What I Don't Know, I Never Missed

“The Chickasaw Way is gone. Smile!” (Milligan V). This quote by the Chickasaw Elder Mrs. Mose Burris is only one among hundreds found in the book, The Indian Way. Many of those interviewed felt that their culture would soon be completely lost. They feared that soon their customs and language would be forgotten entirely. From a modern perspective, it is difficult to understand why the Chickasaws of the past felt so certain that their culture would die. There are numerous programs offered by the Chickasaw Nation that help honor and conserve the Chickasaw culture. One of the most successful conservation programs is The Chickasaw Press. This research essay will strive to answer two questions: Why were the Chickasaw elders so fearful of their customs being lost, and has the Chickasaw Press restored their elder’s hope?

Last semester, I completed an internship at The Chickasaw Press. It was a prodigious opportunity and I learned a great amount about the publishing industry and the Chickasaw culture. One of the last projects I was given as an intern was to retype the book The Indian Way, which would later be reformatted and redesigned. The book was first published in 1976, and it was edited by a Chickasaw woman named Dorothy Milligan. Dorothy’s purpose in writing The Indian Way was to record some of the customs, legends, and folklore of the Chickasaw People. The book contains information from a series of interviews of prominent Chickasaw elders. While retyping each interview, I quickly noticed a pattern. Each elder spoke with a sense of dread. Many of the elders that Milligan interviewed shared the sentiment, “The Chickasaw Way is gone. There is no turning back,” (Milligan V). Many believed that their language and customs would soon be lost, and there was no hope for revival. The Chickasaws of that time predicted that in the following fifty years, the Chickasaw culture would die. Now, almost fifty years later it seems that the Chickasaw culture has achieved the opposite of what was previously predicted.

Early in his administration, Chickasaw Governor Bill Anoatubby determined that Chickasaws should take responsibility for the stewardship of their history, culture, and language. Some of the Nation’s early initiatives toward this idea involved the institution of a language revitalization department and the Chickasaw Historical Society. Another part of Governor Anoatubby’s initiative was to publish book-length materials about Chickasaw history and culture. He wanted the materials to be written and developed by Chickasaws. In 2006, Unconquered (as it was called at that time), became the first product of that initiative. Soon after, Governor Anoatubby directed that The Chickasaw Press be constructed. Later, The Press created a sub-print for fiction, poetry, and other creative works called The White Dog Press. The goal of The Chickasaw Press was and is to preserve, perpetuate, and provide an awareness of Chickasaw history and culture. Today, The Chickasaw Press is considered the only active First American tribally organized and staffed book-or-media-publishing enterprise of its kind in The United States. The Chickasaw Press and The White Dog Press both publish an impressive variety of genres. The Press has accepted and published titles in many recognizable categories, from historical fiction, biography, speculative narration, poetry, scriptural interpretation, children’s books, young-adult fiction, cultural instruction, cookbooks, and more. According to The Press, “It is fair to assume we have hardly finished adding to our list of published genres,” (Nelson). In the few years that The Press has been active, they have accomplished much in the way of preservation.

After interning for several months in an environment where the Chickasaw culture is well represented and respected, it was difficult for me to understand why the elders in The Indian Way seemed to be so fearful. After researching the issue, I discovered that there was more at play than merely fear. According to Stan Nelson, senior editor at The Chickasaw Press, around the time The Indian Way was published, similar books about Native American history were being written. While The Indian Way was written by a First American, its publication coincided with several colonizer-written histories such as Dee Brown’s, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee and Arrell Gibson’s, The Chickasaws. These and other titles from the late 1960s to the 1970s led to a cultural discussion about “the Indian problem.” To common readers, including myself, the authors of these works seemed sympathetic. I assumed that Milligan’s goal in writing, The Indian Way was to help preserve her culture. Nelson pointed out that while the authors of that time seemed sympathetic toward Native Americans, their sympathy was more likely an attempt to follow the political trends of that time. According to Nelson, “Each colonizer historian all but insisted on the conclusion that even after the multitude of horrific wrongs done by the white man, the ‘Indian’ had no choice but to vanish by assimilation into the glaring landscape of the predominant culture,” (Nelson). While there is no definitive proof of Milligan’s intent, it is important to consider the assimilation that was occurring even in the not-so-distant past.

Through this research, I realized that the tone of The Indian Way was not fear, instead, it was the acceptance of a forced reality. This acceptance can be seen many times throughout The Indian Way. According to Milligan, a group of Chickasaw elders collectively agreed that, “Some bemoan the loss of Chickasaw culture, but personally we think it is good that the old ways are gone. So many were based in superstition and ignorance, we’re better off without them,”(Milligan V). Milligan also explained that out of necessity, the Chickasaws enacted the old adage, “If you can’t lick ’em, join ’em,” (Milligan vi). Almost every elder interviewed in Milligan’s book referred to their culture as superstitious and outdated. At this point in my research, I wondered why the Chickasaw people seemed to be so quick to surrender their culture. Many of the elders seemed ready to move on from “the old ways.” As I was considering this, I was reminded of a quote, from one of the most endearing elders in The Indian Way.

Mrs. Mose Burris, (also known by her Chickasaw name, Mikeo), was a full-blood Chickasaw who had vivid memories of the old Chickasaw customs. In her interview for The Indian Way, she shared stories about her grandmother who was a powerful medicine woman. Burris also explained other traditions and beliefs of the Chickasaw people. Like the other elders, she too sensed that her culture would soon be lost. She expressed that, “We can’t go back to the Indian way. Too many barb wire fence. Can’t hunt when sign say ‘No, keep out.’ Work from 8-5 to eat bread. The Chickasaw way is gone. Smile!” When I first read this comment, I viewed it as another expression of defeat and surrender. After further examination, I realized that I had possibly interpreted the quote incorrectly. While discussing Colonizer Historians, Stan Nelson mentioned that while the elders did accept their reality, they did it spitefully. I also wondered if authors, such as Milligan, prompted Native Americans to answer in a way that showed their resignation. It was clear, even through her short interview, that Mrs. Mose Burris was not one to give in. Looking deeper at Mrs. Burris’s words, one could read the quote, not as an expression of surrender, but rather a challenge. Perhaps she was asking the younger generation of Chickasaws if they were going to “smile” and accept the death of their culture, or if they were going to rise and fight to save it.

Governor Anoatubby met Mrs. Mose Burris’s challenge when he established The Chickasaw Press. He desired that the Chickasaw culture not be lost with time, but instead preserved for future Chickasaws. According to The Press, “The courage of that vision, which we at The Press realize and draw our principles from, cannot be ignored,” (Nelson). After interning with The Press, and further learning all that they have done for the Chickasaw Nation, I have found that present-day Chickasaws have taken this challenge and triumphed.

The Press has fought to preserve many parts of the Chickasaw culture, but most importantly they have fought to revive the Chickasaw language, Chikashshanompa’. In The Indian Way, the elders seemed most protective of their language. According to the Chickasaw elder, Jim Wolfe, “The part of our culture I would most want kept alive is that of language,” (160). The Press has acknowledged the elder’s desires and has worked hard to preserve the language. Within the many genres The Press publishes, there is frequent use of the Chickasaw language. Nearly every title has at least a word or two of Chikashshanompa’ implemented. Out of their almost 60 titles, eleven emphasize the language and its instruction. The Press recognizes that there is no cultural matter more basic to Chickasaws than their language. They feel that the inclusion of their language in their literature is more than simply branding. The Press also understands that the elder’s links to the past are mainly grounded in experience. They are not grounded in mere disinterested observation or documentation.Through this, The Press has realized a bitter truth. With every effort to research, discover, and preserve their history, the number of their culturally experienced elders is dwindling, as is their opportunity to learn from them. The Press relies heavily on the elder’s knowledge and experience, as they fight against time.

While much of the Chickasaw culture is currently being preserved through the literature being published by The Press, there will still likely be many parts of the traditions and history that are lost. It is difficult not to wonder if more of the culture could have been saved had regressive colonizer books not been written.

As my research progressed, I began to feel disdain for Dorthy Milligan. I felt that she had an agenda of convincing Chickasaws to surrender, and achieved that agenda. My opinion changed, however, after rereading the beginning of The Indian Way. In her introduction, Milligan wrote, “...it may seem as illogical for the average Chickasaw to mourn the passing of his language and culture as it is for me, with my Scotch-Irish racial dominance, to bemoan the fact that I don’t speak Gaelic. What I don’t know, I never missed,” (Milligan vi). I found the last sentence of her quote to be haunting, yet relatable. Milligan did not live in a world where her culture was honored. She lived in a world that told her every culture should be the same. She grew up during a time where much of the country had been successfully assimilated and anglicized. How could she be blamed for taking part in the surrender of her culture, when she never had the opportunity to know the beauty of that culture?

The Chickasaw Press has assisted Chickasaws in discovering their culture, so they can miss it. Missing and longing for something that is lost is an important part of reviving it. The Chickasaw Press has undoubtedly helped alleviate many of the elder’s fears and has aided in restoring hope. The titles The Chickasaw Press releases help to protect the Chickasaw culture from the greedy hands of time.