Celebrating Mississippi Native American heritage – The Oxford Eagle

Mississippi, as soon as residence to a higher number of Indigenous tribes than every other southeastern state, is celebrating its Native American heritage July 13-16, for the 72nd annual Choctaw Indian Truthful. The honest takes place on their centuries-old homeland in lovely Choctaw, Mississippi. They collect every July to have fun their heritage and share their lovely and vibrant tradition with associates and neighbors. This yr’s honest theme is “The Choctaw Spirit Lives On.”

Fairgoers will expertise the magnificent journey of Choctaw folks by historic and cultural shows, social dancing, tribal arts & crafts, Choctaw stickball – the granddaddy of all area sports activities – in addition to the Choctaw Indian Princess Pageant and conventional Choctaw meals. The honest additionally gives carnival rides and video games for the younger and outdated alike, Shawi’s Discovery Zone and chart-topping musical acts every night time. 

Although many individuals are acquainted with locations all through the state that maintain Native American names — together with Yalobusha, Itawamba, and Mississippi itself — few understand simply what number of native peoples made their houses in Mississippi. Up into the 1700s, native tribes included the Acolapissa, Biloxi and Pascagoula tribes on the Gulf Coast; the Bayougoula, Houma and Natchez tribes on the decrease Mississippi; and the Chakchiuma, lbitoupa, Koroa, Ofogoula, Taposa, Tiou, Tunica and Yazoo tribes on the Yazoo River within the Mississippi Delta. The unique Mississippians had been the Choctaw, who date again to the early 1500s. The Choctaw had been essentially the most populous by far and stay so to this present day.

Guests to the area can immerse themselves in Choctaw tradition by stopping by the Choctaw Heritage Museum or attending the annual Choctaw Indian Truthful. This regionally famend occasion is host to the World Champion Stickball Video games and features a celebration of tribal music, crafts, and traditions.

If you wish to come face-to-face with essentially the most spectacular landmarks of the traditional previous, plan a go to to Mississippi’s mound websites, showcasing well-preserved, Native American mounds constructed of earth. These mounds had been the facilities of every day and religious life, and yow will discover websites remaining throughout the state. Among the many most visited are the Winterville Mound website, positioned in Greenville, and the Pocahontas Mound A, positioned north of Jackson.

Lately, The Mississippi Division of Archives and Historical past celebrated the grand opening of the Mississippi Mound Path. Stretching from Desoto County to Wilkinson County and following the Freeway 61 hall, the path will spotlight earthworks constructed at thirty-three websites. 4 websites—Grand Village of the Natchez Indians, Pocahontas Relaxation Space and Welcome Middle, Winterville Mounds, and Emerald Mound on the Natchez Hint Parkway— are state or federally operated and open to the general public. Guests are welcome to stroll among the many mounds and study extra by interpretive indicators and displays. All are free. This text is courtesy of VisitMississippi.com.

Gene Hays is an creator and historian, and a retired Marine, with books on Amazon.com.