Piominko And George Washington: Alliances In A Young United States
"Could I once see the day whites and reds were all friends it would be like getting new eyesight" - Piominko
This entry is part two in a series about the Chickasaw Homeland in Tupelo. Read part 1 here.
As the Revolutionary War drew to a close, Tribal Councils like those created by the Chickasaw would help to inspire the founding fathers’ ideas of what democracy would look like in the United States. Although the majority of Chickasaws were aligned with the British, and later the Americans, a few villages disagreed. But the storied leader, Piominko, wrote to George Washington and the new government, looking to establish diplomatic ties.
Washington and Piominko built a bond of mutual trust and friendship between their two Nations, and met in person many times. The Treaty with the Chickasaw and United States of 1786, also known as the Treaty of Hopewell, had defined the borders of the Chickasaw Homeland and Washington provided Piominko with a letter promising that the US Army would help to defend their borders and sovereignty. As time went on, the Chickasaw supported the Americans militarily. They helped to protect lands in the Ohio Valley from a British covert operation and were gifted with peace medals from Washington for their assistance. Later, they also fought alongside Americans in the War of 1812.
Piominko and Washington died before the new century began and alliances faded. Almost immediately the Chickasaw Nation was pressured to cede their Homeland to the United States. On May, 28 1830 the Indian Removal Act was signed into law by United States President Andrew Jackson. Chickasaws were left with no choice but to cede their land in exchange for new land in present-day Oklahoma.
Lands once home to a thriving community were divided up for farming land, became sites of Civil War battles, or were simply reclaimed by the forest.
Read on to learn about a Chickasaw renaissance blossoming in Tupelo.
To dive deeper into the history and culture of the Chickasaw Nation, we recommend starting your journey at the Chickasaw Village Site. If you’re at home, Chickasaw.tv is a great source for videos to expand your knowledge. Follow the Chickasaw Inkana Foundation for developments on the Chickasaw Heritage Center and information on how to learn more about connecting with Chickasaw history in the Homeland.
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