The Mathias El Tribe is a self-governing Choctaw Iksa and tribal body composed of American Indians whose ancestral roots extend throughout the southeastern United States, including present-day Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Virginia, and the Carolinas. These regions have long been home to indigenous peoples and cultures associated with the great mound-building civilizations of the Americas, reflecting the rich Choctaw tribal heritage.
The Mathias El Tribe serves as the governing body through which its People exercise their retained powers of self-government, preserve their identity, customs, lands, institutions, and collective interests, and fulfill their responsibilities to present and future generations within the framework of Indigenous tribal governance.
The governmental responsibilities of the Tribe are presently administered through the Mathias El Tribe Office of the Chief Justice and Trustee, which operates in a custodial and fiduciary capacity on behalf of the Tribe and its People. The principal seat of this Office is currently held by Chief Mathias El, who fulfills the roles of Chief, Chief Justice, and Trustee, overseeing the administration of the authorities entrusted to that Office as part of the Mathias El Tribe Supreme Court.
The Tribe’s ancestors preserved their cultural heritage and identity through centuries of social and political change, including the relocation of many indigenous families under federal programs during the twentieth century. Today, the Mathias El Tribe continues to honor its traditions, customs, and ancestral heritage while maintaining its identity as a proud Choctaw people.
Bakersfield, California, serves as the heart of the tribal government and the principal office of the Mathias El Tribe Office of the Chief Justice and Trustee, where the Tribe upholds its inherent sovereignty and affirms the continuous existence of its People, traditions, customs, and institutions as an indigenous community with historical roots throughout the American South and beyond.
The Tribe is actively organizing and strengthening its collective groups through the NIAC - National Indigenous American - Committee. For those interested in participating, please email NIACunity@gmail.com to get involved.
