Pushmataha: A Choctaw Leader and His People

Fire Ant Books

by Gideon Lincecum, Greg O'Brien (Introduction)

Comprises two valuable, original, and difficult-to-find pieces on Choctaw history and culture that originally appeared in the 1904 and 1906 volumes of Publications of the Mississippi Historical Society

This important book comprises two articles that appeared in the 1904 and 1906 volumes of Publications of the Mississippi Historical Society . In “Life of Apushimataha,” Gideon Lincecum tells the story of Choctaw chief Pushmataha, who was born in Mississippi in 1764. A fearless warrior, his name literally means “one whose tomahawk is fatal in war or hunting.” As a charismatic leader, his foresight in making an alliance with General Andrew Jackson brought the Choctaws into war with the Creek Nation and into the War of 1812 but served to their benefit for many years with the United States government. In 1824, Pushmataha traveled to Washington, DC, to negotiate the Treaty of Doak’s Stand as pressure grew for Choctaw removal to Oklahoma Territory, but he fell ill and died there. He was buried with full military honors in the Congressional Cemetery at Arlington.
 
In “Choctaw Traditions about Their Settlement in Mississippi and the Origin of Their Mounds,” Lincecum translates a portion of the Skukhaanumpula —the traditional history of the tribe, which was related to him verbally by Chata Immataha, “the oldest man in the world, a man that knew everything.” It explains how and why the sacred Nanih Waya mound was erected and how the Choctaws formed new towns, and it describes the structure of leadership roles in their society.
 

Genres: History

124 pages, Paperback

First published May 7, 2004

Reviews

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am exceedingly grateful for these writers of the 19th century who put the stories down on paper and made sure they got read. And I'm grateful for the presses that bring their books back to life. This book, two pamphlets written by Gideon Lincecum, along with an introduction to put the stories in context, is full of florid language, myth-making (or repeating), and hero worship. Yet all of that only adds to the layers of accuracy--being devoid as it is of modern sensibility. Apushimataha was clearly an important hero of the early 19th century. One can't help but wonder if the Choctaw's fate might have been different if he had survived longer. He was no shrinking daisy, and his decision to make a hard and fast friendship with the white men--such as George Strother Gaines and Andrew Jackson--was clearly a strategic as well as personal matter. It is funny to me that in Gideon Lincecum's adoration of Pushmataha he reveals stories that to my modern sensibility are truly appalling, and that make the actions of people like Andrew Jackson seem almost reasonable.

[Rita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent writing I have learned more about this well-respected ancestor of the Favre family. I recommend it to anyone. The introduction written about the author also relays important information then and at the end of the story. Please read from the beginning.

[Sydney Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a bird's eye view on history. This is basically a primary source on the Choctaw and Pushmataha. Excellent, so glad it is preserved and easily accessed.