One of the five tribes of the well-known Five Civilized
Tribes was the Chickasaw Indians. Living in what we know today as Huntsville,
AL, the Chickasaw Indians settled down and created life for themselves. These
brave warriors lived in towns that spread out along the riverbanks and built two
different houses for their families. One house was designed for the hot summers,
while the others were designed for the harsh winters. The Chickasaws were an
intelligent group of people and knew that keeping their families safe was the
most important thing.
The Chickasaw people had their own set of laws that were enforced by their
government. They also had rules that needed to be followed and their police were
the ones that enforced them. Today’s Chickasaw Indians not only follow their
rules, but they must also follow the laws of the United States of America, since
they are citizens of this country.
The tribe speaks English, but for those elders that are still living, they are
able to speak the native tongue of the Chickasaw. It is very similar to that of
the Choctaw language, except that it is a little more rhythmic. Their tribe
lived in houses long ago that were made of plaster and river cane walls. The
roofs were thatched and they often built palisades around the villages to keep
them safe. The palisades were made of tree trunks and were built to guard them
against any type of attack.
In the Chickasaw world, the women and men played the same type of roles that
many families do today. The women were the caretakers and the cooks. The men
were the hunters and often went to war. Both the men and women could tell
stories and create artwork. The story telling and the art are large parts of the
Chickasaw culture that are still important today. The river cane baskets and the
woodcarvings are very significant to their heritage. They describe their lives
through artwork.
The Chickasaw Indians had their own religion they practiced which was very
different from many other tribes. They were very spiritual people. The Chickasaw
tribe is a very interesting one all together. Learning more about them can be
very rewarding.
