More and more Americans are interested in finding out whether they have an Indian heritage. This is because of the high emphasis placed on minority hiring, in the private sector as well as government offices. However, finding out if one has an Indian heritage has proved to be a challenging task, given that Indian law dictated that anyone who moved away from the Indian territory and became a citizen of another nation ceased to be a citizen of the Indian nation and forfeited all their rights. In addition, the federal government did not recognize individuals who moved away or remained behind when the bulk of the Indian population was being moved to reserved areas. The only way for such individuals to find out whether they have an Indian heritage would be by tracing their genealogical roots.
The Choctaw people are an Indian tribe that lived in the USA. Choctaw speakers can be found in Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Texas, California and Louisiana. There are approximately 10,000 people who speak the language. Most Choctaw speakers are middle aged or elderly, though effort is being made to teach children Choctaw as a first language. Choctaw is closely related to the Chikasaw language. Chikasaw is sometimes treated as a dialect of Choctaw but extensive research has concluded that the two languages are independent. Choctaw has 3 dialects: Native Choctaw, Mississippi Choctaw of Oklahoma and Mississippi Choctaw near Philadelphia. Choctaw is written using the Roman alphabet although it has variations of the alphabet. This includes Original Byinton, Byington/Swansto and Mississippi Choctaw.
There are many advantages to studying the Choctaw language. This includes the fact that you will have a greater understanding of the Choctaw people, their culture and way of life. In addition, you will be able to communicate with the native speakers and be able to tap into the various resources they have, which can be used for the greater good of not just the US, but the whole world. The Choctaw alphabet has 21 letters that have a similar pronunciation to their English equivalent. This has makes it easy to learn, if someone already knows English.
