Library of Congress Archives

A small, preserved piece of the northern route of the infamous "Trail of Tears and Death," in which Choctaws were removed from their ancestral homes in Mississippi and Alabama and forcibly marched across what are now several southern and Midwest states to Oklahoma in the early 19th Century.

The Treaty that Forever Changed our Chahta People’s Story

Anumpa Vlhpisa Yvt Chahta Okla I Nan Vnnoa Inlvchi Billia Tok

Published September 15, 2025

By Chief Gary Batton

Audio in Choctaw Language

It was 195 years ago, on Sept. 27, 1830, that the stroke of a pen forever changed the course of the Choctaw Nation. That pen stroke, ratified by the U.S. Congress on Feb. 24, 1831, put into motion one of the most significant historical moments that would have generational consequences for our Chahta tribe.

The Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek, a compact between the Choctaw Nation and the United States, began the forced removal of the Chahta from their ancestral lands in Mississippi and Alabama to the Indian Territory of Oklahoma. The treaty began the Chahta displacement enacted under the Indian Removal Act of 1830. This treaty would force our people to endure hunger, harrowing conditions and death. It is also a moment that shined as a beacon to the world that the Chahta will not be diminished, will not be forgotten to the annals of history and our people will thrive, regardless of conditions and circumstances, to create a strong, vibrant, sovereign Nation that is still forging new, innovative paths today.

The treaty was signed at a time when the U.S. government sought to acquire Native American lands for settlement by European Americans. Tribal leaders were told by federal agents that if they did not sign, the U.S. would invade the Choctaw Nation, kill all opposition, and make slaves out of the survivors. Under extreme duress, Chahta leaders agreed to cede approximately 11 million acres of their territory in Mississippi in exchange for about 15 million acres in the Indian Territory in Oklahoma, according to U.S. government documents.

Main points of the treaty included ceding remaining lands in Mississippi and Alabama; allowing for the establishment of a new territory in modern-day Oklahoma; allowing Choctaw individuals who chose to remain in Mississippi to become U.S. citizens, granting them a reservation of land; creating the migration of nearly 15,500 Choctaws to the Indian Territory of Oklahoma, which occurred in several waves through the 1830s, also in the 1840s, 1850s, and 1902-1903, according to tribal history.

The treaty began one of the largest land transfers in U.S. history during peacetime and marked the beginning of a series of forced relocations of Southeastern Native American tribes, or as we refer to it, the Trail of Tears and Death.

The Trail of Tears and Death forced displacement of about 60,000 people of the “Five Civilized Tribes” between 1830 and 1850. The Chahta suffered from exposure, disease, and starvation along the Trail of Tears and Death. Thousands died from disease, malnutrition, exposure, and homicide before reaching their destinations or shortly after. In the book, “Ethnic Cleansing and the Indian: The Crime That Should Haunt America” the Trail of Tearsand Death is referred to an example of the genocide of Native Americans, while other historians categorize it as ethnic cleansing.

I often wonder what life would be like today had The Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek never been signed and our people were not forced to travel the Trail of Tears and Death. It was a violent and uncertain time for our ancestors as they faced a long journey to an uncertain future. Being the first tribe removed by the treaty from our ancestral lands added to the uncertainty of our future as the Chahta forged the path for others to follow.

The hardships our brave ancestors faced, amid nearly unsurmountable odds, showed others the resilient and strong nature of the Choctaw Nation. Our ancestors were forced into an unfair, unjust treaty to ensure the future and survival of our tribe. Choctaw leaders were strategic about making sure that land cession treaties through the 1820s set up the resources and infrastructure for the Tribe to maintain sovereignty in the west, if removal ever came.

Our strength, resilience and fight to remain a strong, sovereign nation can be traced back to the fight and fortitude of our ancestors who were forced to travel from their sacred lands. If those heartbreaking decisions weren’t made back then, by our brave ancestors, who knows where we would be as a tribe today.

As a proud Chahta tribal member, I am overwhelmed at the strength of our tribe today. Our Chahta people have built on the sacrifices of those who came before us so that we never take for granted what we have in the Choctaw Nation. We never back down from a fight for our sovereignty and we will always choose the right path forward for our tribe.

My hope is that you remember this anniversary of an unjust treaty as what it is – a reminder to always be vigilant; always be striving for a better way; always be in the fight to remain a strong, sovereign nation; always be self-determined to push yourself to be a better Chahta than you were the day before for you and your family. Above all remember what the Chahta Spirit of Faith, Family and Culture stands for. The Chahta Spirit was planted and cultivated by our brave ancestors before us – remember that and always remember what it means to be a proud Chahta.

Yakoke and God Bless!

Afvmmi tahlepa achvffa, pokoli chakkali akucha tahlapi ash, Hoponi Hvshi nittak pokoli tuklo akucha untuklo, tahlepa sipokni achvffa, tahlepa untuchina, pokoli tuchina ya isht holissochi isso achvffa yvt Chahta Okla anowa inlvchi billia tok. Watonlak Hvshi nittak pokoli tuklo akucha ushta, tahlepa sipokni achvffa, tahlepa untuchina, pokoli tuchina akucha achvffa ash, United State Congress vt anumpa vlhpisa ma ahlichi tok. Isht holissochi isso achvffa yvmmvt hopaki isht anumpa yakosi ittitakla na fehna moma i shahli isht ia kvt hvpi Chahta okla ya unchululi afehnacha he tok.

Bok Chukfi Ahihla Anumpa Vlhpisa yvt Chahta Okla micha United States im ittibai achvffa atok. Chahta Okla ya wiha onohchit isht ia na i yakni awihvt Indian Territory ilhkoli tok. Indian Removal Act of 1830 yvt Chahta kanvllichi isht ia tok. Anumpa Vlhpisa ilvppvt hvpim okla ya hohchvffo, issikopa, anonti aiilli hlopullichi tok. Yakosi ittitakla yvt pvla ohmit tohwikeli na Chahta yvt iskitina chi kiyo anonti hopaki isht anumpa ahaksa chi kiyo tok. Aiahantta micha akaniohmi pihisa kia hvpim okla yvt chitot ia chi. Okla hlampko, kvllo, anonti i kucha pehlichi iksho toba cha himak a anowa himona inla ikbit mahaya.

Hvshi kanvlli yvmma, United States ulhti yvt Hattak Vpi Homma i yakni eshi cha European vhleha aioklvchi bvnna tok. Ik holissocho hokma United States vt Chahta Okla iba chukkoa cha ichapa mominchit abi cha okchaya ano yuka ikba chi ka aiulhti nan isht vtta yvt okla pehlichi i miha tok. Chahta pehlichi yvt, miha aiishahli i nutaka hosh, yakni vlhpisa tahlepa sipokni tahlepa sipokni pokkoli micha iklvnna aiena ka issa chi kvt apesa tok. United States ulhti i holisso yvt atokoli ka Chahta yvt i Mississippi yakni ittvtoba hosh Indian Territory anukaka ya yakni vlhpisa tahlepa sipokni tahlepa sipokni awah tahlapi yo ishi tok.

Anumpa vlhpisa im aiahni fehna kvt ilvppa aieninchi: Mississippi anukaka ya yakni mominchit issa; himak Oklahoma anukaka ya yakni himona apesvt hilechi; Mississippi maya okla atokoli tukvt United States im okla toba na yakni ilatomba ima; Chahta tahlepa sipokni awah tahlapi, tahlepa tahlapi foka ho Indian Territory pila wiha im ikbit tok. Okla hopaki isht anumpa atokoli ya afvmmi tahlepa sipokni achvffa, tahlepa untuchina, pokoli tuchina hiket afvmmi tahlepa sipokni achvffa, tahlepa chakkali anonti tuchina ona ka wiha kanohmi kvt yvmohmi tok.

Nan aiya takla, United States i hopaki isht anumpa ya anumpa vlhpisa yvt yakni kanchi chinto achvffa ka isht ia tok. Southeastern Native American okla vhleha ya wiha onohchi achaka aiisht ia yvt holisso tok. Trail of Tears and Death e hochefo.

Afvmmi tahlepa sipokni achvffa, tahlepa untuchina, pokoli tuchina hiket afvmmi tahlepa sipokni achvffa, tahlepa untuchina, pokoli tahlapi ona ka, Five Civilized Tribes im okla tahlepa sipokni pokoli hannali foka yo Tail of Tears and Death vt wiha onohchi tok. Trail of Tears and Death abaiya ya Chahta vhleha yvt haiaka, illilli, micha hopoa isht ilbvsha tok. Im ataha ik ono kisha kia ona tuk chekushih ma, tahlepa sipokni lawa hosh illilli, hopoa, haiaka, micha hattak vbi isht illi tok. “Ethnic Cleansing and the Indian: The Crime That Should Haunt America,” holisso ya Trail of Tears and Death vt Hattak Vpi Homma ya issikopvlit vbi hochefo tuk. Hopaki isht anumpa anoli inla yvt kohchichi hochefo.

Bok Chukfi Ahihla Anumpa Vlhpisa ya ik holissocho na hvpim okla yvt Trail of Tears and Death ik anowo tok ma himak a okchaya yvt nanta holba hinla tuk a nanta katiohmi ho ahni li. Hvpi hattak tikba yvt himak pilla chishba pila nowa falaya asvnnih ma hvshi kanvlli yvt palvmmi cha aiahli ik akostinincho atok. Anumpa Vlhpisa yvt Chahta ya tikba wihachi cha hvpi himak pilla ya chishba achakvli hosh inla yvt iakaya chi ho hina im ikbi tok.

Palvmmi ya hvpi hattak tikba chilita yvt asvnni tukvt Chahta Okla im vlhtayak inla ahlakoffi micha hlampko ya inla im oktvnichi tok. Hvpi hattak tikba ya anumpa vlhpisa ik achukmo micha ik ahlo onohchi hosh hvpim okla i himak pilla anonti im okchaya ahlichi tok. Afvmmi tahlepa sipokni achvffa, tahlepa untuchina, pokoli tuklo moma hlopulli ka yakni kanchi anumpa vlhpisa yvt aianukcheto anonti aiisht awechi ya Okla i hiohlicha chi ka Chahta pehlichi yvt vhlpiesachit ahlichi tok. Wiha yvt vla bilia hokma okla yvt hvshi aiokvtula onak mvt i kucha pehlichi iksho isha he tok.

Hvpim isht ahlampko, inla ahlakoffi, micha okla hlampkot aiasha im ittibi yvt hvpi hattak tikba im ittibi micha im aiyimita ya iakayvt ona hinla. Hvpi hattak tikba chilita yvt ahokofa nukhaklo atopa ik ikbo tok ma himak a hvpim okla yvt kanimma aiasha he tuk a kvna hosh ikhana.

Chahta Okla ibafoka sia kvt himak a hvpim okla im isht ahlampko yvt vmaiyvchi. Hvpi tikba aivla im isht aiokpvchi ya Chahta okla yvt i shalihchit ikbi tuka Chahta Okla yvt nana hvpim asha kvt nittak nana kil ahnicho kash ke. Hvpi kucha pehlichi iksho im ittibi ya nittak nana il akucha kiyo. Tikba ia ka, hvpim okla ya anowa vlhpesa il im atokoli billia chi.

Anumpa vlhpisa ikahlo im isht ikhana ilvppvt ikhananchi ya hvsh ikhaiyana kvt vm ahni – ahah ahni billia; achunanchit aiyvmohmi achukmalechi billia; chishno micha chi chukka achvffa atuk mako Chahta i shalit hikia kvt ilap ahnit achunanchi billia. Moma i shahli, Chahta Shilombish i na yimmi, chukka achvffa, micha im aivlhpesa yvt nana ahobvchi ka hvsh ikhaiyana chike. Hvpi hattak tikba akosh Chahta Shilombish a hilechit toksvli tok – yvmma ikhaiyana cha Chahta hvchia kvt nana miha ka hvsh ikhaiyana billia chike!

Yakoke anonti Chihowa hvt hvchi holitoblashke!

Photos

Photo by Library of Congress Archives

Trail of Tears and Death Map