggy began feeding people out of her home about 40 years ago.

The modest buffet is set up in the hall of the home and we had our fill of fried chicken, Lima beans and black-eyed peas, mashed potatoes or rice and gravy, marinated carrots, salad, topped off with rolls and cornbread sticks.

You pay by the honor system and make change from the basket.

After lunch, we went out into the county to visit the Creation Cave and Nanih Waiya, the Mother Mound (pronounced Nah-nee why-uh).


I was under the impression that the cave and the Mother Mound were one and the same, but that is not the case.  I'm looking forward to hearing more stories about this.

After the acquisition of these two pieces of land, the Choctaw now celebrate an annual holiday (which replaces Columbus Day - and my thought is, why the heck would they want to celebrate Columbus Day in the first place.  That was the advent of all their troubles, truth be told.  Just another paradox of modern Choctaw life, I discovered).


Wilma mentioned that the road to the cave became narrower and narrower as you get closer.  

We decided against getting out and wandering around.  There were horseflies and deer flies that swarmed the SUV.  We hadn't brought any repellent and thought it best to wait until we did!  Poor Vince, who drove us out there, got bitten on the head locking the gate back.

The Choctaw are hoping to restore these sites, which fell under much neglect, through grants.  It is through the kindness and diligence of tribe members, that these sites are maintained.  It's a beautiful green, wooded area.

There are two cave entrances, both of which have been eroding over the years.  The entrance used to be large enough for a man to walk into but now looks like a crawl space.

 

Wow.  I'll snap more photos next time we go.


We then drove to the Mother Mound nearby and walked to the top. 

 

The view was pretty and a nice, cool breeze was blowing.  (Unheard of in this heat.)  Chief of Staff Barry McMillan met us there.  I asked all three of them what they felt and how they felt when they came out to the Mother Mound and the Cave.  Each of them said, they felt the overwhelming spirit of their ancestors.  What a powerful force.


How many people can say they are still so nearby their true place of origin?  

Views from the top of the mound below:

What an amazing experience. 

By the time we headed back, it was getting close to 5 p.m.

We stopped off at Cheatham's gas and grocery store on Highway 21 for a drink.  They also sold homemade fried apple pies.  And they were pretty good...

My Friday in Choctaw country was not over just yet...more to come.