Chickasaw Dog Names

Before Chickasaw people came into contact with the Europeans, there were around 15,000 of them. Today, there are considerably less. Therefore, you are unlikely to strike many people of Chickasaw descent in pop culture. You will, however, find dogs and people with Native American and Chickasaw names that link very closely together. Two examples are Dakota and Jean.

In pop culture, Jean is a famous dog that appeared in movies from 1908 until 1913. She is known as the Vitagraph dog and was the world’s first leading canine actor to have her name in the film title and credits.

Jean also relates to the Chickasaw people for all the wrong reasons. Jean, or Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne, was a New World French explorer of the 1700s. He was the governor of the Louisiana Territory for over three decades and relocated to different settlements over this time. He also made himself known in Louisiana, New Orleans, and Alabama.

With each new settlement and territory that he discovered, he met Native American tribes who already lived there. Over time, his relationship with the Chickasaw people deteriorated until he found himself involved in the Battle of Ackia, with him leading the attack.

Fortunately for the Chickasaw people, the attack was a failure and the tribe sued for peace. They signed a treaty in 1740 and Jean resigned as a governor due to the shame and defeat. Jean died in 1767 in Paris, France.

This war was not the Chickasaw tribe’s first or last. The Chickasaw people remained undefeated as they fought to keep their land, and also signed several treaties to stay civil with the European settlers. Even today, they are one of the most well-respected tribes of people – even with dwindling numbers.

Dakota is also another name that appears in pop culture on TV, as well as Native American history and Chickasaw names. However, it tends to relate more commonly with Sioux tribes than Chickasaw.

Dakota is Native American for being a friend or ally in a Sioux tribe. It’s also the name of a search and rescue Pit Bull dog. Dakota, the dog, was involved in over 100 search missions, including the Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster which included searching for all seven of the astronauts who lost their lives on February 1, 2003.

The space shuttle was re-entering Earth’s atmosphere when it disintegrated. This disaster was the second like it since 1986 with the Space Shuttle Challenger which also killed all seven of its crew.