In centuries past, ancestors of the modern-day Choctaws in what is today the state of Mississippi gathered in the late summer season to celebrate the ripening of the corn, indicating that harvest season was approaching. This ceremony was called the Green Corn Ceremony.
The months that equate to the Gregorian calendar of September and October do indeed refer to those months as “cooking month” (hoponi hashi) for September and “little hunger month” (hohchafoh iskitini hashi) for October on the Choctaw calendar. This ancient celebration is the root of what is now the annual Choctaw Indian Fair now held every July near Philadelphia, Mississippi, in the East Central region of the state.
Descendants of Choctaws who remained in Mississippi after the Removal period of the 1830s gained congressional recognition in 1945, and the first edition of the current fair began in 1949. Taking into account the cancellation in 2020 during the coronavirus outbreak, the tribe this year is celebrating the 75th edition of the Choctaw Indian Fair.
Visitors to the fair, who come from the eight Choctaw communities across Mississippi as well as home from Oklahoma (where our Trail of Tears ended during forced removal) and beyond, can expect an atmosphere similar to most county fairs, including carnival rides and booths, but what makes the Choctaw Fair unique is its focus on highlighting Choctaw culture. Non-indigenous fairgoers often come to learn about the Choctaw culture and to watch the acts that the tribe has booked for the event. Throughout the day, stations geared to children and families are set up to teach those who approach about the Choctaw tribe and language.
As for activities, one can hone their hunting skills by throwing rabbit sticks and using blow guns made from swamp cane to better understand how the Choctaw’s ancestors used to hunt. The fair also features traditional cooking demonstrations to showcase how to make Choctaw hominy and frybread. In line with that county-fair feel, guests can sign up for small competitions like a watermelon-eating contest or take in a poodle magic show. Food vendors will be on site.
Every tribal member has their favorite memory of our annual cultural meetup and celebration. Several shared their memories with the Mississippi Free Press.
Amelia Smith, Conehatta
Amelia Smith is from the Choctaw community of Conehatta, which translates to “pale skunk.” Conehatta is located in Newton County, Mississippi.
“I got a lot of free time roaming the carnival because it was next to the arts-and-crafts pavilion,” she said. “My grandma made quilts and helped sell my mom’s beadwork at the crafts market.”
These days, as an adult, Smith doesn’t get to attend the actual fair as much because of her work in Newton County, but she finds time to cheer on her hometown team of Koni Hata in the World Series of Stickball by watching the games through the MBCI YouTube channel. “I hope (Koni Hata) beats my husband’s favorite team,” she said with a smirk.
Chalane Nickey, Bogue Homa
Chalane Nickey, a basketmaker who hails from the Jones County community of Bogue Homa, learned to weave baskets from her brother. Some of the baskets that artisans like Nickey have made are then gifted to or borrowed by contests each year in the Choctaw Indian Princess Pageant.
This year, the reigning 2024-2025 Choctaw Princess Leilani Allen will pass on her crown on Wednesday night to her successor at the 75th Choctaw Indian Fair.
“These days, I mainly go to play and watch stickball,” Nickey said. Choctaw stickball rules include needing 30 players, and the community isn’t populous enough to sustain its own team—so Bogue Homa residents have to play with other teams. “We usually go up and join a nearby team like Koni Hata.”
Meritza Shumake, Pearl River
Meritiza Shumake, a dressmaker who currently lives in Philadelphia, has been highly involved in the culture and the fair over the years. Her daughter, Memorie Henry, competed for Choctaw Indian Princess in the 2019 pageant. Shumake says her mother helped create the dress that Memorie wore during the pageant.
“My new favorite thing is the Ayipa Village food truck staging area. Now that that’s been established, a kids’ version of Little Mr./Ms. Choctaw Indian Fair pageant was created, and I was one of the judges for it last year and will be again this year,” Shumake said. “I just love seeing the children in their regalia.”
Shumake says her husband Henry Shumake actually helps her with some of the dresses. “It’s a team effort,” she told the Mississippi Free Press. “He cuts out the diamonds for me, and I sew them in, since the intricate designs can be time-consuming.” Henry often sits quietly at the kitchen table, circulating his attention between social media and watching the Men’s 35 and Over game between Bók Čito and Oka Homma, two of the recognized eight Choctaw communities, via livestream.
Bók Čito, in Neshoba County, means “big creek” in Choctaw, while Oka Homma (not to be confused with Oklahoma), means “red water” and refers to the community located north of Carthage, Mississippi, in Leake County.
Meritiza Shumake, a veteran with the United States Navy, recalls a time during her service when a fellow serviceman at the Naval Station in Meridian reacted to seeing a live game of Stickball on YouTube. “He knew about the tribe and its location in nearby Neshoba County and even heard about Stickball, but he’d never seen a game in action before. He was impressed,” Shumake recounted.
Michael Billie, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
On July 2, University of Alabama graduate Michael Billie attended a watch party of the World Series of Stickball here in Mississippi hosted by the first-ever Indigenous student group Bama Indigenous Student Organization Network, or BISON. Billie and his two brothers grew up in Jackson, Mississippi, and he remembers attending the fair as a child to watch his father play stickball. He and his brothers continue the family tradition and all have played stickball in recent years.
Billie recently assisted the BISON student group with a stickball demonstration on campus earlier this spring along with the Department of Anthropology. The announcers at Warrior Stadium of Choctaw Central High School, where the World Series is held, caught wind of the watch party and gave a shoutout live to the group. “They loved it,” Billie said.
Antwan Amos, Bogue Chitto
Antwan Amos is a talented artist who has lived in the Bogue Chitto community in Neshoba County most of his life. Because of his skill, the tribe selected Amos to illustrate for publications with the tribal language program. Amos will also help the Bogue Chitto Development Club design the community booth at the fair this year, the same club where his deceased brother designed the booth in 2019 and won first place that year.
Amos remembers running around the carnival when he was younger, calling it his “first taste of freedom.” Today, he enjoys watching the Stickball games held nightly at the fair with family and friends while supporting the community team of Bók Čito.
Those interested in attending can visit the fair’s website at choctawindianfair.com or the Facebook page for more information. The official dates of the fair are July 8 through July 12, but the games of the World Series of Stickball began July 1 with the carnival at the fairgrounds in full swing, for those wanting to take advantage of free admission prior to the official opening. Paid admission will begin on Tuesday.