Indian Pioneer Papers - Index

Indian Pioneer History Project for Oklahoma
Date: January 26, 1938
Name: Anna McClendon Smallwood
Post Office: Washington, Oklahoma
Residence Address:
Date of Birth: May 1871
Place of Birth: near Bokchito, Choctaw Nation
Father:
Information on Father:
Mother:
Information on Mother:
Field Worker: Robert H. Boatman

As a native of the Indian Territory, a full blood indian of the Choctaw tribe, I was born May 1871 in the Choctaw Nation, near the old town of Bokchito, one of the very oldest Indian Villages of the old Choctaw Nation. We, as a tribe of our own people, knew nothing at all then of the customs of white people and only the customs of our own people were used. The Choctaw tribe of Indians have always been a very peaceful tribe of people, remembering at all times that honesty was the best policy that anyone could ever attain. This particular tribe has many times been misrepresented in many ways. Of course, the tribal customs were very different from what they are of today. However conditions were very different. The Indians, especially the Choctaw and Chickasaw tribes, lived, generally speaking, in small settlements. This was considered to be necessary in order to help one another, since a Settlement was not nearly as likely to be raided by some hostile tribe. The Comanche tribe was considered to be the most hostile. Many members of our tribe owned many head of horses, now known as Indian ponies. 

Our early day homes consisted mainly of what would now be called log huts. The furniture then consisted of little to none; blankets and skins of deer were used principally for clothing. Most all shoes were made from deer hide and were moccasin style. Of course, the Indians knew nothing about work in the way of manual labor, it was thought that food and clothing were all that were necessary as to the welfare of our people and so we were very contented. Turkey, fish, and deer were in abundance and the people were very fond of these foods. The men generally kept a good supply on hand, which was prepared by the women, in various ways. Sometimes meat was cured practically the same way as meat is cured now. Again, a venison would be hung to some limb and there it would be smoked till it was thoroughly dried and cured, this was known as the drying method of curing. It was smoked for several days with various barks of wood which would give the meat a very delicious flavor. The indian food consisted largely of wild game and Tom Fuller. This was prepared from meats and cracked corn. 

The only crops raised by the Indians of early territory days were small patches of Squaw corn, called Tom Fuller corn and later named Squaw corn because the Squaws or women, did all the raising of this particular crop. I lost my parents at a young age and was raised an orphan by kins people of my tribe. I grew up and always lived among my own people, attended school and secured my limited education at the old Sacred Heart Mission in the Chickasaw Nation. I was enrolled as a fullblood Choctaw Indian by the Dawes Commission at Ardmore and allotted 210 acres of land in the Chickasaw Nation, some two miles west of where the town of Washington now is.

After being married to a white man, an early pioneer, we settled on the land that had been allotted to me and then entered into the business of stockraising and further development of agriculture. There many happy years were spent; business progressed nicely. Then my husband, Mr. J. L. MCCLENDON, was shot and killed taking away the many pleasures that come in life. Here at my home, where so many years of my life have been spent and in sad memory of the happy past I will remain all the rest of my days.

Transcribed and submitted by Wanda Gilbert <wrg38@brightok.net > November, 2000.