What Are Gender Roles In The Choctaw Culture

The Choctaw people were once a prosperous Native American tribe in the United States of America that settled in more than 50 villages in an area now known as Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana and Southern Mississippi.. The tribe believed that their people were created from a large mound in their territory known to them as the mud of Nvnih Waiya (“Choctaw”). Their society and culture was deeply rooted in agriculture. On their fertile lands in Mississippi the Choctaw grew crops of corn, beans, and pumpkins. Their culture is filled with capacious beliefs and traditions surrounding child birth, medical care, spirituality, and death. Additionally, there were distinct roles for the men and women in the tribe. Gender roles were clearly defined in the

Ishtaboli also known as “stickball” is the choctaws national sport. Their traditional dress shows a respect for nature and includes representations of the sun and stars (“Choctaw”). Other traditional values such as medicinal practice are also considered an integral part of the Choctaw history. The medicine man isn’t just an old tale people tell stories of! In the Choctaw culture the medicine man is considered an art and a tradition. Also known as Alikchi, the medicine man is a spiritual healer. Unfortunately, as the years pass children born of this culture are showing less interest in learning and practicing these traditions. These include communicating with the

The Choctaw also offer Elder Advocacy which provides training and support services to the elderly adult and their family. They also have community centers for their tribe members to participate in social activities. They offer the Choctaw Elderly a $600 per year Emergency care allowance with no income required. Furthermore, they have a program called Community Health Representative (CHR) that helps the Choctaw people with health care by assisting with vitals, monitoring diabetes, physical assessments, dietary and nutrition class and other health care services for primary preventative care (“Heritage & Traditions”). Although the Choctaw people have adopted many modern medical amenities, death in the Choctaw tribe traditionally encompassed peculiar