Answer:Chickasaw Origins
The prophets (hopayi') directed their people to move from the west, so the brothers Chiksa' and Chahta led the tribes to the southeast. When the brothers parted ways, Chiksa' became the leader of the Chickasaw people.
Homelands
The Chickasaw people settled in the thick forests of the areas of what we now call northern Mississippi, western Tennessee, northwestern Alabama, and southwestern Kentucky. They built homes for their families using poles sunk into the ground which supported mud and reed daub walls with thatched roofs. The Chickasaw people nurtured their lands, and ornithologist Alexander Wilson described the land they cared for as park-like settings.
Waterways were naturally plentiful and used for sustenance and travel routes for trade. The American Indians of this area also developed a network of trails (traces), the Old Natchez Trace being a main corridor. The corridor was used heavily for trading by tribes from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico.
Chickasaw communities governed by a democratic process. Minkos (chiefs) led councils of elders. The councils met in council houses and discussed decisions regarding their nation. Along the Parkway you can visit the commemorative site of a Chickasaw Council House at milepost 251.1.
The Natchez Trace Parkway, and the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail, commemorate and protect remaining portions of the ancient trail. The old trail was likely originally part of the trails of mastodons, giant bison, and other prehistoric and more modern animals.
European Contact
The richness of the area attracted European explorers who encountered Chickasaw communities. These first Europeans did not make a good impression. Hernando de Soto led a Spanish expedition through southeastern North America in the 1500s. In the Chickasaw homelands, de Soto and his soldiers camped near the town of Chicaza (thought to have been near the region of modern-day Starkville, MS). The Chickasaw minko (chief) presented the Spaniards with deer skins and supplies. The Spanish then demanded 200 burden bearers (people they could enslave) from the minko to complete their journey. The Chickasaw protected their people by launching a surprise attack on the Spanish soldiers, decimating livestock and several of their men, forcing them to flee the territory.
During the early 1700s the Chickasaw warriors allied with European forces, especially with the British. One of the more notable allied battles was the Battle of Ackia in 1736, where the Chickasaw aligned with the British to defeat the French who had enlisted the aid of the Choctaw.
Some European settlers integrated with the Chickasaw people. During the early 1800s. James Logan Colbert, from a Jacobite Scot family, married into the Chickasaw leadership in northwest Alabama. The Chickasaw’s matrilineal traditions enabled James's children to inherit the status of their Chickasaw mothers. The Colberts were fluent in both English and Chickasaw.
James's sons, George Colbert, (Tootemastubbe) and his brother Levi (Ittawamba) were principal negotiators between the Chickasaw tribe and the United States.The Colberts owned and operated a large plantation and inn for travelers along the Old Trace in Northwestern Alabama. George ran an important ferry business which provided passage of merchants, travelers, and troops across the mighty Tennessee River. He also owned agricultural land in north Mississippi, and his wife, Selichi, ran a respected inn in what is now Tupelo, MS. George Colbert served under Andrew Jackson during the Creek War of 1813-1814.
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