Choctaw Tales: Stories from the Firekeepers

From the earliest stories recorded among the Choctaw in the 1700s to the most recent stories being told today, Choctaw Tales: Stories from the Firekeepers amasses the most comprehensive collection of oral traditions of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians ever published. Originally published in 2004, Choctaw Tales was a celebration of the art of storytelling, including myths, legends, supernatural tales, prophecies, historical anecdotes, tall tales, and animal stories. Through these stories, which include fifty new stories in this edition, Choctaw narrators create, express, and negotiate their beliefs, values, humor, and life experiences, as well as those of their ancestors before them. Their stories display the intelligence, artistry, and creativity of storytellers past and present. Choctaw Tales includes new and expanded materials to keep this valued resource current.

Nestled in the middle of Mississippi woodlands, the Choctaw have long been an elusive community to outsiders. Racial prejudice and historical mistreatment made the Choctaw wary of their neighbors. Many of their stories address this tension, both subtly and boldly. Virtually all the stories tackle either cosmological, historical, relational, or personal questions about the world and its inhabitants, offering complex responses in the guise of seemingly simple stories. For the Choctaw audience, the stories often need little explanation. However, a series of essays on Choctaw storytelling, coupled with careful annotation of each story and short biographies of each storyteller, help make this vibrant oral tradition understandable to today’s general audiences.