I write fiction. Often those stories require research to develop background related to the times, or location or some event. The research today is easy, although still time consuming. I do remember the day when research involved untold hours in public libraries tracking down that vital piece of information that made the story come alive. I confess, I loved the library time. Being in a library was comforting. I felt surrounded by humanity at its best.
While I miss the environment of the library, I sure don’t miss the limitations. The amount of information available at my fingertips sitting in my cluttered, but comfortable, office is just amazing.
I’ve had four projects going at once for years. This struggle to complete one of them is on-going. My current efforts are focused on completing the first book of a cozy mystery series Mr. and Mrs. Sims. This is about a newlywed couple who moved to southeastern Oklahoma, which at one time was the Choctaw Nation, in the 1920s as representatives of Oklahoma A&M college. The husband has a unique background, not only in agriculture, but in criminology—an entirely new field of study regarding the psychology of criminals as well as the science of solving crimes.
In 2022, I had these same four books as work-in-progress, and for reasons I can’t remember, decided I wanted to make them into audio dramas. I have no background for this but what the hell, probably nobody would listen to them anyway.
The two series that ended up with something in this area were the Mr. and Mrs. Sims Mystery and Vegas Dead End, which is an extension of my Pacheco and Chino Mystery Book series. You can sample Vegas Dead End here.
Note: I have not finished Vegas Dead End (book or audio drama)—so the name is very appropriate.
As part of my research for Mr. and Mrs. Sims, I’ve examined many sources and documents related to the Choctaw Nation. One that was particularly interesting to me was the Constitution of the Choctaw Nation written in January 1860. It was interesting because of our bias towards Native Americans. This constitution follows the model of the United States constitution but is done in a straightforward, no-nonsense style. I do not know the parties who wrote it, or the circumstances that caused it to be written (need more research), but I was struck by how succinctly the document stated the matters at hand.
At this point in time (1860) it is clear this document’s intent was something entirely different than what occurred for the Choctaw Nation as a separate, distinct, legal, and independent nation. The real intent may have been hidden at the time, or something changed.
Obviously, the big change was the civil war. The Choctaw Nation had signed an agreement with the Confederate States of American that in essence made them allies. When the war ended with the Confederacy defeated, so was the Choctaw Nation. The US government, apparently, then considered all previous agreements null and void.
The tone and words of the Choctaw Nation constitution in 1860 said one thing, but in only a few years, there was a different reality.
That different reality is part of my story about this same area, now the state of Oklahoma, in the 1920s. As a crime, supposedly committed by a Choctaw man, brings my character Ed Sims to Durant, Oklahoma, to talk to the Chief of the now subdued Choctaw Nation.
As I said, I write fiction. If any of my research discloses a reality that interferes with my story, I just ignore it—fiction writers can just make stuff up—it’s allowed. Sometimes the real story is more interesting than the made up one, but the real story takes a lot more work; so, I will stick with fiction.
In case you’re curious, I’ve attached the 1860 Choctaw Nation Constitution.
Ted Clifton's Grain of Salt Commentary 