Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians | |
---|---|
Government Organization | |
Established | April 20, 1945 (Indian Reorganization Act) |
Tribal Headquarters | Choctaw, Neshoba County, Mississippi |
Communities | |
Government | |
• Tribal Chief | Cyrus Ben |
Population (2021) | |
• Total | 11,100 |
Religions | Roman Catholicism, Baptism (denomination), Methodism, Traditional beliefs |
Website | www.choctaw.org |
The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians (Choctaw: Mississippi Chahta) is one of three federally recognized tribes of Choctaw people, and the only one in the state of Mississippi. On April 20, 1945, this tribe was organized under the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934. Their reservation included lands in Neshoba, Leake, Newton, Scott, Jones, Attala, Kemper, and Winston counties. The Mississippi Choctaw regained stewardship of their mother mound, Nanih Waiya mounds and cave in 2008. The Mississippi Band of Choctaw have declared August 18 as a tribal holiday to celebrate their regaining control of the sacred site. The other two Choctaw groups are the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, the third largest tribe in the United States, and the Jena Band of Choctaw Indians, located in Louisiana.