The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians Department of Public Safety is looking for the individual or individuals behind a recent vandalization of the Nanih Waiya Mound.
The 25-foot high, 218-foot-long mound at Nanih Waiya, which means “leaning hill,” is believed to be constructed between 1000 and 1600 A.D. The site plays a central role in Choctaw origin legends, one of which is that the tribe emerged from the area before populating the surrounding region.
“Nanih Waiya Mound is a sacred and important landmark of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians,” a Facebook post from the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians DPS reads. “It is an area that should be respected by all people who visit.”
Anyone with information regarding the vandalism is asked to contact the Choctaw Police Department at (601)656-5711 or the Attorney General’s Office at (601)656-4507.
