Historic Indians of Louisiana

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Historic Indians of Louisiana
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• Period began when the Europeans came to North
  America
• The People as they called themselves passed down
  their traditions and history through oral
  storytelling.
• Most information comes from archaeologist

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• Europeans wrote about their encounters but not
  very accurately
• Europeans brought diseases that the Indians
  lacked immunity from.
• Different tribes spoke different languages.

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Some LA Tribes

• Natchez
• Tunica
• Houma

• Chitimacha
• Caddo
• Coushatta
• Choctaw

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HOUMA

• Where did these people live?
• Near Angola in West Feliciana Parish and ended up
  in Terrebonne Parish
• How did they get their food?
• Hunt, Fish, and Trap

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3. How did they interact with the environment?

• Primary villages of 140 cabins

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• 4. What were the main features of their culture?
• Totem was the crawfish
• Intermarried with other tribes living among
  Acadians

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• Another symbol----Istrouma (Isti Houma) a tall
  red pole on the MS river marking hunting ground
  of the Houma and the Bayougoula tribe
• Iberville(explorer) called the marker baton rouge
  red stick in French

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NATCHEZ

• 1. Where did they live?
• -Grand Village
• - Present day Natchez Miss.

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2.How did they get Food?

• -Skilled Farming
• Fruits and Vegetables
• -Hunters
• Deer, bison, bear

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3. Interaction with the environment

• - Villages scattered in the forest
• - Flat topped mounds
• - French wanted farmland ended their way of
  life

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4. Main Features of Culture

• -Class System
• - Common People called
  Stinkards
• - Nobles
• - Chiefs
• -Tattoos indicate status

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Ruler the Great Sun

• Like a King and Religious figure
• Had the power of life and death in his hands

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TUNICA

• Where did they live?
• - Avoyelles Parish
• East Central LA

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2. How did they get Food?

• - Trading, Hunting, Farming, Fishing
• - Trade Salt, Flint, Arrow points, Horses

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3. Interaction with the Environment

• - Located near junctions of major
  waterways for trading routes

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4. Main Features of Culture

• Totem Rattlesnake
• War Chief- Military leader
• Peace Chief- Tribal leader
• Joined with Biloxi and formed the Tunica-Biloxi
  Tribe

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CADDO

• 1. Where did they live?
• - The Red River (Arkansas before moving
  to LA)

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2.How did they get Food?

• Hunted, Farmed and Fished
• Poultry, Bison Cattle

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3. Interaction with the Environment

• - Traded horses for salt with the Tunica

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4. Main features of Culture

• Related tribes- Natchitoches, Adai, Ouachita,
  Hasinai
• French considered it a confederation
• Treaty gave land to U.S.