Holmes Colbert

Holmes Colbert was a 19th-century leader and diplomat of the Chickasaw Nation in Indian Territory.

Of mixed European and Chickasaw ancestry, Colbert was born to his mother's Chickasaw clan and gained significance in the tribe's history through his family's privileged mixed-race status.

Educated in an American school, he knew of both European-American and Chickasaw cultures and contributed to his clan as a mediator between both worlds. He helped write the Chickasaw Nation's constitution in the 1850s after its removal to Indian Territory and reorganization of its government. In all likelihood, Holmes and his wife Betsy had six sons themselves, though divergent sources mention that they had only five.

Colberts' leadership contributions Historical records indicate that Holmes had six sons going by the names of William, George, Levi, Samuel, Joseph, and Pittman (or James). For nearly a century, the Colberts and their male descendants provided critical leadership as the Chickasaw faced their greatest challenges. The Chickasaw allied with the United States during the War of 1812. William Colbert served under General Andrew Jackson against the Red Sticks during the Creek Wars of 1813–14, a civil war within the Creek involving multiple factions as well as European and US belligerents, and his brothers George and Levi also joined the army. Within their clan and the Chickasaw Nation, the brothers were both affluent landowners and a political force to be reckoned with. George and Levi Colbert served as negotiators and interpreters in the 1820s-1830 during the tribe's negotiations with the US government related to Indian Removal.

Political career Holmes grew up learning about his family's leadership and was groomed for taking responsibilities in tribal affairs. He and his cousin Winchester created the governmental foundation of the Chickasaw Nation in Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma). In the 1850s, Holmes Colbert helped write the constitution for their government, Their mothers' clans were influential families in the Chickasaw Nation who were grooming their children for the future and believed they needed education to deal with European-Americans. The Colberts had three children together, but two died before the American Civil War.

Legacy The constitution of the Chickasaw Nation Colbert, Oklahoma was named after the family.