Ouachita people facts for kids
The Ouachita (pronounced Wah-sha-taw) were a Native American tribe. They lived in what is now northeastern Louisiana, along the Ouachita River. Their name can also be spelled Washita. This spelling was used by English speakers. The French influenced the "Ouachita" spelling and "Wah-sha-taw" pronunciation. Many places and natural features in the area are named after them.
History of the Ouachita Tribe
The Ouachita tribe was connected to the Caddo Confederacy. This was a group of Native American tribes. Their homeland was along the lower Ouachita River in Louisiana. They also lived near the Black River. Around the year 1690, the tribe likely settled at Pargoud Landing. This spot was on the Ouachita River. Later, a French trading post was built there. Today, the city of Monroe, Louisiana grew up around this area.
Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne, a French explorer, met the Ouachita people in 1700. He first saw members of the tribe carrying salt. They were taking it to the Taensa people. Bienville then traveled to the main Ouachita village. He said it had five houses and about 70 people. By the 1720s, the Ouachita joined the Natchitoches tribe. Today, their descendants are part of the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma. The Ouachita are known for their special tradition of burying horses.
Places Named After the Ouachita
Many places are named after the Ouachita tribe. These include the Ouachita Mountains in Oklahoma and Arkansas. The Ouachita River in Arkansas and Louisiana is also named for them. Lake Ouachita shares their name too. Other places include the Washita River, Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, and Washita County, Oklahoma. The town of Washita, Oklahoma is also named after them.
The name "Ouachita" has different meanings. According to one encyclopedia, it comes from a Caddo word. This word, washita, means "good hunting grounds." Another idea comes from the Choctaw language. Some believe "Ouachita" means "country of large buffaloes." This is because ouac means buffalo and chito means large. Long ago, many buffalo lived in the Ouachita lowlands. A historian named Muriel H. Wright had another idea. She thought "Ouachita" meant "big hunt far from home." This combines the Choctaw words owa (hunt) and chito (big).
How the Name is Spelled
The Ouachita tribe became known as the Washita tribe to English speakers. Both "Ouachita" and "Washita" are ways to write their name. They come from how the French and English heard and wrote the Caddo name. The tribe might also be known as the Yesito.
