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Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Sacred mound
returned to
Choctaw tribe
By CARVER RAYBURN
Assistant Editor & Publisher
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
More than 1,000 people attended a ceremony on Friday officially marking the transfer of Nanih Waiya Mound and Cave back to the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians in what was billed as a celebration of the return of "Our Mother Mound."
The ceremony featured traditional food, dancing, remarks by officials, storytelling of the Choctaw's rich culture and history and a proclamation by Miko Beasley Denson, chief of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.
Denson declared the second Friday in August "Nanih Waiya Day," a holiday celebrating the occasion when the Tribe's "Mother Mound" was restored to its people.
"Nanih Waiya is the cultural and religious center of the tribe and is the birth place of the Choctaw people," Denson said. "Our mother mound was taken from the Choctaw people long ago, but it has now been restored to her children."
Denson talked about the importance of the ceremony bringing all the communities within the Choctaw tribe together as one people. He also stressed the importance of preservation of the mound and asked anyone who witnessed destruction or defamation to report it to Choctaw authorities.
Ownership of the Nanih Waiya Mound, which rests in the corners of Winston, Kemper and Neshoba counties, was given back to the Tribe by the state of Mississippi when Gov. Haley R. Barbour signed the deed in August of this year.
Nanih Waiya, which means "leaning hill" or "place of creation" in Choctaw, is the cultural and religious center of the Tribe and is thought to be the birth place of the Choctaw people. It was built over one thousand years ago and its construction is thought to have taken two or three generations to complete.
The mound has been cherished by the Choctaws for centuries as their "Mother Mound," the place which is the center of all origin stories. In one story it is the place through which the Choctaw emerged onto the surface of the earth; in another it was the ending place of the migration into what would become central Mississippi. It has always been the figurative heart of the Choctaw homeland.
It is believed to have been built sometime between 100 B.C. and 400 A.D. The mound is 25 feet high, 218 feet long and 140 feet wide.
It also has major historical significance to all the people of Mississippi and Choctaw people around the country since it is probably the best documented mound site in the southern United States, if not the entire country, with published descriptions of it going back to at least 1775, tribal officials said.
Chancellor and Maybellene Soloman of the Conehatta community brought their two-year-old grandson to the ceremony to witness the historic event.
"I think this is a very important day for the Choctaw people," Chancellor said. "The state returning the land back to its rightful owners is a big step. We are very proud to be here today and to have our grandson here to witness this as well."
Barry McMillan, Miko Denson's chief of staff, emceed the event attended by local, state and federal officials.
"I am proud to be a part of today's celebration of our rich culture. It all started here. We gather today and stand together in this sacred place, not as individuals but as a community, to celebrate the return of our mother mound, to honor our ancestors and plan for our future," said McMillan.
News originally broke about the state run park closing in April of 2007 when then Tribal Chief Phillip Martin said the tribe would regain ownership of the mound and reopen it as a tribal heritage park.
Senate Bill 2732 authorizes the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks to convey to the tribe the approximately 150-acre park located in Neshoba and Winston counties. The park had been closed for lack of state funds.
The legislation passed with the leadership of former state Sen. Gloria Williamson, who represented Neshoba, Leake and Winston counties, and Rep. Scott Bounds, who represents Neshoba County.
The lawmakers worked together to educate colleagues on the issue, marshal support of the leadership and shepherded it through key committee and floor votes in the Mississippi Senate and House of Representatives.
"When it came up in the Senate that we were going to close Nanih Waiya State Park, Chief Martin decided that he was interested in it because of the mound and it being a ceremonial place for the Choctaws," said Williamson.
"I had many people from the Tribe express interest in this bill when I filed it last year, but the chief wanted to get back what he thinks is very historical for the Choctaws and I agree. I think it's a wonderful thing and I'm looking forward to it becoming something beautiful for the Choctaws to come back to."
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