In a message dated 7/28/2002 12:18:01 AM Central Daylight Time, dustyc@microgear.net writes: > Richard: > > It's OK - We expect occasional slight deviation from genealogy when > addressing certain issues, as you point out - we just try to keep it to a > bare minimum to avoid complaints from die-hard genealogists. Bottom line - > if you don't hear from me, everything's OK!! > > Does not Choctaw geneaology involve, in many instances, learning Choctaw names which, in turn, involves a certain amount of understanding of Choctaw language which, in turn, once again, involves a certain amount of understanding of Choctaw culture? It seems to me that in many instances, at least where the Choctaw are concerned, it is nearly impossible to separate the geneaology from the language from the culture because the names of people written in the Choctaw language are apparently based on what those people did in their lives, such as the very repugnant practice/custom of bone-picking from which we get one source of the name Hopia which many signers of the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit had embedded in their names. The same goes for the name Tubbee. And I'm sure there are others. Knowing what these words mean, I think, can point some of us in the directions we need to go to find some of our ancestors. Knowing how the rudiments of the language works can also be of help, I think, in deciphering the names we encounter and linking those names to others who are related. Going throught the Sacramental Records of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, I've seen how French names would get corrupted when the Spanish took over and get corrupted once again when the Americans took over. Tracing names over not only time but also changes in governments and languages is an interesting experience to say the least. I'm certain it is even more frustrating at times when working with names, such as Choctaw, that is based on a language that was only recently written down. I think some of the discussions on the geneaology list regarding language and customs are just going to be unavoidable at times. John Craven New Orleans

I am discouraged, I think you have missed the point. While discussion of the language and names makes sense, the detailed discussion of the bone pickers does not. It has been a long time since anything remotely pertaining to research has been posted. That is what I am on the list for. Jennifer Genealogy Homepage: http://jenniferhsrn2.homestead.com/index.html Other email address: jenniferhsrn@aol.com ----- Original Message ----- From: <JohnnyMikeCraven@aol.com> To: <CHOCTAW-SOUTHEAST-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, July 28, 2002 1:57 AM Subject: Re: [CHOCTAW-SE] Appropriate Topics > In a message dated 7/28/2002 12:18:01 AM Central Daylight Time, > dustyc@microgear.net writes: > > > > Richard: > > > > It's OK - We expect occasional slight deviation from genealogy when > > addressing certain issues, as you point out - we just try to keep it to a > > bare minimum to avoid complaints from die-hard genealogists. Bottom line - > > if you don't hear from me, everything's OK!! > > > > > > Does not Choctaw geneaology involve, in many instances, learning Choctaw > names which, in turn, involves a certain amount of understanding of Choctaw > language which, in turn, once again, involves a certain amount of > understanding of Choctaw culture? > > It seems to me that in many instances, at least where the Choctaw are > concerned, it is nearly impossible to separate the geneaology from the > language from the culture because the names of people written in the Choctaw > language are apparently based on what those people did in their lives, such > as the very repugnant practice/custom of bone-picking from which we get one > source of the name Hopia which many signers of the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit > had embedded in their names. > > The same goes for the name Tubbee. And I'm sure there are others. > Knowing what these words mean, I think, can point some of us in the > directions we need to go to find some of our ancestors. Knowing how the > rudiments of the language works can also be of help, I think, in deciphering > the names we encounter and linking those names to others who are related. > > Going throught the Sacramental Records of the Archdiocese of New > Orleans, I've seen how French names would get corrupted when the Spanish took > over and get corrupted once again when the Americans took over. Tracing > names over not only time but also changes in governments and languages is an > interesting experience to say the least. I'm certain it is even more > frustrating at times when working with names, such as Choctaw, that is based > on a language that was only recently written down. > > I think some of the discussions on the geneaology list regarding > language and customs are just going to be unavoidable at times. > > John Craven > New Orleans > > > ==== CHOCTAW-SOUTHEAST Mailing List ==== > HOW TO UNSUBSCRIBE.... > Send msg. to CHOCTAW-SOUTHEAST-L-request@rootsweb.com > Put "one" word in "body" of message:... "unsubscribe" without the quotes and spelled correctly. > Nothing in the subject line... Turn off signatures....... >