Chickasaw, a North American Indian tribe of the Muscogean linguistic stock, originally inhabited what is now northern Mississippi and Alabama. In their early history, Chickasaw and Choctaw (q.v.) may have been one tribe.
Traditionally, Chickasaws were a semi-nomadic people who patrolled the vast territories they claimed for themselves and raided tribes far to the north; like many conquering peoples, they integrated the remnants of this tribe into their culture.
Prior to the 1830s, Chickasaw dwellings were organized along rivers and streams rather than clustered into villages. Heredity is traced through the mother's line. The supreme god was associated with the sky, sun, and fire, and a new harvest and fire ceremony similar to the Green Corn on the River ceremony was celebrated every year.
Perhaps the earliest contact between Europeans and Chickasaws was the expedition of Hernando de Soto in 1540–41. In the 18th century, Chickasaw became embroiled in a power struggle between England and France, siding with the British against the French and the Choctaw.
They also protected the Natchez in their war with France. Relations with the United States began in 1786 when their northern boundary was established at the Ohio River. In the 1830s, they were forcibly relocated to the Indian Territory (now Oklahoma) where, with the Little River, Cherokee, Choctaw, and Seminole, they were among the Five Tribes of Civilization.
For three-quarters of a century, each tribe had a land allotment and a semi-autonomous government modeled on the United States. In preparation for becoming the state of Oklahoma (1907), portions of this land were awarded to individuals from the Five Civilized Tribes; the remainder was opened to non-Native homeowners, trusted by the federal government, or given to freed slaves.
The tribal government was effectively dissolved in 1906 but continued to exist in a limited form. Some Chickasaws now live on tribal landholdings informally called reservations.
Early estimates put the tribal population at 3,000–4,000. At the time of their transfer to the Indian Territory, they numbered around 5,000. Chickasaw offspring numbered more than 38,000 at the start of the 21st century.