MOWA Band of Choctaw Indians

The MOWA Band of Choctaw Indians is a Native American community in south Washington County and north Mobile County, Alabama, near Citronelle, Mount Vernon and McIntosh. The name MOWA comes from the first two letters of each county. The Encyclopedia of Alabama cites a population of about 3,600 [1]. The state recognized the band as a tribe in 1979, but the federal government has not, and that question has been the subject of a long public debate. This entry describes the band’s history and community life.

Origins

The band’s ancestors settled in the area in two phases: after Choctaws fought alongside the Red Stick Creeks in the Creek War of 1813 and 1814, and in the 1830s, when some south Alabama Choctaws avoided removal to Indian Territory. For decades they stayed in swamps and pine barrens, and removal efforts stopped when the Civil War began. Their story is part of the wider history told in Choctaw in Alabama [1].

Hardship in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries

In the 1880s timber companies moved into the area, and a state senator helped them void Choctaw land claims. Clear-cutting and timbering ended the traditional hunting-and-gathering way of life by 1930. Education was limited before and after World War I, and missionaries from the Southern Baptist Convention and the Methodists taught the community. State and county funding for Indian schools began in the 1940s, and in 1970 local leaders secured a federal court order that kept one Indian school open in each county [1].

State recognition

Alabama formally recognized the MOWA Band as a tribe in 1979, after a state commission was created that year to support the community. State recognition made the band eligible for services in education, health care, housing, child care and elder care, and the band opened its first tribal office in 1980. The state agency that now handles Native affairs is described in Alabama Indian Affairs Commission [1][2].

The federal recognition question

A 1976 national commission described the group as a nonrecognized tribe. The Bureau of Indian Affairs denied a federal acknowledgment petition in 1997. Critics of the federal process say it discounts oral history and requires documents that many communities do not have. Between 2005 and 2011, Representative Jo Bonner introduced a bill to recognize the band several times, but none was enacted [1]. Federal recognition decisions rest with the federal government, and readers should consult current federal sources for the latest status.

Community life

Community life centers on ceremonial gathering areas, churches, schools, cemeteries and kin-based communities. The band holds powwows, and members make traditional garments for them. The Encyclopedia of Alabama also notes that about 80 percent of tribal members live in poverty, which has shaped the band’s efforts to secure education and health services [1].

Place in Alabama’s Native history

The MOWA Band is one of nine tribes the state recognizes, and the only Choctaw group among them. For comparison with federally recognized communities, see Poarch Band of Creek Indians, and for the larger picture see Indigenous Peoples of Alabama (Overview) [2].

FAQs

What does MOWA mean? The first two letters of Mobile and Washington, the two counties where the band lives.

When was the MOWA Band recognized by Alabama? In 1979.

Is it federally recognized? No. A federal petition was denied in 1997.

How many members does it have? The Encyclopedia of Alabama cites about 3,600.

What do they do at gatherings? The band holds powwows, and members make traditional garments.

Sources

1. Encyclopedia of Alabama: MOWA Band of Choctaw Indians
2. Encyclopedia of Alabama: Alabama Indian Affairs Commission

Editorially reviewed by Specialty Digest Editorial TeamLast reviewed November 10, 2026Researched and drafted with AI assistanceReport an issue