Chickasaw Beliefs

Intrusive Acts on Early North America The Chickasaw and Choctaw tribes were typically considered as enemies throughout most of the 17th and 18th centuries. Thrown into continuous, brutal warfare by their varying European allies, the two tribes shared something in common: the lives of their own tribes were continuously jeopardized by the settlement of the “new coming” Europeans. With all of the commotion caused by conflicting European powers, the Native Americans became endangered by warfare, were forced to adapt to European ways, and left to be dependent on their allies for supplies that kept their tribes alive. The intrusive and unfair ways of the settling colonists led to the downfall of the Natives that had lived on North American soil

128). When times were rough for the Chickasaws in the 18th century, warfare brought their numbers down to merely 400. (Calloway, pg. 128) The near extinction of their tribe called for the help of their English allies that put them in this situation. In order to prevent the downfall of their own kind, they asked the Governor of South Carolina to return the members of their tribe that were sent to other nations and for weapons and ammunition to help protect their homeland (Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, pg. 129). Being able to turn to the English for useful resources was a good perk for the Chickasaw nation, but the conflict with English enemies was almost unbearable for the native tribe that was left with little to no protection of their

139). However, at the end of the Seven Years War, France was forced to cede their claims to Choctaw homeland to the British Empire (Calloway, pg. 140). With their main ally defeated, the French would have no option but to turn to the English for trade and supplies that were critical to their survival. This transition was especially tough due to the declining population of the whitetail deer that was their most precious trade item (Calloway, pg. 140). In contrast to the Chickasaws problem, external war affairs were not the main problem for the Choctaw nation. The problem was happening inside of their own tribe with English trade issues being the cause. The traders coming into Choctaw villages were bringing an abundance of rum to trade to the Indians and shorting them on the measurements, leading to social chaos and drunken turmoil inside of the tribe (Calloway, pg. 140). Unlike the Chickasaws, the Choctaws were originally a French-sided tribe that would receive annual gifts from their ruler. These gifts would help the society to maintain social order when disturbing occasions happened. However, the English did not prefer to give gifts, but rather to exchange merchandise in trade and in payment (Calloway, pg. 140). With no gifts to give to help the Chiefs maintain order and the chaos caused by the English traders, the Choctaws were