New Choctaw & Chickasaw Freedmen Group Makes a Splash on Social Media

 The new organization, Choctaw Chickasaw Freedmen Association has made a splash on Social Media. The new group announced its presence first on Facebook and also with a detailed press release. The new website CCFANow.org came live at the same time and much needed energy has been injected into the community of descendants from both Oklahoma-based federally recognized tribes.

The Facebook page for Choctaw and Chickasaw Freedmen has over 1000 members, and many are now frequenting the new CCFA website for links to pages reflecting their history and their ancestral culture. In addition, a new Instagram page has been created with rich information not only about the new group, but also with useful links to contemporary issues pertaining to Freedmen.

CCFA Instagram Page

The brainchild of Athena Gaiten Butler, originally of Kansas City Missouri, the group formed a small core group that worked together as a committee to establish, CCFA, the acronym for the group. One of the goals of this new organization is to reach out to Freedmen descendants of both Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations. Although descendants of Freedmen at present do not have citizenship in either nation, descendants of both nations have much in common. Beyond the shared history of their ancestors having once been enlsaved in Indian Territory, their vision extends far beyond a goal of a tribal card.

Some of the goals of CCFA are reflected in their social media presence. CCFA's Instagram account presents history as well as contemporary issues pertaining to both Freedmen communities. Likewise the group also has an accont on Twitter and has had significant Twitter re-tweets to their posts as well.

Image from Twitter Page

Much discussion pertaining to CCFA interests stems from much of the activity found on the Facebook page. There are several communities of descendants from both nations, many still living on old land allotments from the past. In addition, many Freedmen descendants also still live within the geographic boundaries of both tribes, while many, especially elders still have a cultural identity to the tribes, despite decades of segregation disenfranchisement and estrangement.

Many Freedman descendants are found on the CCFA Faceboook page, and over 1000 are found on the Descendants group page. Last week on Facebook, in honor of Indigenous Peoples Day, the Descendants group honored the day by honoring their ancestors, and posting images of them and identifying their relationship to their respective nations. Several dozen images were shaared and the reaction to the postings has been extremly positive!

Small Collage of Ancestors Honored on Freedman Facebook Page

On the Facebook Freedman Descendants page, portraits of ancestors were shared, along with the Roll number and Card number. Some who did not have portraits shared images of their ancestor;s Dawes Card. Some elaborated by telling a brief story about their ancestor. Much of this history of various families will be reflected on the website as well as on the pages of social media

Challenges Ahead
Chickasaw Freedmen descendants have  a particularly interesting situation, because the despite the fact that the tribe broke the treaty of 1866, where they promised citizenship for their former slaves, many Freedmen descendants today will still tell others that they are Chickasaw. Likewise, descendants of Choctaw Freedmen also live on land allotments within the geographic jurisdiction of their nation and will tell others that they too, are Choctaw.

Thousands of descendants of both Freedmen groups live "at large" meaning outside of Oklahoma, having had family that migrated north and west. They left seeking more opportunities when the harshness of Oklahoma Jim Crow laws and the appearance of Sundown towns drove them away from the land that was for over a century, their home.

CCFA seeks to educate descendants to their rich history, to interact with those of both nations about the history and culture, and to empower descendants by offering workshops focusing on education, and opportunities for growth. CCFA also hopes to reach out to the community of enrolled Choctaw citizens through cordial meetups, and to encourage social interaction bewteen Freedmen and other fellow Choctaws.

Culturally, many Choctaw Freedmen considers themselves to be among the "Choctaw Proud" or Chickasaw people, and many are unaware that some of their leifestyle, including foodways come from their own their tribal background.

Much of who the freedmen are, will continue to be reflected both on the website and much more is planned to unfold on social media.

Follow CCFA on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Oliver Colbert, Son of his Chickasaw Father Zach

In 1898, Oliver Colbert appeared in front of the Dawes Commission to enroll, with his son, Robert. He identified his father and answered additional questions presented to him. He was then placed on the Freedman roll. But in 1906, knowing who he was, and knowing his father, he requested to be placed on the roll of Choctaws by blood. This request was based on the fact that his father was Zach Colbert, who was a recognized Choctaw.

National Archives, Ft. Worth Texas
Perry Files: File  #20, Image #1

Because he was 40 years old, Oliver was old enough to have been born before slaves were freed in the Choctaw Nation, before the Treaty of 1866. His name appears on Choctaw Freedman card #1202. His name was on the roll with his son Robert Colbert. The name of the slave holder is revealed on the front of the card.

National Archives Publication M1186

Choctaw Freedman Card #1202

Oliver Colbert's father is identified as Zack Colbert, the same person as the slave holder. And as was the case with many Freedmen with Indian fathers, in the column where the name of the Freedman father's slave holder was placed---in this case, simply the words "Chick. Ind." meaning that the father was not "owned" by anyone, because he was Indian. His mother was an enslaved woman Caldonia, and she also was enslaved by Zach Colbert--the father of her son.

(Reverse side of card)

In the interview his father's name was given, and it was asked, if his mother belonged to Zach--his father, and he said that she was indeed enslaved by him. Yet, in spite of this information, he was placed on the Freedman Roll.

National Archives Publication M1301

Source: same as above

It was pointed out that towards the end of the war, Oliver Colbert's mother was sold away to another party in Texas, and she remained in Texas for years afterward,  and did not return to the Territory. However Oliver Colbert did spend a majority of his years in the Choctaw Nation and was thus placed on the roll of Choctaw Freedmen.

Although some of the original interview was captured of Oliver Colbert, the old interview from this original Chickasaw file is included in his Choctaw file. It was evident that the commissioners preferred to summarize his information, carefully noting that Zach Colbert was only his slave holder, and ignoring the fact that Zach Colbert was his father.

National Archives Publication M1301

Clearly Oliver Colbert knew who he was and as a young boy, had a relationship with his father Zach Colbert, and lived with him for many years. However, this was clearly overlooked and the commission determined to keep Oliver from claiming his status as a Chickasaw by blood based on his father's status. 

A search was made and it was noted that Zachariah Colbert was a Chickasaw, but it was also stated that Oliver's name never appeared on any Chickasaw roll. That is true, because the Chickasaw Nation violated the treaty of 1866, and refused to make any former slaves, or children of former slaves citizens. So it was not possible for Oliver to have ever been enrolled, but they base their exclusion on the fact that those once enslaved were never given citizenship. So content with African Chickasaws when enslaved, and excluded once freed former slaves were continually excluded in case after case because they were never put on lists as "recognized" citizens---a status that was impossible during their lifetime. The focus was on his status as being enslaved, and not of his status as the son of a Chickasaw. 

The fact still remains that the descendants of Oliver Colbert can still speak to their history and their heritage, because their progenitor Oliver, was the son of his Chickasaw father.