The MOWA Band of Choctaw Indians is a state-recognized tribe located in southwest Alabama, with a population largely based in southern Washington County and northern Mobile County.

Does Tuscaloosa mean Black Warrior?

DeSoto. In honor of the legendary “Black Warrior,” a great chief who had had a fateful encounter with explorer Hernando DeSoto centuries before somewhere in Southwest Alabama, the settlers named the place Tuscaloosa (from the Choctaw words “tushka” meaning warrior and “lusa” meaning black).

Where did the Choctaw tribe come from?

Choctaw Indian Nation traces its ancestry to Mississippi and some sections of Alabama. Legends tell that the Choctaw people originated from “Nanih Waya”, a sacred hill near what is now known as Noxapter, Mississippi. “Nanih Waiya” means “Productive Mound” and is often referred to as “The Mother Mound”.

What is the deepest river in Alabama?

Black Warrior River

What are the Choctaw colors?

The Choctaw dress of today is usually of solid color of green, red, blue, purple, or other bright color with contrasting color trim. The decorative trim symbolizes the mountains and valleys with a path or trail beside them. The circle and cross symbolizes the sun and the stars.

What does the Choctaw tribe eat?

The Choctaw relied a great deal upon corn, and also cultivated beans, squash, pumpkins and sunflowers. They gathered many wild plants, fruits and vegetables from the forests that surrounded their villages. They also relied upon hunting and fishing for subsistence.

What does Black Warrior mean?

The Black Warrior River is named after Chief Tushkalusa, also the namesake of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. In Choctaw, tushka means warrior and lusa means black. The area the river drains, known as its watershed or basin, covers 6,276 square miles in Alabama and measures roughly 300 miles from top to bottom.