Bidai facts for kids

The Bidai were a group of Native American people. They lived in eastern Texas. They were part of the larger Atakapa family of tribes.

The Bidai's Story

A tribute to the Bidai Tribe, in Huntsville, Texas

The Bidai people had a long history in their homeland. Their stories say they were the first people there. Their main villages were along Bedias Creek. Their lands stretched from the Brazos River to the Neches River.

Spanish explorers first wrote about the Bidai in 1691. They noted the Bidai lived near the Hasinai people. Later, a French explorer named François Simars de Bellisle visited in 1718 and 1720. He described the Bidai as farmers.

Bidai Groups and Numbers

In the 1700s, the Bidai had three main villages or groups. The Deadose were a northern group. They separated from the main Bidai in the early 1700s. Experts believe about 600 Bidai lived in the 1700s. There were also about 200 Deadose people.

In 1770, the Bidai traded with French settlers. They helped sell guns to the Lipan Apaches. All these groups were not friendly with the Spanish at that time.

Challenges and Changes

The Bidai faced many challenges. They suffered from serious sicknesses in 1776 and 1777. These diseases cut their population by more than half. The Bidai who survived joined other tribes. Some joined the Akokisas and Koasati people.

Some Bidai moved to the Brazos Indian Reservation. This area is now in Young County, Texas. They were later moved with the Caddo people to Indian Territory. Other Bidai stayed in Texas. They formed a village near Montgomery, Texas. In the mid-1800s, they grew corn and picked cotton for money.

Bidai Daily Life

The Bidai people had a varied way of life. They hunted animals and gathered plants. They also fished in rivers and along the coast. They grew maize, which is corn. If they had extra corn, they would trade it.

Food and Shelter

They caught game using snares. They also trapped animals in pens made of cane. During the summer, they lived near the coasts. In winter, they moved inland. They lived in tents made from bearskins.

Tools and Crafts

Before Europeans arrived, the Bidai made their own pottery. They quickly started using metal tools from European traders. But they still made ceramic pots into the 1800s. They were also skilled at weaving many types of baskets. In 1803, a doctor named John Sibley wrote about the Bidai. He said they were known for being honest and dependable.

Appearance and Health

The Bidai used special cradleboards for babies. These boards gently shaped the babies' heads. They also decorated their bodies and faces. They did this with tattoos.

Bidai medicine men were experts in plants. They used herbs for healing. They also performed sweatbathing. Sometimes, sick people were treated by being raised over smudge fires. Other Atakapan groups were known for certain rituals. But there is no record of the Bidai practicing ritual cannibalism.

Bidai Language

Bidai was a language that might have been part of the Atakapan language family. This language is now extinct. Here are a few Bidai words that were recorded:

What's in a Name?

The name Bidai has been spelled in many ways. Some spellings include Biday, Bedies, and Bidias. Their name might come from the Caddo language. It could mean "brushwood." This might refer to the Big Thicket area. The Bidai lived near this area, by the lower Trinity River. The Bidai's own name for themselves was Quasmigdo.