The Choctaw, or Chahtas are of two distinct groups, the tribe (in Mississippi) and the nation (in Oklahoma), which are comprised of approximately 158,774 members. Approximately 10 years before the famous Cherokee's Trail of Tears, the Chahtas were the original target of a "removal" and faced starvation and extinction. They are members of what is called "The Five Civilized Nations ( Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole) and the first of the five to walk "the Trail Where We Cried". A mere 20 years later, they were remembered for their generosity in providing humanitarian relief (an astounding $710) during the Great Irish Famine (1845-1849), long before the Red Cross was conceived. From a 1775 written account: "These people are the only nation from whom I could learn any idea of a traditional account of a first origin; and that is their coming out of a hole in the ground, which they shew between their nation and the Chickasaws; they tell us also that their neighbours were surprised at seeing a people rise at once out of the earth." First contact was with the Spanish in 1519 near Mobile Bay, Alabama. The Chahtas response was to burn their villages and run like hell. After participating in the destruction of the Inca Empire, the now wealthy Hernando de Soto made contact with the Chahtas in 1540. They welcomed him, dined and celebrated with De Soto and when his guard was down, they attacked him, ending his thirst for more gold. There was no further European contact in this region for over 100 years, leaving a void in the recorded history of these great People. It should noted that these People supported the newly formed United States during the Revolutionary War and like members of most Native American Tribes, have proudly served in all branches of the armed forces throughout history and were WWI "code talkers". (Add picture)