Atakapa facts for kids
An Attakapas, by Alexandre De Batz, 1735
|
|
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| extinct as a tribe | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 United States(  Louisiana,  Texas) |
|
| Languages | |
| English, French, Spanish, historically Atakapa | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity, historically traditional tribal religion |
|
| Related ethnic groups | |
| isolate language group, intermarried with Caddo and Koasati |
The Atakapa were a group of indigenous people of the Southeastern Woodlands. They spoke the Atakapa language and lived along the Gulf of Mexico. The Choctaw people used the name "Atakapa" for them. European settlers later adopted this name.
The Atakapan people were made up of several groups. They called themselves the Ishak, which means "the people." The Ishak had two main divisions: "The Sunrise People" and "The Sunset People." Many Atakapa people died from diseases after Europeans arrived. Survivors joined other groups like the Caddo and Koasati. They still kept some of their traditions.
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About the Name
The name Atakapa was also spelled Attakapa, Attakapas, or Attacapa. Europeans first met the Choctaw people. They learned the name for the people living to the west from them. The Atakapa lived in river valleys, near lakes, and along the coast. Their lands stretched from Vermilion Bay in Louisiana to Galveston Bay in Texas.
Different Groups of Atakapa
People who spoke the Atakapa language are called Atakapan. The term Atakapa refers to a specific tribe. Atakapan-speaking groups were divided into bands. Each band had a special symbol, like a snake, alligator, or other animals.
Eastern Atakapa
The Eastern Atakapa (Hiyekiti Ishak, "Sunrise People") lived in southwestern Louisiana. They had three main regional bands:
- The Ciwāt or Alligator Band lived near the Vermilion River and Vermilion Bay. The alligator was very important to them. They ate its meat and used its oil for cooking and medicine. They even used its scales as arrowheads.
- The Otse, Teche Band, or Snake Band lived in the prairies and coastal marshes. They were named after the snake. This symbolized the winding path of Bayou Teche.
- The Tsikip, Appalousa (Opelousa), or Heron Band painted their lower legs black during mourning. This was like the long black legs of a heron. They lived between the Atchafalaya River and Sabine River. They were known for defending their land. In 1760, a chief sold some tribal lands. This led to conflicts with the Appalousa.
Western Atakapa
The Western Atakapa (Hikike Ishak, "Sunset People") lived in southeastern Texas. They were organized into several groups:
- Atakapa (proper) groups included:
- The Katkoc or Eagle Band lived along the Calcasieu River. They were named after the eagles in their area.
- The Red Bird Band lived in southwestern Louisiana. Their symbol was the red bird.
- The Niāl or Panther Band lived near the Sabine River. They took the panther as their symbol.
- The Akokisa or Orcoquiza ("river people") lived along the Trinity and San Jacinto rivers. They also lived near Galveston Bay in Texas.
- The Quasmigdo, also known as Bidai, lived around Bedias Creek in Texas.
- The Deadose were a group of Bidai. They lived in east-central Texas. Many died from diseases like measles and smallpox. Survivors joined other groups.
- The Patiri or Petaros lived north of the San Jacinto River valley. Little is known about them.
- The Tlacopsel are known only from Spanish records. Their settlements in southeast Texas are unknown.
Atakapa Language
The Atakapa language was a language isolate. This means it was not clearly related to other languages. It was once spoken along the Louisiana and East Texas coast. It is believed to have died out by the mid-20th century.
History of the Atakapa
Atakapa stories say they came from the sea. An old prophet taught them how to live.
Europeans first met the Atakapa in 1528. Spanish explorers were shipwrecked on the Gulf Coast. One group met people who called themselves the Han. These might have been the Akokisa.
The 1700s
In 1703, Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne, the French governor of Louisiana, sent men to explore the Gulf Coast. They met the Atakapa, who captured one of their party. In 1714, the Atakapa were one of 14 tribes that met the French governor.
The Choctaw people told the French settlers about the "People of the West." The French called them les sauvages. The Choctaw used the name Atakapa.
A French explorer named Francois Simars de Bellisle lived with the Atakapa from 1719 to 1721.
Louis LeClerc Milfort, a Frenchman, met the Atakapa in 1781. He wrote that the Atakapa were called "eaters of men" by the Spaniards. This was because they would kill Spaniards to get revenge for past wrongs. However, Milfort said they did not actually eat them. He noted that the Atakapa welcomed French and English people.
Milfort also wrote that the Atakapa hunted buffalo. They divided into groups to follow the buffalo herds. They used arrows to hunt them. The buffalo provided meat for food and skins for clothing.
In 1760, a Frenchman bought land from an Eastern Atakapa chief. Soon after, the Appalousa tribe had conflicts with the Eastern Atakapa. This led to the disappearance of the Eastern Atakapa bands.
The Atakapa traded with the Chitimacha tribe. Some Atakapa married into the Houma tribe. Members of the Tunica-Biloxi tribe also joined the Atakapa tribe later.
The 1800s
In 1805, only 175 Atakapa were recorded in Louisiana. Most Western Atakapa groups had declined by the 1850s. This was mainly due to diseases and poverty.
The 1900s
In 1908, nine known Atakapa descendants were found. One person, Armojean Reon, was a fluent Atakapa speaker. In the 1920s, experts studied the language. They published A Dictionary of the Atakapa Language in 1932.
Atakapa Culture
The Atakapan people ate shellfish and fish. Women gathered bird eggs and plants like the American lotus. Men hunted deer, bear, and bison. These animals provided meat, fat, and hides. Women also grew different kinds of maize. They prepared meats and skins for food storage and to make clothing, tools, and other items.
Men made tools for hunting and fishing. These included bows and arrows, and spears with bone or flint tips. They used poisons to catch fish. They also speared alligators in the eye. Alligator oil was used to keep mosquitoes away. By 1719, the Atakapan had horses. They used them to hunt bison. They used dugout canoes to travel on rivers and near the coast.
In summer, families moved to the coast. In winter, they moved inland to villages. Their houses were made of poles and thatch. Some groups lived in bearskin tents. The homes of chiefs and medicine men were built on earth mounds.
Atakapa Legacy
Many towns in the region have names from the Ishak people. These names come from their language or from French spellings of their leaders' names. For example, Mermentau comes from the chief Nementou. Plaquemine comes from the Atakapa word pikamin, meaning "persimmon". Bayou Nezpique was named for an Atakapan with a tattooed nose. The name Calcasieu means "crying eagle" in Atakapa.
The city of Lafayette, Louisiana, is planning a bike trail called the "Atakapa-Ishak Trail." It will connect areas along the bayous Vermilion and Teche.
See also
In Spanish: Atakapa (etnia) para niños
