Peter Pitchlynn, born January 30, 1806 in Noxubee County, Mississippi, was a member of the Choctaw Nation. He graduated from the University of Nashville in 1827 in a graduating class of 12 students.
Because of his Choctaw and European-American ancestries, he served as an interpreter and liaison between the Choctaw and US Government. He was relocated to Indian Territory in the 1830s with his family, including his mother, who died there. Hers is the oldest known grave in Oklahoma.
He was in Washington DC addressing national affairs of the Choctaw when the Civil War started. He returned to the Choctaw Nation, hoping to stay neutral, but their territory was invaded in May 1861 and were forced into an alliance with the Confederacy.
He became the Principal Chief of the Choctaw Nation in 1864 and returned to Washington in 1866 to reestablish diplomatic relations with the US. He hoped to avoid attempts to colonize Indian Territory.
He met with Queen Emma of Hawai'i at some point, conducting a cultural exchange. It is the only time in history of bilateral relations between the Choctaw Nation and the Hawai'ian kingdom.
Pitchlynn passed away in 1881 in Washington and is buried in the Congressional Cemetery.
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