Oka Homma Alla Hilha Alhiha

For thousands of years, the Choctaw have danced in the place we call Mississippi today. Chahta Hihla, or Choctaw dancing, is participatory; men and women stand together in traditional dress made of ribbons and ruffles, and wait for the chanter to begin a song or clack a rhythm with their striking sticks. Then, they begin to dance, creating fellowship for the community—a tradition the Oka Homma Alla Hilha Alhiha dance group (Red Water Children Dancers) of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians proudly passes on in their family and through their performances.

Hihla is comprised of war, social, and animal dances. War dances were historically performed in preparation for battle; social dances celebrate important life events, from friendship to courtship and marriage; and animal dances, such as the Turtle Dance and Racoon Dance, establish harmony with the natural world. The dances are communal, without individual dancers taking the spotlight. During the Stealing Partners Dance—a crucial way for Choctaw youth to interact and prepare for courtship—even audience members are invited to join.

Choctaw dances, which historically took place overnight, begin with the Jump Dance, which symbolizes the beginning of life. The dances always move counterclockwise, an expression of reverence for the Creator. The chanter, who forms the heart of the dance group, guides the movement of the dancers with their singing, while the two pieces of wood they tap together, known as striking sticks, create the rhythm and cadence of the dance.

These traditions have survived across generations, despite removal from ancestral lands in Mississippi, the Trail of Tears, resettlement in Oklahoma, and forced assimilation. Dancers wear regalia with traditional Choctaw motifs: a circle and cross pattern representing stickball; diamonds evoking the diamondback rattlesnake and respect for nature; and half diamonds representing hills and valleys. But traditions always change. Today’s regalia has been influenced by European and American textiles. Men wear wide-brimmed felt hats, while women wear colorful cotton dresses with aprons.

The final dance of the night is traditionally the Walk Dance, a slow, walking dance as the sun rises in the east. The dance recognizes the forced migration of the Choctaw, says Choctaw elder Curtis Billy, but also shows that the Choctaw today are walking in the footsteps of their ancestors. Today, Choctaw dance groups in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Oklahoma teach chanting and dance, and perform locally and nationally.

The Oka Homma Alla Hilha Alhiha dance group was founded by Virginia and Ryan York in 2013. Their first performance was at the Mississippi Craft Center with a small group. Today, they have more than 40 dancers, ranging in age from four to older adults, but focusing on teaching traditions to young adults. They regularly perform in the Jackson area but have performed as far away as Abita Springs, Louisiana. At the 82nd National Folk Festival, Oka Homma Alla Hilha Alhiha will have an intergenerational ensemble of 12 dancers and a chanter, encouraging participation and treating audiences to the communal experience of traditional Choctaw dance.