More Choctaw stuff.

The Choctaws were the first travelers of the Trail of Tears. In 1831 they were marched north to the Indian Territory that later became Oklahoma. It was a hard time for them. I find it incredible and  heart warming that just a few years later in 1847 the Choctaws got some money together (they were not rich) and sent it to Ireland to help the people suffering in the Potato Famine. The Irish and the Choctaws have been close ever since.

The following will be of interest to some. To enroll in the Choctaw tribe you must obtain a CDIB which is a Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood. You must provide documentation (birth certificates, etc) that proves that you are a descendent of a person on the Dawes Roll. The Dawes Roll was taken around 1900 at the direction of the US Congress. The Dawes Roll was used to end the reservation system and allocate land to the Indians in the Indian Territory. 

The percent requirement for the Choctaws is any (one drop rule) but lately some tribes are making their requirements tougher as the tribes distributes casino income to tribe members. Would a person lie for some of that income?

There is a branch of the Oklahoma Choctaws in California. They are having their 16th reunion in Bakersfield, California May 7 and 8 at the practice field at Bakersfield College..