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.

BIGGER FOOT TRACKS

Sometime ago, a humankind was all alone walking thru the woods.  Many thoughts were running through his mind.  He could hear the wind in the pine trees.  He could feel the softness of autumn as it brushed across his face.  There was a slight tingling in the back of his neck.  It was that feeling as if someone or something was watching him.  There was the faint smell of cedar smoke from somewhere in the distance and it brought comfort to his soul.  As he became more conscious of his own being, he began to ask himself questions, like “Who am I?”, “Where did I come from?”, and “Why am I here?” He could remember the past of his childhood when he walked in the woods with his father, but he hadn’t seen him for a long, long time.  He thought, it’s been a hard road but I’m a big boy and I can make it on my own. 

All at once it was as if his ears heard a voice, but he couldn’t tell where it came from, or even if it was in any spoken language.  But he knew he heard it!! “Now, you’re walking on my road.” The voice said.  “Your road!!” the man said out loud.  “Why I own this land, he thought to himself, “If this is your road,” he said, “You ought to put a sign up that says “THIS IS MY ROAD.”  Again the voice came, “There are plenty of signs, just look around.”

“Who’s out there?” the man asked as he stopped at a cool stream of running water, looked up at the blue sky and watched a few minutes as the clouds floated slowly over the horizon.  Why is there so much violence in the world?  He thought to himself.  Why can’t everyone in my community get along and work for the betterment of everybody.  Why is everyone out to take advantage of everybody else?  Why, it’s almost like those stories of long ago when men saw women they wanted and just took them without any thought of anyone’s feelings or anything else.  Surely there’s someone who can do something, he thought as he waded across the creek and continued on his way.

On the other side of the creek, there in the sand was a foot print bigger than any he had ever seen.  It looked like a Human track, but it was far too big. Immediately fear began to rise in his heart.  Could there be someone or something out here bigger than me.  He tried to follow the tracks.  But as the road got harder the tracks got fainter until they just seemed to disappear.  My mind must be playing tricks on me, he thought, maybe I just imagined that.

Then he saw it!!  There by the side of the path was an oak sapling about six inches in diameter.  The tree had been twisted clean off the trunk about eight feet from the ground.  There was no sign of any damage to any other trees.  This is unreal he thought, what could possibly have such power.

As he turned and started onward, he caught a glimpse of something larger than life. He could not tell how big it was—it was just BIG. It was like a human, but much larger.  It was not an animal, because it stood too up-right and it moved like the wind.

The man ran back toward the safe confinement of his car, leaving his gate open in the process.

Back at the local grocery store and café, the man tried to tell about his experience, only to find that everyone had an explanation for it.   It seemed that almost everyone knew something about it, but nobody completely agreed on every detail.  Some claimed that uncle so and so had actually killed one, but by the time he got someone to go back to the site where he had left it, the body was gone.  Some claimed to have seen the signs of presence, but never actually saw the creature.  Some claimed to have heard the voice on the road but were always afraid to say so.  They didn’t want people to think they were nuts.  Some claimed that it had powers that simply could not be explained.  A few even claimed to know all there was to know about it.  Because they had read all the ancient writings on the subject, but seemed to think maybe the power of it doesn’t exist anymore.  One just had to choose whether to believe it or not.  Still others scoffed at the idea and refused to associate with anyone who talked about it in any way. At any rate, the human being now found that the more people talked about this “something” bigger then themselves, the closer the community came together.  The more people were allowed to share their experiences with this “whatever” it is, the more people came to respect one another, and the more they respected one another the more they could remember the past experiences, consider the present situation and anticipate the future.

Isn’t this ability to challenge the future really part of what separates human beings from all other species?  Isn’t this separation from all other species what gives us our connection with the “Ground of all Being”?

The eternal power and divine nature involved in all creation can be understood by the signs that have been clearly seen, while the phenomenon of Big Foot remains very difficult to explain.

One thing is for certain, the quest for truth remains the guiding force through the most powerful of delusions.

This year’s Honobia Big Foot Festival and Conference will be hosted by TBIG and WindWalker Sound.  The conference will offer many insights into the Big Foot phenomenon from the Native American perspective. Scientific evidence will be produced to help with understanding the signs clearly given.  It’s happening September 30th & October 1st 2011.  The location is just south of where three streams of water join forces.  This would be Honobia Creek, Rock Creek & Little River. For those traveling by roadway, it’s just North of the “Crossroads” of State Hiway 144 and Indian Highway.

CAN THE HUNT FOR BIGFOOT BE ORGANIZED

Some time ago a friend of mine left a research organization to join “The Big Foot Investigative Group”.  I asked him “what is the difference between a research organization and an investigative group?”  He replied, “I guess an investigative group is not organized.”

Now here is the difference.  Any group cannot become organized until it can be defined.  Once there is organization there are also limitations. 

Some organizations will only accept literal or physical data to form conclusions. Some groups allow for metaphysical possibilities.  Some others only investigate the spiritual or paranormal things.  One thing is for certain; all potential sightings are an “Experience”.

The thing about experiences, they all move into the apparent human necessity to explain the experience.  Once the explanations are codified they become some sort of creed.  Then like a religion it is claimed for those creeds some sort of absolute truth.

On the other foot when we start trying to answer questions about the experience, we run into all sorts of limitations. When do you believe?   What do you believe?  Is it physical or literal?  Is it spiritual or paranormal?  Is it multidimensional or just in the mind of the beholder?

 Until all possibilities have been exhausted, it’s like the finite mind of humans trying to explain an infinite God.  God cannot be bound by human concepts.  As history moved and Christianity became more institutionalized, the human need for the security of certainty overwhelmed the sense of awe and wonder in the experience of the divine.  Then the explanations of  the church became increasingly more complex and restrictive.  Isn’t that really why there are so many denominations in Christianity alone?   Each organization claims some level of absolute truth. 

Now let’s consider Big Foot. “We’ve got to have a body, “they say.  “Oh! Really?” That sounds like an echo two thousand years old.  When Christ came into the world, He said “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire.  But a body you prepared for me.” (Hebrews 10:5)  How did humankind respond to that body?

Don’t misunderstand; I’m not implying the two are the same.  I’m simply asking a question.  Why does humankind consider uncertainty and humility before the great mystery, vices rather than virtues?  Or is it the very nature of all organizations, religious or otherwise to demand conformity?  Then, if the conformity is not met the organization has the tendency to turn violent and destructive.  Consider the foolishness of limiting Big Foot to one personal experience.  Now, imagine the idolatry present in the suggestion that God must be bound to one person or one group’s knowledge or experience.  Yet that claim has been made and is still being made by many.  Occasionally, through the process of time there will be reoccurring phenomenon that raises the conscience of humankind to the very essence of being.  When these phenomenons happen, humanity goes through the same process.  Shall we get organized or continue to investigate all avenues in our quest for truth.

For years many people have visited Honobia Oklahoma looking for something.  As tracks and other signs are considered people come to conclusions.   

As you are going, wherever you go keep in mind “everybody’s looking for something.”  As you experience everything this life has to offer, remember, “Somebody is going to try to explain this experience.”  Then ask yourself, “What will they believe about me?”

BIG FOOT!!! ARE THEY AMERICAN???

Friday night October 3, 2008, I had the privilege of standing in the dark and listening to stories of Big Foot Sightings in South East Oklahoma and other areas.  I heard statements made like, “It is a proven fact that Human Beings have survived for long periods of time in the wild.”  “One man actually evaded detection of Infra Red cameras and heat sensors from Helicopter search teams for several months.”  “Imagine how long something could go without being found if it was accustomed to life in the wild.”

Then there were questions like.  “We can’t just kill them can we?”  “If we try to put them on a reservation, won’t they just walk off?”  If they prove to be more Human than animal do they have Rights.”   “Are they Americans??”

Myself, being seven generations from the medicine man of Dancing Rabbit Creek felt obligated to tell a story told to me by my Grandfather.  I, like he must say, “I don’t know if it’s true, but this is the way it was told to me, and I believe there is a truth in it.”

In case you weren’t there, I’ve decided to write it down.  If the story isn’t true, at least it may be entertaining, but if you have the eyes to see the truth, then the statements made by people at the fire could have answers to some questions asked.

This is the Story:

       Long time ago, the people of this island lived by the one great law of the universe. “The Spirit of that which is most like itself is drawn.”  Then, a spirit came out of the sea, in the form of a man, and claimed this island for his King.  He began to plunder villages and towns taking anything he wanted as if he had been chosen by God to rule the world.  In a small village in Mississippi, the conquering spirit met its own reflection, a spirit that refused to be conquered.  The conquering spirit was called “De Soto,” The free Spirit was called “Tuskalusa Nutakshish Chito.”  (Big warrior with black jaw hair) He stood head and shoulder above everyone else. As De Soto rode into the village wearing his full metal jacket, holding his bashpo fylia (long knife) in his hand.  He was greeted by TuskaLusa. (Tuskaloosa)  De Soto was made to feel welcome and comfortable by the offering of fresh deer meat.

     Tuska Lusa told him he would give him two hundred women for his pleasure, and one hundred men to carry his stuff if he would spare this village and go with him to the next village.

     Six days walking, they came to Mabila, a large village with walls of pine logs standing upright in the ground.  All the fields were bare of any crops or grass because it was the time of the GreenCorn Ceremony.

     As they entered the village, Tuska Lusa raised his hand and shouted “The sacrifice.”  He grabbed the horse’s head and twisted him to the ground, took De Sotos sword and stabbed him with it, like a winning captain in a stick ball game claiming his trophy.

     De Sotos’ men fought hard, but the free people pushed them back into the woods.  De Soto survived the battle but lost the war.  Several weeks later he died of fever from his wounds plagued by the sight of the dark hairy face of Tuska Lusa running free through the woods.

     Long after De Sotos’ death and his men had gone back into the sea, Tuska Lusa stood on the temple mound and told his people if they learned to fight like rabbits instead of Rams, their free spirit could never be conquered.

     To this day when a conquering Spirit moves into a village taking anything it wants, that Hairy Warrior will be seen---running free through the woods.  A reminder that a free Spirit cannot be conquered.

This is the story the way it was told to me.  I’ve tried to tell it orally, but find it’s usually affected by the environment in which I’m telling it.  You can do your own search on line and find there is some Historical data that lends credence to the truth in the story.

Whether Big Foot is a physical primate or an apparition of the spirit of freedom that refuses to be conquered is yet to be seen.  Meanwhile you hear of sightings all over the world where Freedom is being threatened. (Check it out!)

Yes, the Spirit of Freedom can evade detection.  Yes, the Spirit of Freedom can survive indefinitely in the life it is accustomed to.  No, it won’t stay on a reservation.  Yes, it does have Rights, and yes “IT IS AMERICAN.”

                                                                                                Darryl Williams

                                                                                                Chata Sia Hoke