Nvnih Waiya: Mother of the Choctaw People

Article Updated: 5/7/2025
You awake in your home to remember that today your community has a village meeting. You rouse your husband and kids and take them to the spring by your house. As you arrive, you see that your grandmother, mother, and your sister are already here with their families. After washing up, you take your family to the village plaza, outside of the Chief’s home in the center of the village. You see two fires set up in the plaza, one for each moiety in the village. You leave your kids to play and watch your husband walk to the other fire to sit with his family. You find a seat next to your sister and soon you see your grandmother come and sit down in a row ahead of you, closer to the fire. Nearby, you acknowledge your brother as he comes to sit by the other men at your fire. Miko comes out and greets everyone, then introduces the historian to speak. You’ve listened to him speak many times before and know that he will talk about the history of your village and will begin with recounting the origin stories. As he speaks, you look over to see a large earthwork platform mound. It is known to you as the Mother Mound, Nvnih Waiya. This month, Iti Fabvssa would like to take a moment to talk about our Choctaw origin traditions and Nvnih Waiya Village Site.

Located just a short drive from Choctaw, Mississippi is the Nvnih Waiya Village Site. The village is named after a larger earth mound, one of three that were built by the settlement’s early inhabitants. The name Nvnih Waiya translates to sloping or leaning earth mound. Approximately one mile from the Nvnih Waiya village site is a natural hill. Earth mound-like in shape, some Choctaw people know it as Nan Awaya, meaning Place of Growth. Our creation stories explain Nan Awaya to be our Mother Mound; the place where Choctaw people were created. Below is one of our origin stories, the Choctaw Creation Story:

The following oral history is adapted from Issac Pistonatubbee recorded in 1901. It uses the spelling Nvnih Waiya, but is talking about Nan Awaya Cave:

A very long time ago the creation of men was at Nvnih Waiya. The Muscogee first came out of Nvnih Waiya, and they then sunned themselves on its earthen rampart. And when they got dry, they went to the east, staying on this side of the Tombigbee. There they rested and smoked tobacco.

The Cherokees next came out of Nvnih Waiya, and they sunned themselves on the earthen rampart. And when they got dry, they followed the trail of the elder Tribe. And at the place where the Muscogee’s had smoked tobacco there was fire and the woods were burnt. And the Cherokees could not find the Muscogee’s’ trail, so they got lost and went towards the north. And there they settled and made a people.

And the Chickasaws came third out of Nvnih Waiya. And they sunned themselves on the earthen rampart. And when they got dry, they followed the Cherokees. And when they got to where the Cherokees had settled, they made a people close to the Cherokees.

And the Choctaws fourth and last came out of Nvnih Waiya. And they sunned themselves on the earthen rampart. And they did not go anywhere but settled down in the very land and it is called the Choctaws’ home.

According to other accounts of this story, Hvshtahli, or God, gathered clay from the nearby Nvnih Waiya Creek and used it to create people underground. An opening from Nan Awaya Cave was created and people came out in groups and began to travel to different parts of the American southeast; forming the southeastern tribes. The Choctaw people were the last group to come from the hill and decided to remain at their place of creation. This account provides Choctaw History with a beginning, the creative powers of God, and displays our kinship to the peoples of the southeast. Another origin account is the Choctaw Migration Story.

The following oral history is adapted from Rev. Peter Folsom recorded in 1894:
In ancient days, our Choctaw and Chickasaw ancestors lived in a far western country, under the rule of two brothers, Chahta and Chikasa. In time, they found it difficult to procure subsistence in that land. Their prophets announced that far to the east was a country of fertile soil where they could live in ease and plenty. The population resolved to make a journey to that happy land.

The people marched in divisions a day’s journey apart. A great prophet marched at the head of Chahta’s party, bearing a pole, which he planted in the earth at the close of each day. Every morning the pole was seen leaning in the direction they were to travel that day. After many moons, they arrived at Nvnih Waiya. The next morning the pole was seen standing erect. This was an omen that the long-sought-for land was found. That very day, a party under Chikasa crossed Nvnih Way Creek and camped on its east side. A Great rain fell that night. The creek was rendered impassable.

After the subsistence of the waters, messengers were sent to Chikasa’s party. But Chikasa’a party had proceeded on, and the rain having washed away all traces of their march, the messengers were unable to follow them. Chikasa’s party moved to the Tombigbee and became a separate nationality. In this way, the Choctaws and Chickasaws became two separate, though kindred, nations.

The Migration Account tells us about the deep relationship between the Choctaw and Chickasaw people with some versions also including our relationship to the Alabama people. Circumstances, sometimes said to be environmental issues, are what first caused the need for our people to relocate to the southeast and establish our new home. The prophet on the journey carried the sacred pole, called the Iti Fabvssa. The Iti Fabvssa was struck into the ground each evening and God would shift the pole to lean in the direction in which the Choctaw people should travel that next day. The pole remained upright at Nvnih Waiya. Choctaw people then constructed a large earthwork platform mound we call Nvnih Waiya Mound. Nvnih Waiya Mound and village site are sacred places that have not been studied archaeologically, but the shape of the largest mound suggests that it was built by our people 1,700-1,400 years ago.

The Nvnih Waiya Village Site had several mounds and a fortified wall. Near Nvnih Waiya Mound was a large cemetery mound and three smaller cemetery mounds (Carleton 1999: 140-141). Surrounding the village was a large earthwork wall with supporting wooden palisades and towers (ibid). In 1830, the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek took away the last of our communally owned lands in Mississippi, including Nvnih Waiya. From the 1830’s until the 1960’s, the Nvnih Waiya Village Site was deeply plowed by American farmers (ibid). The four cemetery mounds and the earthwork wall have been destroyed. Nvnih Waiya Mound also suffered from plowing, and it has been reduced from its original size. Fortunately, from 1960 to 2006 Nvnih Waiya Mound and much of the village site were made into Nanih Waiya State Park and protected. In 2006 the park was given back to the original owners, who then donated it to the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians in 2008. Today it is not uncommon for Choctaw people to visit the Mother Mound. The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians hosts and annual Nanih Waiya Day to commemorate the return of the Mother Mound to the Choctaw people.

The Nvnih Waiya site can be visited only through the permission of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians Tribal Government. To schedule a visit, please contact the MBCI Office of Public Information at 601-663-7532.

Works Cited

Carelton, Ken 1999 Mississippi Archaeology. Nanih Waiya (22W1500): An Historical and Archeological Overview 34(2): 125-142.