Nanih Waiya Mound - The Choctaw Origin Place

When I started googling to see what I could go explore in Mississippi I came across this preserved archeological site. It has particular interest to me as someone with Choctaw heritage. In this video I tell the most widely told versions of the origin and creation story of the Chahta (Choctaw) people and explore the area a bit.

[@flybynight77]

Nice. I had a similar experience working in Philadelphia, MS. I'm part of a band of Choctaws but am very European looking... I attempted to visit the cave, but didn't press further beyond that gate. The next day, I asked some of locals with whom I was working, and they said that there was a murder that took place there a few months prior, and they had closed it off to outsiders since. This was about 5 years ago (a Google Maps notification popped up on my phone today to remind me it had been 5 years.). Thanks for the video! Well done!

[@WaywardStories]

Well thank you my friend. Thanks for watching and commenting! Yea I really wanted to see the cave as well, but it just wasn’t in the cards. It’s a very cool site, the mound. I remember my little adventure fondly

[@Audrey-fu7bi]

One of the most amazing Choctaw Stories is that during “The Trail of Tears,” what would be the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians hid around the Pearl River Mouth at the confluence of the Nanih Waiya/Owl Creek/Bogue Chitto Swamp. If you look on Google Earth this is still a vast wilderness area. I grew up on the Pearl River spending entire weeks there. It’s easy to see they’d have had fresh water, all the fish they could eat, and tons of wildlife- Gators, Deer, Bear, Waterfowl, Quail, on and on. It’s a paradise of water, and it looks like you’ve entered another world with the Cypress knees, Jumping Huge Fish, the sounds of the Wildlife, and flowing water. I hope Heaven has a Pearl River.

[@WaywardStories]

Thank you so much for watching and sharing that story! I’m going to have to do my research now and read about that. I love it.

[@brandon7482]

Cool video! Iam a Choctaw tribal member and am driving up to Mississippi in a few days to visit the mound and hopefully the cave

[@WaywardStories]

Thank you for the comment my friend! I hope you have better luck with the cave than I did. Maybe do some googling about it...I saw some hints there may be someone you can call that can unlock that gate but I didn’t have time to explore that option while I was there. If you do get access send me some pictures or a video...I’d love to see it. You can email me at [e-mail] if you do

[@greym6436]

Choctaw brother checking in.. Just Sub’d.

[@WaywardStories]

Welcome aboard my friend

[@so_cal8057]

Beautiful place and beautiful story

[@taylorreign5213]

Love that you made this video ❤ I am 4/4 MS. Choctaw. I live on the Bogue Chitto Reservation, about 30 mins from the mound. I have never seen the cave physically, except from pictures online. & recently we had Nanih Waiya Day, & I was in the Bogue Chitto Social dance group for it. 🎉

[@WaywardStories]

That’s awesome! I’m so glad you liked the video and took a minute to leave a comment. I would love to have seen the cave. It’s those kinds of places, where origins are conferred, that I think are some of the worlds most special and sacred places. Those are the reasons I’m so obsessed with history. The connection between who we are and what we were. I love it!

[@elmerpeters5387]

I. Am choctaw thank show this I s awesome 👍

[@joshmcgowin1499]

Love this man! I could watch these videos all day!

[@WaywardStories]

Awwww thanks my friend

[@librequestpodcast]

I really like the Smithsonian recording of the telling of naniwaya. The creator created the man and the man jumped to his feet and began to sing a song to the creator. Pretty legit.

[@WaywardStories]

I’ve got to find this recording now. That would be fascinating. Ethnography is a huge part of my field in cultural Anthro.

[@sjohnschafer]

Thanks for making this. I have always wondered about Nanih Waiya. I always thought that it was the burial mound, itself. But I see it wasn’t. I’m glad that I’m able to learn more about my Choctaw heritage.

[@WaywardStories]

I am glad you found the video useful, and I want to say thank you so much for the comment!

[@sjohnschafer]

The Men Who Don’t Fit In I plan to watch more of your videos, too

[@WaywardStories]

S. J. Schafer again thank you! I appreciate that very much!

[@alexanichols1789]

Great video. Loved it. Very informative! 🥰

[@WaywardStories]

Thank you so much for watching and commenting! If you liked the video you might like my podcast as well (though I haven’t talked about this particular location yet). You can find it under “wayward stories” on any podcast player. Thanks again!

[@rociogobea2285]

🙏🏼🪶💜 thank you for sharing

[@WaywardStories]

Thank you for watching and commenting!

[@cowboygeologist7772]

Thanks for posting. New subscriber.

[@WaywardStories]

Welcome aboard! Thanks for watching!

[@daemondaugherty9207]

Inspirational sir, ᏩᏙ

[@alexmason2659]

My mother was a full blooded Choctaw my father was caucasian so like all full bloods and half bloods I grew up strongly within our Choctaw culture

[@nakoawarrior3186]

You really get around.

[@WaywardStories]

I travel for my work pretty frequently, and I take full advantage of the opportunity to explore places I’ve never been

[@sethchronister984]

Came across your podcast slip at a Murphy gas station in fort smith 05/19/23. First rule about raccoon fight club….is that you don’t talk about raccoon fight club

[@WaywardStories]

Bro that’s awesome! I love it when people let me know they’ve found a flyer or a rack card…let’s me know my guerrilla marketing tactics are working 😂😂 And yea man…those raccoons up on the Buffalo are a different breed…😳 Thanks for checking in man! I hope you enjoy!

[@601marcusable]

Can you walk on the mound and is it illegal

[@WaywardStories]

It was not illegal when I was there 2 years ago. There was a walkway to the top.

[@averyjarrett7299]

So you acknowledge that we are the originals. The copper colored red indian man. Not any other who is inadvertently with all due respect pseudo half breeds. Just make sure to Pay respect to Hupi chahta okla humma and all is well 👌🏿

[@thecircumcisedheartofricha7344]

So do you acknowledge those "originals" were from somewhere else too and if their kids were born here and are now considered original same goes for other migratory people whose kids have set up shop in the area. This great land makes everyone here copper colored or at least a reddening of the neck over time even the light skinned asians who came across a land bridge and the same for the European/Spaniards that sailed across the sea. Nobody was from here they all came from somewhere else with all due respect. Choctaw and others also fought for the Confederate Army with all due respect.