Chata is what the Choctaw call themselves

I have seen this spelled both "Chata" and "Chahta." Which is correct? If the correct spelling is "Chata," then what does "Chahta" mean? Doesn't "Chata" or "Chahta" (whichever is correct) really refer to pre-removal Choctaw instead of post-removal Choctaw or is it used to refer to Choctaw without regard to either pre- or post-removal? Also, is "Chata" or "Chahta" (whichever is correct) also the name of the language spoken by pre- or post-removal Choctaws ? Sorry for all the questions, but based on what I have seen in some of the CHAHTA-L traffic lately, I am confused. Somewhere along the line, I got the impression that "Chahta" (with an "h") referred to the "old ones" and the language they spoke. Am I wrong? At 11:26 PM 04/06/2001 -0400, you wrote: >Chata is what the Choctaw call themselves > > >==== CHAHTA Mailing List ==== >TO UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THIS LIST: >Send msg. to CHAHTA-L-request@rootsweb.com >Put "one" word in "body" of message:... "unsubscribe" without the quotes >Nothing in the subject line... Turn off signatures....... Regards, Dennis K. Boswell 301 Crow Canyon Drive Folsom, CA 95630 Tel: (916) 987-3599 Fax: (916) 987-3555