There are many lessons to be learned and new discoveries to be made around every turn on the Choctaw Trail.  As one looks at History and considers the present, it is much easier to calculate and even predict the future.  I think the ability to do that is part of what some people of ancient times did and caused people around them to consider them as a "Seer" or even a prophet.. While there may or may not have been some sort of Mystical energy working within these people,they were definitely"Thinkers".

My Father was a "Thinker",  He told me many stories of things that happened in days gone by.  Maybe they were just stories, but when you consider them in relation to events happening in the present, the future  becomes easier  to predict.

Learn a lesson from the historic "Trail of tears".  A group of people were content to live in a place where they had been for many years. They could have been any nationality, any culture or any ethnic group.  Choctaws have never had the market cornered on being abused.  In fact, the old "Road Man" who lived in the woods on a small creek in Mississippi wasn't called "Dancing Rabbit" for no reason.

Dancing Rabbit knew that the thicker the Briar patch, the better the roots were for making pipe bowls that were used to create smoke in ceremonies that had the power to change peoples lives forever.  He had an acute understanding of the Laws of attraction, The art of allowing,  and the Science of Creation.  Many people who didn't understand where the center of the universe was thought of him as a "Witch Doctor" or some sort of sorcerer, but, He was just in tune with the essence of existence.

During the period of American History know as "The Indian Removal Act",  a more powerful group of people demanded the the Choctaws Move on down the road.   Here again, it could have happened to anyone.  Who knows, it may be happening to you right now.  As treaty negotiations broke down, and Legal threats got no response, War seemed to be the only solution.  It was during that period of time that the term "Manifest Destiny" first began to be used.

Those who believed in Manifest Destiny, held that it was part of Gods Plan for them to take over and run this country according to their Plans.  It was at this point, that Dancing Rabbit told His people that "You can't contend With Organized Religion"  While Spiritual People embrace the mystery of God, Religious people possess the Relics of their beliefs .  If one who is Spiritual contends with Organized Religion, He is almost certain to loose.  If the organized Religious group is following God, then the spiritual one is going against the the science of creation.  On the other Hand, if the Organized Religious group is not following God, It will set out to destroy the one who is Spiritual, and usually succeed since God began Creation with the Art of allowing (Let there be Light).  This proved to be true by the Biblical account of Jesus of Nazareth.

Manifest Destiny Claimed the great State of Mississippi, a group of people were moved on down the  road, but they still survived and became successful.

Two years ago , I witnessed as a "Dark Spirit" was prayed away from Christ's 40 Acres in Honobia, I Believe a sign was given by the "Light" returning under the Steel Tent, the event was captured on film by a TV news reporter.  I have a copy of the video.  (It is not blurred).  I realize that many today do not believe in a Spirit of any kind.  But based on historical facts it will be interesting to wait and see if what has returned there Allows things to progress or possesses the relics of limited beliefs.

For the past several years, I have noticed numerous Face Book pages, Web Sites, and Blogs about events and happenings around the Honobia Oklahoma area.  These were posted by Chamber of Commerce directors from other communities over the Mountains, Big Foot Story Investigators from big cities, Researchers from all parts of the country, trying to get a slice of the propaganda pie,  Retired people who buy a place on Little River to spend their last years looking for answers to life's questions, and Well paid Religious Fund raisers who move to the Kiamichi Mountains changing established Religious institutions into commercial Money making endeavors, while pretending that all my friends and neighbors that I grew up with are nothing more than a bunch of Hee-Haw Hillbillies who still sit around in out-houses drinking Moonshine.  Life in the Little River Valley is just more fulfilling than that.  It's time someone who grew up in the area takes a stand for the reality that We the people of Little River Valley are intelligent hard-working, good-hearted people and we don't care who knows it.  

As far as commerce goes, we have a lot more to offer than a tourist trap that depends totally on enticing people to come to our area in hopes of getting a glimpse of the big Hairy phenomenon known as Sasquatch, or as some  try to Say the Choctaws refer to as Okla- Chito. I've been a Choctaw Indian for Sixty Five years and never heard that until recently.  I've heard people say "You have to market what you have, and all Honobia has is Big Foot".  What about the Logging and Timber reproduction industry?  What about the fertilized, and manicured Hay fields that are harvested with air conditioned tractors pulling computerized balers?  What about beef-master cattle, horses and Dog kennels that raise some of the finest English Bulldogs in the world?  What about Little River Speed Way, the High banked Red Clay dirt track that draws Super Stock and Modified Cars from Fort Worth Texas to Van Buren Arkansas just to play in the dirt on any given Saturday night? 

  The word anglicized to sound "Honubby",spelled in English Honobia, is actually a Choctaw word:  Hon-Okbia , or Hon- Okpia.  It has the connotation of "Looking Late".  There is a story that was told to me by My Grandfather about how it came to be called that.  I don't know if it is true according to documented Oklahoma history or not, but I believe that there is a lot of truth in it, and I will share it in another article to be published later.  At any rate, it may have bearing on the fact that many people work most of their life, and upon retirement, buy a place on the river and spend their remaining years trying to change the progressive move ahead Spirit that resides in the Heart of many third and forth generation residents into a laxidaisical 

laid -back life style, that promotes poverty as if that was the correct way of life.    They give very little respect, much less any glory to those of my generation and the ones after me who own several D-8 Bull-dozers , road-graders, back-hoes and dump-trucks.  Or Log-Trucks, Skidders, Shears and Log-Loaders,  that provide jobs for several people in the area, as well as contributing wood products for the Nations Building Industry.  Or what about those who own Welding Shops and Tow Trucks, or little Grocery Stores and cafes with food that is good enough that people actually drive into the valley to enjoy.  Our Community is just NOT the down-trodden backward poverty stricken area many depict it to be.

Then, there is all the religious Face Books, Web Sites, and Blogs.  One might come to the conclusion that the only possible link to the Holy is through some imported Missionary, or Pastor who was educated in the business of church management, and professional fund raising, and gets paid to come here and teach us about God.  What about the efforts put out by the Wilson Brothers who grew up just down the River at Nashoba, all three are powerful preachers.  Or there's Cecil Todd and his brothers who also grew up at Nashoba, all dedicated men.  Then, there's the late Riley Donica, who had a major impact on the lives of many people all over the world.  Or. there's  A.B McReynolds Jr. the son of the founder of Kiamichi Mountain Christian Mission whose King James Bible has the covers worn off of it from studying , looking for unquestionable truth.  Then there's countless numbers of others like myself, who went to Bible college due to inspiration from meetings like the Kiamichi Mountain Mens Clinic held a Christ's 40 Acres just South of Honobia, only to find that we could never be accepted back here as leaders in the local church, because we grew up "Just up the River".  Maybe that's why many of us have began to study Divinity outside the local denominations. Bad Theology makes for bad Ecology.  And being at one with all of Creation, of necessity will put one at in closer relation with the Creator.

The recently paved and improved Highway that connects the "Hard Road" community known in Choctaw as Tuli-Hani , or the English spelling "Talihina", with Bethel, Oklahoma, Runs right through Honobia.  These improvements were funded in large part by "The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma".  This is one More Example of the progressive Spirit of The Native Oklahomans who live in, or grew up in Little River Valley.  

The new Cross Roads of State Highway 144 and And the Ancient "Choctaw Trail", Is truly a landmark for HONOBIA,INDIAN HIWAY.