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Archiver > CHOCTAW-SOUTHEAST > 2003-02 > 1044988599


From: "Jennifer" <>
Subject: Re: [CHOCTAW-SE] A discussion on Iska's
Date: Tue, 11 Feb 2003 12:36:39 -0600
References: <20030211182957.36465.qmail@web14401.mail.yahoo.com>


Thanks that is a good point. I really don't think they had a term for cousin
to be honest.
Jennifer
My genealogy homepage
http://jenniferhsrn2.homestead.com

Choctaw and Cherokee Proud: A Family Association-email group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/choctaw_and_cherokee_proud/

Surnames I am researching: BARNES, BAKER, HARDY, PYBURN, MCCURDY,
TRAHERN, ADAMS, LEFLORE, FOLSOM, DANIELS, CHITTY, HALL, WALKER,
JUZAN, WALL, RIDDLE, HALL, STAPLETON, COPELAND, FRANKLIN, HINDS
AND HAGAR.
----- Original Message -----
From: "George Ann Gregory" <>
To: <>
Sent: Tuesday, February 11, 2003 12:29 PM
Subject: Re: [CHOCTAW-SE] A discussion on Iska's


> Jennifer, I like your discussion.
>
> You might want to be more explicit of kinship terms
> and how they are figured in this system. You use the
> term "cousin" in a biological and western sense. Using
> Choctaw kinship system, cousins would be figured some
> other way. I suspect that in both systems you aren't
> allowed to marry your "cousins." But that relationship
> is figured differently in each.
>
> George Ann
> --- Jennifer <> wrote:
> > This is a page I am working on from my website
> > discussing the term Iska and how it relates to
> > genealogy, would like feedback, Jennifer
> >
> > The problem with the term iska is it is used so
> > indiscriminately that it has really confused alot of
> > us, and I think at present complicated our research
> > by failing to understand what is meant by the term
> > in each context and how that relates to our
> > research. I am going to be putting this together for
> > my webpage, but thought I would share my ideas and
> > explanations on this with the group first.
> >
> > The literal translation of the term iska in Choctaw
> > I am unaware of, but it seems to mean a group with
> > common bonds. In that context it has been used to
> > describe two facets of the Choctaw nation and
> > culture. The first has to do with locality, and is
> > literally the location of which the people lived.
> > The three districts or clans in the Choctaw nation
> > are Okla Hannalli (Six towns), Ahi Apet Oklah
> > (potato eaters), Oklafalaya (long people). The
> > chiefs associated with these districts, and for whom
> > the districts in Oklahoma were named are
> > 1. Apuckanubbee in Okla falaya which was the
> > northern most district. Grenada County MS is located
> > within what was part of that district. Known
> > families from that district are the Cole, Leflore,
> > McCurtain, and Blevin families.
> >
> > 2. Pushamataha in Okla Hannalli distict which was
> > south east of the Oklafayala district and included
> > the Tombiggee River area where the Brashears family
> > lived in Hinds County MS. Known families within this
> > district were Trahern, Juzan, and the Brashears
> > family.
> >
> > 3. Mushatubbee in the Okla Ahi Apet district which
> > was a much smaller district (due to losses in the
> > treaties of land), and was south of the Oklafayala
> > and west of the Oklahannalli. Known families in this
> > district were the Folsoms and the Kincade families.
> >
> > Generally, women were tied to the area where they
> > were born, as the heredity of the nation was
> > matriarchal. A brief explanation of familial
> > relationships based on this system cannot be
> > understood unless you take in the other use of the
> > word Iska within the Choctaw nation. The entire
> > nation, reguardless of location was divided into two
> > Iska's. Marriage within your own Iska in this
> > context was considered incest and was a taboo until
> > after removal to Oklahoma. The assumption that
> > cousins couldn't marry under this system is
> > erroneous, because what mattered was the Iska in
> > which you came from. Ceremonies and tribal life was
> > divided by which Iska you belonged to, and members
> > of each Iska celebrated seperately. To make it
> > easier I will illustrate both the concept of Iska
> > and family relationship by using the term's Iska A
> > and Iska B. I do this because not only am I
> > unfamiliar with the names of each, but I have no
> > idea which Iska the people I am speaking of belonged
> > to.
> >
> > Pushmataha belonged to Iska A. His wives and
> > children would belong to Iska B. As such, his
> > children while recognized by his wife, (Choctaw
> > custom after marriage was the wife did not speak her
> > husbands name but referred to him as (Child's Name)
> > 's father.), belonged to Iska B and were not
> > considered to be under his authority nor where they
> > considered relatives by his sister or her children.
> >
> > Nahomtima, Pushmataha's sister would also belong to
> > Iska A, her husband Iska B, and her children also
> > would belong to Iska A. As such, they were under the
> > authority of Pushmataha, and if he refered to his
> > sons and daughters he was actually more than likely
> > refering to his neices and nephews. When Pushmataha
> > died, traditionally it was the neices and nephews
> > who inherited his property, his own children would
> > inherit from their maternal Uncle.
> >
> > Brother's were related, but their children were not
> > unless the mother's of those children were related
> > themselves. The children of brothers were though of
> > the same Iska, so children of his sisters could
> > marry his children, but children of his brothers
> > could not.
> >
> > In the case of Peggy Trahern and Phoebe, in order
> > for the marriage to be accepted both women would
> > have had to been of the same Iska, which in my
> > example would be A. As such, Phoebe could only be
> > the sister of, or the neice (through a sister) of
> > Oklahoma. The reason for this is explained below.
> >
> > Peggy and Oklahoma were of the same Iska as her
> > mother, Iska A in my example. Charles Juzan would be
> > Iska B, and the children of Oklahoma would also be
> > of Iska B. Marriage of the same Iska was prohibited,
> > so the marriage of Juzan to Phoebe would have been
> > taboo if she were a true daughter of Oklahoma. Given
> > his prominence and acceptance within the nation, it
> > seems likely that he did adhere to these customs.
> >
> > The children of Juzan would be of Iska A, the same
> > iska as their mother. Mary Juzan who married
> > Benjamin Leflore would be of Iska A, and her husband
> > would be of Iska B, and again her children would be
> > of Iska A, while her brother's children would be of
> > Iska B, and not considered relatives. (A case which
> > further's the argument that Pushmataha was not the
> > blood Uncle of Greenwood Leflore)
> >
> > The reason that both wives were generally sisters or
> > closely related again goes to this concept of
> > Iska's. A man had to marry a woman of the opposite
> > Iska, and unless the women were related they would
> > not share the same domicile. Thus it was easier on
> > the man, who had to provide for the family to marry
> > close female relatives, rather than support two
> > seperate households.
> >
> > Traditionally among the Choctaw, the term brother or
> > sister could mean actually the child of their
> > mother's sister, and the term mother and grandmother
> > took in account many female relatives and is so
> > complex it is not easily understood. When we look
> > back and read statements from various accounts that
> > come from traditional Choctaw and their customs, we
> > cannot assume what the term means to us meant the
> > same thing. Surely, as the mixed bloods became more
> > educated in traditional Western teachings, and as
> > the old traditions died out after removal the terms
> > take on more traditional English meanings, however,
> > especially prior to 1830 it is vital to take into
> > account the differences when we are researching.
> > My genealogy homepage
> > http://jenniferhsrn2.homestead.com
> >
> > Choctaw and Cherokee Proud: A Family
> > Association-email group
> >
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/choctaw_and_cherokee_proud/
> >
> > Surnames I am researching: BARNES, BAKER, HARDY,
> > PYBURN, MCCURDY,
> > TRAHERN, ADAMS, LEFLORE, FOLSOM, DANIELS, CHITTY,
> > HALL, WALKER,
> > JUZAN, WALL, RIDDLE, HALL, STAPLETON, COPELAND,
> > FRANKLIN, HINDS
> > AND HAGAR.
> >
> >
> > ==== CHOCTAW-SOUTHEAST Mailing List ====
> > Need more CHOCTAW information?? Try Rusty Lang's
> > website at http://www.choctaw-web.com for censuses,
> > genealogy lessons, articles, etc.
> >
>
>
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