so, with chiksa' at the head of one of the parties, and chahta at the head of the other, the group set out in the direction of the rising sun. it was a sight to behold, this great caravan of people traveling on foot carrying all their possessions, each knowing with certainty that somewhere a home awaited them and that the sacred pole would lead them to it.

far in front of this procession ranged a large white dog, ofi' tohbi ishto'. he darted to the right, then to the left; he was everywhere, always on the alert. the people loved the big creature very dearly. he was their faithful guard and scout, and it was his duty to sound the alarm should enemies be encountered.

travel was slow and laborious. sickness was a constant companion, and the tribal doctors, alikchi', kept busy digging into their medicine bags. but when sinti', the snake, struck any one of them, ofi' tohbi ishto' was quickly summoned and only needed to lick the wound to make the victim well again. even with the extraordinary healing powers of our alikchi' and beloved ofi' tohbi ishto', the ugly hand of death reached down into the travelers and took away loved ones at will.

then, one day, just as the sun was setting, the two parties came upon a scene beyond their imagination. it was a great river, the likes of which they had never seen before. the unexpected sight overwhelmed them. for a long time, the astonished people stood on the riverbank and stared in awe at the mighty watercourse. today, that great river is known as the mississippi.

that night the families sat around their campfires and talked joyfully to one another. many of the people believed their promised land had been reached and felt sure the sacred pole would confirm their belief at daybreak. but at sun up the next day, the people saw that the itti' fabassa' holitto'pa' still leaned toward the east, and they knew that home was somewhere on the other side of the wide river before them.

it was that same evening the people hurriedly set about constructing rafts, and soon the crossing was underway. almost immediately, a serious mishap occurred that left our ancestors grief-stricken. the raft carrying their beloved white dog broke into pieces in the middle of the river. ofi' tohbi ishto', who had managed to climb onto a piece of broken timber, could not be reached. the people could only helplessly watch as he was swept downstream and out of sight. that was the last they ever saw of their faithful guard and scout.

migration story © to the chickasaw nation

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ofi' tohbi's traits are loyalty | strength | courage | friendship.