Chickasaw
Chickasaw,
Native North American tribe of the Muskogean linguistic
family, closely related to the Choctaw.
They
formerly occupied what are now northern Mississippi
and the adjacent parts of Tennessee, Kentucky, and
Alabama.
The
Chickasaw, who lived in dwellings constructed alongside
streams and rivers rather than in villages, obtained
food by hunting, fishing, and farming.
Originally
they were a warlike people, controlling a large territory
and raiding nearby tribes such as the Choctaw, Creek,
Cherokee, and Shawnee.
Conquered
people of other tribes, as well as some African American
slaves, were absorbed into the Chickasaw tribe.
Throughout
the colonial period the Chickasaw supported the English
against the French, who tried unsuccessfully to subdue
them.
During
the American Revolution (1775-1783), the Chickasaw
gave support to the British Army. Afterward the Chickasaw
established friendly relations with the new nation.
In the early 19th century the Chickasaw ceded most
of their territory to the United States in various
treaties.
In
the 1830s the entire 5000-member tribe was forcibly
relocated to Indian Territory (now Oklahoma). There
they set up a system of self-government modeled on
that of the United States; because of this system
they were included as one of the so-called Five Civilized
tribes.
When
Oklahoma was made a state in 1907, new settlers flooded
Chickasaw lands.
In
1990 the Chickasaw and their descendants numbered
20,631.
"Chickasaw,"
Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2000 http://encarta.msn.com
© 1997-2000 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
