Chef Menteur facts for kids
- For the band, see also Chef Menteur (band).
Chef Menteur is a name used for several places in eastern New Orleans and South Louisiana. These places include a water channel, a bayou, and a highway.
- Chef Menteur Pass (a water channel)
- Bayou Chef Menteur (a slow-moving stream)
- Chef Menteur Highway (U.S. Highway 90 in Louisiana)
Contents
What Does "Chef Menteur" Mean?
The name "Chef Menteur" comes from the French language. It means "Lying Chief." Some people believe this name might have come from the Choctaw language phrase "oulabe mingo."
Stories Behind the Name
There are a few different stories about how the name "Chef Menteur" came to be.
The French Governor Story
One story says that the Choctaw people gave this name to a French governor named Kerlerec. They called him "Lying Chief" because he broke a promise or agreement he had made with them.
The Mississippi River Story
Another idea is that the Choctaw people first used the name for the Mississippi River. The river's path was tricky and changed a lot. It had many twists and turns in the Mississippi River Delta area. Before levees (special walls to control water) were built, the river would split into many smaller streams and swampy areas as it flowed to the sea. Its changing path made it seem "untrustworthy."
The Exiled Chief Story
An old history book from 1891 tells another story about the name. It says the Choctaw people really valued honesty. If someone lied a lot, they didn't like it.
According to this story, one of their chiefs started lying all the time. Because of this, the Choctaw people were upset and made him leave their land. This chief and his family went to live near a bayou (a slow-moving stream) in what is now the parish of Orleans. This area was a piece of land shaped like a narrow strip, sticking out into Lake Pontchartrain. It ended at a place called "Pointe aux Herbes," or Herb Point.
Because the "Lying Chief" lived there, this area became known as Chef Menteur.
