Rebecca (Choctaw) Williams (abt. 1800 - abt. 1866)

Born about 1800 in Mississippi Territory, United States

Died about 1866 at about age 66 in Indian Territory, United States

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Biography

A child named Rebecca is said to have been born to Chief Moshulatubbee and his plural (second) wife Onamaiya in the original Choctaw homelands. This assertion was made to secure the right of her descendants to participate in the distribution of the tribal property of the Choctaw. The claimants made their case on several occasions, first directly with the Choctaw Nation beginning as early as 1886, then during tribal enrollment with the Dawes Commission, which primarily concluded in 1907. The essential issue of their petition declared: the applicants are descendants of Moshulatubbee through a daughter named Rebecca.

The case was successfully made that Rebecca was the ancestor of the claimants. However, the inconsistency of the petitioners claims, the numerous contradictory statements they and their witnesses made in the recorded affidavits and testimonies, and the lack of independent corroboration of the facts, lead to the conclusion that Rebecca Williams is not a daughter of Moshulatubbee. Ultimately, census and other records for Rebecca (Tubb) Williams (abt.1793-aft.1860) contradict the narrative for the Native American origin of Rebecca as presented in the case, yet simultaneously and conclusively link her as the common ancestor of the claimants.

The judgment for this matter during the era came in 1904 from the Choctaw and Chickasaw Citizenship Court, and those claiming Choctaw citizenship as descendants of Rebecca were, with one exception, denied enrollment.

Sources

• Choctaw-Chickasaw Citizenship Court Case Files, Case 39. NARA 7RA324, Roll 13, OHS

See Also:

• A discussion in favor of the claim: Rebecca Williams connection to Chief Mushulatubee

• A discussion against the claim: Rebecca Williams Choctaw Claim