Vancleave Indian Tribe Honored

Long before the French, under Sieur De Bienville, came to the area that is now Ocean Springs, the Mississippi Gulf Coast was home to a group of Choctaw Indians and still is to this day.
Members of the present-day Vancleave Live Oak Choctaw Tribe were honored and recognized by the city at today’s Gulfport council meeting.
They’ve also been recognized by a Jackson County chancery court judge, the Jackson County Board of Supervisors and the City of Ocean Springs.
Today, Mayor Billy Hewes and the city council wished them well on their quest for federal recognition. Tribal council leader Terry Ladnier said, “We’re proud of who we are and proud of where we came from. We’re proud to be Indian, too. I think it’s even popular now for people wanting to be Indian and us being recognized is important to our tribe. It’s where we came from. It’s our heritage and some of our people can trace their heritage back to 1699 and some of them go long before.”
The Vancleave Live Oak Choctaw hope for federal recognition in the future, which could lead to federal grants to help provide education and care for the tribe.