Halito!
Ms. Snell, thank you for speaking with me again, regarding the Choctaw Tribe.
As you know there are different propose findings online by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Here is the link which clarifies some of the misgivings in the article on Native Times.
http://govpulse.us/entries/2010/07/12/2010-16939/proposed-finding-against-federal-acknowledgment-of-the-choctaw-nation-of-florida-tribe
Meeting 83.7(e) will conclude our petition.
The Choctaw Tribe has always been in Oka Chippo (Chipola Marianna) Chisha Foka.
They did not migrate but some Choctaws did migrated from Haywood North Carolina to Florida during the Indian Removals from North Carolina.
Also I have included copies of our links for review.
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/native_voices/voices_display.cfm?id=96
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Choctaw-Bay-Indian-Tribe/109531015764220
http://www.fl.nrcs.usda.gov/about/civilright/native.html
I hope this helps you to write a better article because the Bureau of Indian Affairs is not
telling the truth. Infact they are playing politics.
We have followed the procedures for filing our petition to be restored but the BIA has not.
This has added to our difficulties in getting help and funding with our claim.
They never published our petition in the federal register once they received our filing.
Also they have spoken with fork tongues on many issue regarding our petition.
So it is not unusually the information you received.
Thank you for assisting us with our side of the coin. Yakoki.
Bernadette Choctaw
Panama City, Florida
Editor's note:
Ms. Choctaw is referring to the article "Echo Hawk Issues a Proposed Finding Against Acknowledgment of the Choctaw Nation of Florida" It was not written by me or Native Times staff. It was a release issued directly from the Department of Interior - as is indicated in the story byline.