[verynicebecky]

I am 43 and grew up being told that my mother's ancestry is Cherokee but no one could find any family on the Cherokee rolls. Low and behold today I discovered my great grandparents and some of their children are listed on the Choctaw rolls...Am I entitled to any benefits? What do I do next, if anything?

[okpondlady]

Call Choctaw Nation and ask how you get a membership card. Go from there.

[_redbird_]

Originally Posted by verynicebecky

I am 43 and grew up being told that my mother's ancestry is Cherokee but no one could find any family on the Cherokee rolls. Low and behold today I discovered my great grandparents and some of their children are listed on the Choctaw rolls...Am I entitled to any benefits? What do I do next, if anything?

You are now entitled to go to the Choctaw casino and gamble!!!!

The proceeds might help some of the Choctaw tribal programs. Not to be rude or anything,.. and I am not saying you are like this, but there is nothing worse than a wanna-be who suddenly finds out they are part Indian and now wants to know what they are entitled to...

If you really are interested in your Choctaw culture, there are many places to go on the internet which will help you connect to the beautiful culture of the Choctaw people.

Personally, I know a lot of Choctaws, and I have GREAT respect for them.

Please be respectful and sensitive and you will go a lot further in your quest.

[Cali_Okie_Girl]

Originally Posted by redbird4848

You are now entitled to go to the Choctaw casino and gamble!!!!

The proceeds might help some of the Choctaw tribal programs. Not to be rude or anything,.. and I am not saying you are like this, but there is nothing worse than a wanna-be who suddenly finds out they are part Indian and now wants to know what they are entitled to...

If you really are interested in your Choctaw culture, there are many places to go on the internet which will help you connect to the beautiful culture of the Choctaw people.

Personally, I know a lot of Choctaws, and I have GREAT respect for them.

Please be respectful and sensitive and you will go a lot further in your quest.

i agree with redbird...you dont want to be greedy i would just look into your cultrual and find out what it is about and everything and dont ask for special privilages or gifts..not very nice. i hope you find good info on your cultrual!

[verynicebecky]

Oh thank you both. I am very excited and thrilled to read my family member's names upon their Dawes card. I certainly will do some research on the Choctaw people.

O...I don't gamble but mom (Choctaw decendant) I know would contribute greatly if we lived there.

[colleeng47]

Originally Posted by verynicebecky

I am 43 and grew up being told that my mother's ancestry is Cherokee but no one could find any family on the Cherokee rolls. Low and behold today I discovered my great grandparents and some of their children are listed on the Choctaw rolls...Am I entitled to any benefits? What do I do next, if anything?

I'm so happy for you that you have discovered you are part of the wonderful Choctaw tribe! I'm sure you are very proud to be part of this amazing group of people. There is probably a lot you can do to research your ancestry and culture. It would be such a rewarding thing for you to do. Good luck

[Cali_Okie_Girl]

Originally Posted by verynicebecky

Oh thank you both. I am very excited and thrilled to read my family member's names upon their Dawes card. I certainly will do some research on the Choctaw people.

O...I don't gamble but mom (Choctaw decendant) I know would contribute greatly if we lived there.

im glad your excited! now go have fun and learn about your cultrual!

[verynicebecky]

Originally Posted by Cali_Okie_Girl

i agree with redbird...you dont want to be greedy i would just look into your cultrual and find out what it is about and everything and dont ask for special privilages or gifts..not very nice. i hope you find good info on your cultrual!

O...I know what you mean. It is just so interesting how many ties to Oklahoma I have. Daddy was an Okie from Picher. He played high school baseball against Mickey Mantle. Both my mother's parents were born in Oklahoma. I was born and raised in Calif but I married an Okie and resided in the State for 11 yrs. Mom has never been to Oklahoma and I tried to talk her into moving there at one point. If she had moved I would still be living there.

[Trinaz]

Verynicebecky,

Your journey has just begun. Now you must provide birth, marrage, death certificates, and other forms of documents connecting you to those on the Daws Roll Call. You must be able to give proof without a doubt. Time consuming but well worth it if this is what you want.

Benifits, after being accepted you will recieve a Choctaw Tribal card.
They do provide social services, similar to our welfare system, to the very young, elderly, and disabled. Those who are able and capable of working are encouraged to do so. Scholarships and educational assistance are available but you are expected to pay some if not all of it back when you are able to. I feel this is the way it should be.

Back in the 1980's I found myself pondering about my (Choctaw) great grandmother. Was she happy with her life? Did she pick her husband or did her father pick him for her? I know it's silly to wonder about such things but I was curious to know more about her and how she felt about the world around her. My curiosity was set at ease when I recieved a family tree book in 1995. In it were words written, back in the early 1900's, by my grandmother describing her mother; "She was a kind, loving wife, mother, and a friend to all." Funny how just a few words can say so much about a person and with this bit of information I am quite pleased.

When the government offered my great grandmother and her children land in Oklahoma, my Irish great grandfather turned it down. He was ashamed and embarrased for the way the Europeans had treated the Choctaws and didn't feel right taking free land from the government or the Choctaws. He was a devout Christian and felt it was his duty to provide for his family.

I never knew my great grandparents but what I do know helps me to feel love, admiration, and respect for them. I am proud to be their great grand daughter.

I can relate to the excitement of your new discovery as it is a pleasure to know from whence we came. Tracing our roots can help us learn about the lives, character, and adventures our ancesters lived. I hope you find more than just benifits in your quest and that you find a bit of treasure you can hold dear to your heart as I found in my quest.

Happy family tree researching.

[_redbird_]

Great post Trinaz. We usually find tons of people discovering their roots and then finding the greatest benefit is discovering a beautiful new world with great music, great history and wonderful people who have endured great hardship to be where they are at now.

There are a lot of Choctaws here in OK, and there are some in the SE U.S.

Here is a link which will get you started. It includes a link on ancestry.

Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma

Check out the many Youtube links too!


YouTube - Choctaw Nation