Appalousa facts for kids

The Appalousa (also called Opelousa) were a group of Native American people. They lived in the area around what is now Opelousas, Louisiana. This was west of the lower Mississippi River. They lived there before Europeans arrived in the 1700s.

The Appalousa people sometimes worked with their neighbors, the Atakapa and Chitimacha tribes.

The name Opelousa has many possible meanings. The most common one is "Blackleg." This is because the tribe was known for painting or staining their lower legs a dark color.

Michel De Birotte lived in Louisiana from 1690 to 1734. He spent about 40 years living among Native American tribes. He said the Appalousa lived just west of two small lakes. This description likely refers to Leonard Swamp, east of modern-day Opelousas. At that time, this swamp was the westernmost part of the Mississippi River. The water in the lakes looked black because of minerals and many leaves on the bottom. The Appalousa people hunted and fished there. Their legs would get stained black from these waters.

History

The Opelousa and Atakapa tribes came from the same area in southwest Louisiana. Records from 1814 mention that both tribes had villages. These villages were on the north and south sides of the bayou. One Opelousa village had about 40 men. They grew corn and raised cattle and pigs.

Du Pratz, a French historian, also wrote about these people. He called them Lopelousas and Oqué-Loussas. It is still debated if these were all the same tribe. Du Pratz said this tribe lived by lakes with black-looking water. This was due to leaves covering the bottom. This idea connects to one theory about their name, like "Black leg" or "black hair." Other historians say the tribe would paint their legs black. This was to make them stand out against their lighter skin.

As settlers moved further west into Mississippi, the land where the Opelousas lived became known as the Opelousas district. This area is still a district in Louisiana today. The name is also used for St. Landry Parish in Louisiana.

Origin Story

The Atakapa origin story is also used for the region that included the Opelousa tribe. This story is about two young people from different tribes who fell in love. Their love was forbidden. The princess's father did not approve. He followed them to the swamplands where they met and killed the warrior. The princess was so sad that she stabbed herself. This saddened the Great Spirit. The Great Spirit hung her hair in an oak tree. Over time, it turned gray and spread through the trees. This story showed how important the history of the Opelousa territory was. This history also highlighted its value and economy. These factors led French traders to build the city of Opelousas in 1740.

Religion

Not much is known about the religious practices of the Opelousa tribe. However, old records from St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, list Opelousas Indians who were buried and baptized. This list includes Opelousa Indians and people from other tribes in Louisiana.

Population

Historians have found information about the Opelousa population. In 1715, there were about 130 men. By 1908, only 9 people were left in the tribe. There is some debate about the exact numbers. However, it is clear that their population slowly decreased into the early 1800s.

Bienville, a former governor of Louisiana, first mentioned them. In an unpublished report from 1715, he called them a small wandering tribe. He estimated their population at about 130 men or warriors. By 1805, the population was about 40. In 1814, the tribe had about 20 members.

The first record of the Opelousa territory was in the 1690s. It was not until 1712 that both the Opelousa and Atakapa regions were noted as settlements in Louisiana.

Language

Dr. John Sibley was an Indian Agent for the New Orleans territory. In an 1805 letter to Thomas Jefferson, he reported that the Opelousa spoke a unique language. It was different from all other languages. However, many Opelousa people understood Atakapa and French. This area had been settled by the French since the mid-1700s. Their language is completely unknown today because no records of it exist.

In the early 1900s, anthropologists John R. Swanton and Frederick W. Hodge thought the Opelousa language might be related to Atakapa.

Their languages were thought to be similar. Both Opelousa and Atakapa are believed to be Choctaw words. The word Opelousa itself is unclear. It might come from "aba" (meaning "above") or "api" (meaning "body" or "leg"). It is followed by "lusa," which means "black." So, Opelousa could mean "black above" or "black legs."

Name Origin

The exact origin of the name Opelousa is unknown. It is thought to be from the Choctaw language. "Aba" means "above," and "api" means "body" or "leg." "Lusa" means "black." If "aba" and "lusa" are correct, it could mean "black hair." If "api" and "lusa" are correct, it translates to "black legs."

Relations with Other Tribes

Tribes in Texas used the Opelousa as middlemen. The Opelousa helped them sell horses stolen from the Spanish to the French in New Orleans. The Opelousa also had connections with the Atakapa, Chitimacha, and Avoyel tribes nearby. They acted as traders between these groups. They received fish from the Chitimacha and Atakapa. They traded this fish with the Avoyel for flint. The Avoyel had a lot of flint.

Historians have discussed the fate of the Opelousas and other tribes in southwest Louisiana. Some believe the Opelousas and Atakapas no longer exist as separate groups. These smaller Native American tribes faced diseases, lack of food, and colonization. These challenges may have led to their decline. Historians also suggest that these tribes may have intermarried with the French. It is also studied whether these tribes joined and became part of the Creole nation and Creole communities of color.

According to Claude Medford, a Choctaw craftsman, the Opelousas camped at Ringrose plantation around the 1920s. They sold baskets made from palmetto stems and cane to the plantation owners. They also played games of stickball with the Tunica tribe.

Conflict

The Opelousa population decreased due to conflicts with white settlers and the Muskhogean tribe. Their known diet included fish, especially flounder, which was popular in the region. They also traded fish for flints. They went to war with the Avoyels. The Avoyels may have been part of the larger Muskhogean tribe. The war started because the Avoyels refused to trade flints, even though they had many. Some Avoyels were captured. It is debated and unknown whether acts of cannibalism happened among the Opelousa or Atakapa tribes.