Because Only Together We Can

Choctaw Freedmen Citizenship Footprints

After combing through boxes and boxes of U.S. Federal Census reports, marriage licenses, family reunion programs, printed copies of our family trees, family members obituaries, and other important paperwork that I had saved over the years. I asked myself as I had done so many other times before, how should I start to tell the story of the Burris-Coleman-Butler Choctaw Freedmen? I not sure if I can tell this story the way my Choctaw Freedmen ancestors told their story, but I heard the stories of my freedmen ancestors so many times from my mother Iola Burris, Uncle JC Burris, Aunt Earnestine, Uncle AJ, Uncle Alvin and so many others within our family who also talked about Tom, Oklahoma; Harris and the Chili Flat area where they originated in McCurtain County. These are the places where their stories of happiness, their love for one another and family, anguish and much disappointment come to life again. Because the true reality of what they knew as home begin early in the 1860s for these Choctaw Freedmen ancestors and families as they walked, played, and worked every day in these communities of Tom and Harris, Oklahoma. My continued family research from the oral history that was spoken was confirmed using various sources (state/national archives, online data bases, family documents, interviews, etc.) throughout my 20 years of intense research. I discovered the truth and certainty for the Burris, Coleman, Butler and many other related families of the Choctaw Freedmen that lived within Tom and Harris, OK. I heard stories that several of our ancestors and relatives often told of how Tom, OK was founded by Choctaw Freedmen. And, how one of our relatives was one of the first post masters of the Post Office in Tom, OK. During my research I did discover a Choctaw Freedmen named Mack Butler who is related to our family.

Our Choctaw Freedmen ancestors and relatives truly knew and embraced their identity, history, heritage, bloodlines and citizenship as part of their connection to the Choctaw Indians. I recall hearing my grandfather Prince Burris talk about these stories of their family running a town post office and the town grocery store with such pride. However, as a young child in the 1960s and growing up in a very segregated neighborhood on the eastside in OKC during the time. I often wondered how was this possible? But, many decades later I came to find documentation that proved how Mack Butler who was a Choctaw Freedmen was a notary and one of the first post master at the post office in Tom, OK. However, July 2021 and receiving my Covid-19 vaccanation shots I was able to make the long awaited in person interview with Cousin Vernell Knight. He talked about how his Grandmother’s (Rachel Knight) Father Jerry Burris (was a Choctaw Indian) and he hardly ever spoke English. And as a young child Cousin Vernell Knight remembers vivibly his Grandfather Jerry Burris alway speaking in the Choctaw language as they often would sit on the porch. Says his Grandfather would tell he and his cousin to come closer and light his smoking pipe. And, that was how he learned to light and smoke a pipe at the young age of 8. We welcome you to take this journey with us to preserve, recapture and reclaim our Choctaw Citizenship. We are looking for like minded people who are willing to band with us and work towards this noble cause. There are many others like our family with similiar stories. We look forward to hearing from all of you.

Yakoke,

Doris Burris Williamson – President
Choctaw Freedmen Citizenship Footprints, Inc.
501(3c) Organization – IRS

This New Indian Territory (I.T.) otherwise now known in McCurtain County as Tom, Oklahoma was surrounded by other towns and communities known as Tom, Valliant, Kulli-tuklo, Harris, Chili Flat, etc., These are the places which our ancestors lived and knew as their home as they co-existed and lived with the Choctaw Indian Tribes. Documentation shows how our enslaved ancestors on the Burris/Coleman/Butler/Simpson/Cole families begin their new life with the Choctaw Indian tribes and the Choctaw Nation as early as the 1830s.

I discovered Clara Sue Burris-Johnson (93 yrs old) still understands, knows and continues to speak the Choctaw language. During my Nov. 15, 2022 interview she described how she learned the Choctaw language and how our (Choctaw Freedmen) family members lived and worked among the Choctaw Indians in Tom, Oklahoma. Clara Sue Burris-Johnson is the daughter of Duke Burris (b. 1901-d. 1974) C.F.# 2865 and Luella Weaver-Burris in Tom, Oklahoma which located in McCurtain County.

Choctaw Freedmen Store

Visit our Choctaw Freedmen Citizenship Footprints store for organic products items such as T-Shirts, hats, stickers, coffee cups which you can give to your family members and friends.