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The Choctaw Indians lived originally in southern Mississippi, but in the 1830s were forced to cede their lands to the United States Government and move to what is now Oklahoma. There, together with the Chickasaws, Seminoles, Creeks, and Cherokees, they formed the so-called Five Civilized Tribes, each with its own territory, government, and code of laws. This independent status continued until 1907, when Oklahoma was admitted to the Union as a state.

Speakers of Choctaw today number about 9,000. About three--fourths live in southeastern Oklahoma. This is a reservation in central Mississippi plus a branch of the tribe lives in Central Louisiana. This tribe was federally recognized in 1995. The Choctaw language is most closely related to Chickasaw, the two belonging to the Muskogean family. The name Oklahoma means "red people" in Choctaw.

Family: North American Indian
Subgroup: Muskogean

Writing Sample

Translation

ARTICLE I

Declaration of Rights

That the general, great and essential principles of liberty and free government may be recognized and established, we declare:
Sec. 1. That all free men, when they form a social compact, are equal in rights, and that no man or set of men are entitled to exclusive, separate public emolument or privileges from the community, but in consideration of public services.
Sec. 2. That all political power is inherent in the people, and all free governments are founded on their authority and estab-lished for their benefit, and therefore they have at all times an inalienable and indefeasible right to alter, reform, or abolish their form of government in such manner as they may think proper or expedient.

—Constitution of the Choctaw Nation