Greenwood LeFlore (January 22, 1800 – September 5, 1861) was a prominent Choctaw leader, politician, and planter in the early to mid‑19th century United States. He was born in present‑day Mississippi to a mixed‑heritage family: his father, James LeFlore, was a French‑Canadian trader, and his mother, a Choctaw woman of the Tiger Clan. LeFlore was educated in the United States and was bilingual in English and Choctaw.
Early Leadership
- In 1824, at the age of 24, LeFlore was appointed chief of the western band of the Choctaw Nation, a position he held until 1830.
- As chief, he advocated for the adoption of European‑American agricultural practices and sought to integrate Choctaw society into the United States political framework.
Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek
- LeFlore played a central role in negotiating the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek (1830), which ceded most of the Choctaw’s remaining lands in Mississippi to the U.S. government in exchange for land in Indian Territory (present‑day Oklahoma) and monetary compensation.
- The treaty included provisions for some Choctaw families to remain in Mississippi and become U.S. citizens; LeFlore and several other leaders chose to stay.
Political Career in Mississippi
- After the treaty, LeFlore transitioned to American politics. He was elected to the Mississippi House of Representatives (1831–1839) and later served in the Mississippi State Senate (1840–1845).
- He was appointed as the first Choctaw delegate to the U.S. Congress, although the position was not formally recognized by the federal government.
Plantations and Later Life
- LeFlore became a wealthy planter, owning several plantations in Mississippi that cultivated cotton using enslaved labor.
- He maintained ties with both the Choctaw community and white political elites, acting as an intermediary in legal and economic matters.
- He died on September 5, 1861, near his home in present‑day LeFlore County, Mississippi. His burial site is marked in the family cemetery on his former plantation.
Legacy
- LeFlore County, Mississippi, and the town of Le Flore, Oklahoma, are named in his honor.
- He is remembered for his complex role in the forced removal of the Choctaw people and for navigating the cultural transition between Native American and Euro‑American societies during a period of intense expansion and conflict.
