Acolapissa
Encyclopedia
The Acolapissa were a small tribe of Native Americans
, said to originate from the shores of the Pearl River
, between Louisiana
and Mississippi
before 1702. This made them one of four tribes, along with the Bayogoula, Biloxi, and Pascagoula
who inhabited the gulf coast of Mississippi at the time of the European arrival. After that time, they moved further west, into what is now the area around New Orleans. Pressured by European settlement of the area and disease, the small tribe eventually was absorbed into the Houma
, which now live in and around Houma, Louisiana
. Current population of the Houma tribe is said to be around 11,000 persons. A petition for federal status for the Houma was denied by the U.S. government in 1994.
had constituted a seventh village but broke away some time before 1700 to form a separate tribe. In 1699 they were attacked by a band of 200 Chickasaw
led by two English slave traders, who intended to take them as slaves to South Carolina
.
. Other names for the tribe were: Aqueloupissa, Cenepisa, Colapissa, Coulapissa, Equinipicha, Kinipissa, Kolapissa, and Mouisa.
The Acolapissa were of Muskogean language stock and closely related to Choctaw and Chickasaw
.
The Acolapissa adorned their bodies with tattoo
s, since they wore little clothing due to their location.
Some sources indicate that the Acolapissa may have been the same tribe as the Quinipissa
or the Tangipahoa
. According to several sources related to the Houma, tribes in the area of Lake Ponchartrain called them Mugulashai.
The tribe is considered "extinct" by European sources, even though most historic writings indicate the Acolapissa joined with the Houma
in the era following European entrance into their lands.
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
, said to originate from the shores of the Pearl River
Pearl River (Mississippi-Louisiana)
The Pearl River is a river in the U.S. states of Mississippi and Louisiana. It forms in Neshoba County, Mississippi from the confluence of Nanih Waiya and Tallahaga creeks. It is long. The Yockanookany and Strong rivers are tributaries. Northeast of Jackson, the Ross Barnett Reservoir is formed by...
, between Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
and Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
before 1702. This made them one of four tribes, along with the Bayogoula, Biloxi, and Pascagoula
Pascagoula
The Pasacagoula were an indigenous group living in coastal Mississippi on the Pascagoula River....
who inhabited the gulf coast of Mississippi at the time of the European arrival. After that time, they moved further west, into what is now the area around New Orleans. Pressured by European settlement of the area and disease, the small tribe eventually was absorbed into the Houma
Houma Tribe
The Houma people are a Native America tribe. They belong to the United Houma Nation, a state recognized tribe in Louisiana. They primarily live in East and West Feliciana, and Pointe Coupee Parishes, about 100 miles north of the town of Houma named for them, west of the mouth of the Mississippi...
, which now live in and around Houma, Louisiana
Houma, Louisiana
Houma is a city in and the parish seat of Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, and the largest principal city of the Houma–Bayou Cane–Thibodaux Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's powers of government have been absorbed by the parish, which is now run by the Terrebonne Parish...
. Current population of the Houma tribe is said to be around 11,000 persons. A petition for federal status for the Houma was denied by the U.S. government in 1994.
Early history
The Acolapissa had six villages. The TangipahoaTangipahoa
The Tangipahoa were a Native American tribe that lived in Louisiana, just north of Lake Pontchartrain. It is from them that the modern town of Tangipahoa, Louisiana gets its name.The Tangipahoa were closely related to the Acolapissa...
had constituted a seventh village but broke away some time before 1700 to form a separate tribe. In 1699 they were attacked by a band of 200 Chickasaw
Chickasaw
The Chickasaw are Native American people originally from the region that would become the Southeastern United States...
led by two English slave traders, who intended to take them as slaves to South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
.
Culture
The name Acolapissa means "those who listen and see" in the Choctaw languageChoctaw language
The Choctaw language, traditionally spoken by the Native American Choctaw people of the southeastern United States, is a member of the Muskogean family...
. Other names for the tribe were: Aqueloupissa, Cenepisa, Colapissa, Coulapissa, Equinipicha, Kinipissa, Kolapissa, and Mouisa.
The Acolapissa were of Muskogean language stock and closely related to Choctaw and Chickasaw
Chickasaw
The Chickasaw are Native American people originally from the region that would become the Southeastern United States...
.
The Acolapissa adorned their bodies with tattoo
Tattoo
A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...
s, since they wore little clothing due to their location.
Some sources indicate that the Acolapissa may have been the same tribe as the Quinipissa
Quinipissa
The Quinipissa were an indigenous group living on the lower Mississippi River, in present day Louisiana, as reported by René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle in 1682....
or the Tangipahoa
Tangipahoa
The Tangipahoa were a Native American tribe that lived in Louisiana, just north of Lake Pontchartrain. It is from them that the modern town of Tangipahoa, Louisiana gets its name.The Tangipahoa were closely related to the Acolapissa...
. According to several sources related to the Houma, tribes in the area of Lake Ponchartrain called them Mugulashai.
The tribe is considered "extinct" by European sources, even though most historic writings indicate the Acolapissa joined with the Houma
Houma
Houma can refer to:*Houma, Louisiana, city in the United States*Houma, Shanxi, city in China*Houma Tribe, a Native American group*Houma, a proper name*Houma, meaning cape, the name of some capes in Tonga and villages near them such as:...
in the era following European entrance into their lands.
External links
- Shovel, Dick. Acolaphissa History.
- Acolapissa, Access Genealogy