Doaksville Treaty

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The Doaksville Treaty was an agreement signed on January 17, 1837 between Choctaw and the Chickasaw . The treaty concluded under pressure from the United States of America allowed the Chickasaw to settle in the Choctaw settlement area in the southwest of the Indian territory in what is now Oklahoma and to forego an independent tribal council.

prehistory

After a series of land cession contracts between the Chickasaw and the United States after the adoption of the Indian Removal Act (Engl. For Indians Resettlement Act were closed), the final was resettlement in 1832 in the Treaty of Pontotoc set. A clause allowed the Chickasaw to choose their new settlement areas themselves. The Chickasaw sent several expeditions into Indian territory to find suitable land. After several expeditions between 1832 and 1837, the government increased pressure on the Chickasaw to come to an agreement with the Choctaw, in whose government-assigned settlement area a suitable area for the Chickasaw was.

agreement

The negotiations between the Chickasaw and the Choctaw failed several times. Under pressure from the US government trying to speed up the resettlement, the Chickasaw and Choctaw signed a treaty despite their strained relationship. In the agreement signed on January 17, 1837, the Chickasaw received the right to settle in the west of the Choctaw area, today's southwestern Oklahoma, in return for payment of $ 530,000 . Originally, the Chickasaw wanted to buy the land to rebuild their society there. However, the Choctaw refused to sell their territories. The Chickasaw received the area only on loan, in addition, they were allowed to represent their interests in the council of the Choctaw.

consequences

The contract resulted in the collapse of the Chickasaw Society after they were relocated. They only had the right to be present on the Council of Choctaw, but no voice of their own to represent their interests. As a result, the Chickasaw lost their independent identity and merged into Choctaw society. It was only in 1854 and after further payments to the Choctaw that the Chickasaw succeeded in giving themselves their own constitution and rebuilding their sovereignty.

literature

  • Horatio Bardwell Cushman: History of the Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Natchez Indians. Edited with a foreword, by Angie Debo. Introduction by Clara Sue Kidwell. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman OK 1999, ISBN 0-8061-3127-6 .
  • Arrell M. Gibson: The Chickasaws. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman OK 1971 ( The Civilization of the American Indian Series 109), (5th print: The Chickasaws. The great Seal of the Chickasaws Nation . Ibid 1987, ISBN 0-8061-1042-2 ).

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