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St.
Tammany Parish,
Louisiana
THE CHOCTAW OF BAYOU LACOMB
By
David I.
Bushnell, Jr.
Habitat St. Tammany parish,
Louisiana, borders on the northern shore of Lake
Pontchartrain and is bounded on the east by the State
of Mississippi, from which it is separated by Pearl
river.
In the southern part of the parish
are many bayous that flow into Lake Pontchartrain.
Extensive marshes and swamps are found between the
bayous, in which flourish the magnolia, live oak,
black gum, cypress, and palmetto, and vast quantities
of Spanish moss hang from the branches of many trees.
Back from the swamps and bayous, on slightly higher
ground, is one unbroken stretch of forests of longleaf
pine (pl. 1).
Deer, otter, and mink are still to
be found; opossums, raccoons, squirrels, and rabbits
are very numerous; and ducks, quail, and wild turkeys
are killed in large numbers.
The climate is mild during the
winter; there is but little frost, and rarely a few
flakes of snow fall. The summers are long and hot. As
a whole the section is very healthful.
At the present time the Choctaw have
two settlements within the limits of the parish: one
near Bayou Lacomb, the other at Pearl River station,
on the right bank of the river, about twelve miles
from its mouth. Only a few members, a mere remnant, of
the tribe now live in this region.
HISTORY
Unfortunately very little is known
of the history of the people of whom this paper
treats.
The earliest writers, as well as the
oldest maps of the region, designate the Acolapissa as
the tribe occupying the region now included within the
limits of St. Tammany parish, at the time of the
discovery and settlement of lower Louisiana by the
French.
The Acolapissa were so closely
connected with the Choctaw proper that it is not
possible now to distinguish between them. They spoke
the same
language, probably with only slight local
variations. Their manners and customs, in all
probability, were similar to a great extent.
,'•,
*•'.
One of
the earliest definite references to the region is
contained in the
Relation
.of/'Penicaut,0 touching on a period when there
was a general movement among the Southern tribes.
It is stated thus:
At this same time [1705] the
Colapissas, who dwelt on a little river called
Talcatcha,
four leagues 'distant from
the shore of Lake Pontchartrain, went to live on
its banks at the place' named Castembayouque.
The.'river "Talcatcha " is the present Pearl
river, and, as will be seen,
the. distance of the
"Colapissas" village up the river from Lake
.Pontchartrain is the same as
that of the present Choctaw settlement.
The Choctaw name of their own
settlement is Hatcha, a name applied
'also to Pearl river. This name
is clearly a contraction of the word
Talcatcha recorded by
Penicaut.
Moving
from Pearl river about the year 1705, the
"Colapissas" went to "Castembayouque." Here,
again, is a name similar to the present Choctaw
designation of a bayou a few miles west of Bayou
Lacomb. On the maps this is now designated Castine
bayou; but to the Choctaw it is still known as
Caste bayou, caste
being the Choctaw word
for "flea;" the bayou, they say, is thus named on
account of the large number of fleas found near
its mouth and on its banks.
On the
Ross map of 1765, a small portion of which is
reproduced in plate 2, the site of an old town of
the "Colapissas" is indicated near the mouth of
Pearl river, evidently too far south.
West of Pearl river, on the same
map, is "Kefonctei R," the present Chefuncte river
(from the Choctaw word for "chinkapin"). The short
stream entering Lake Pontchartrain between the two
rivers is evidently intended to represent Bayou
Lacomb, as the location is correct.
The next
river westward on the Ross map is the "Tanzipao,"
the present Tangipahoa, flowing through the parish
of the same name, which bounds St. Tammany parish
on the west. The name is derived from the two
Choctaw words, tonche,
"corn," and
pahoha,
"cob" or "inside;" it was
literally translated by them "corncob."
During his extended tour through
the southern part of the country Bartram traversed
Lake Pontchartrain, to which he makes the
following reference
on the shore of Lake
Pontchartrain. A high polish has resulted from
the action of the sand and water. Arrow points
of white quartzite have also been found in the
locality, but these were probably made far to
the northeast. Small grooved axes are likewise
met with, but they are quite rare. The jasper
of which the specimens figured were made was
obtained in the form of pebbles from the beds
of certain streams in St. Tammany parish.
South and east of the mound referred to above,
for a distance of 200 feet or more, the
surface was covered with shells of the kind
mentioned (Rangia
cuneata Gray) to a
depth of from 4 to 8 inches. Intermingled with
the shells were fragments of pottery and
traces of bones, greatly decayed. A similar
deposit was encountered on the opposite side
of Chinchuba creek, near the great live oak
commonly called "Pere Kouquette's oak" (pl.
6). Some shells and a few pieces of pottery
were found exposed upon the surface beneath
the branches of the oak, on the very spot
where the Choctaw were wont to gather to hear
the teachings of Pere Rouquette. These latter
examples of pottery and likewise the shells
appear to be of comparatively recent origin,
and were undoubtedly left there by the Choctaw
not more than one or two generations ago. As
the pottery is similar to that found in the
deposit of shells beneath the mound, all
should probably be attributed to the same
people.
Several burials are said to
have been discovered in a low mound a short
distance west of the Chinchuba mound. The work
is reputed to have been done some years ago;
but the writer was unable to gain any definite
information respecting it.
Place Names In St.
Tammany Parish
As
before shown, certain names still in use were
known and applied to the streams at the time
of the earliest French exploration of the
region. Therefore it is not unreasonable to
suppose that many, if not all, of the names
now employed by the Choctaw to designate the
rivers and bayous were used in precolonial
days.
The names are given here as
they appear on the maps of the United States
General Land Office, together with the English
translations.
Abita.—The
name of a spring, and also of a river which is
one of the principal tributaries of the
Chefuncte river. The meaning of this word is
not known to the Choctaw. They say that an old
man who called himself Abeta' came from far
away and made his home near the spring. But
this happened many years ago, and no Indian
now living ever saw him. They insist that
abita
is not a Choctaw word.
The name at once suggests the
Abixka
of the Upper Creeks, and
may have been derived from that source. The
man who took up his abode near the spring may
have been a Creek.
Bayou Castine.—The
Creoles claim the name was derived from
Castagne, the name of an early French settler.
But the Choctaw say it was taken from their
name of the bayou,
Caste
("fleas"), so named on
account of the large number of fleas found
there. Now, as the name has been shown to have
been in use when the French first entered the
region, we should accept the Choctaw
explanation as probably correct.
Chinchuba creek.—Given
the same name by the Choctaw.
Chinchuba
in the Choctaw language
means "alligator."
Chefuncte river.—Known
by the same name by the Choctaw, the word
meaning "chinkapin"
(Castanea pumila).
Ponchitoawa creek.—The
same in Choctaw. The word is translated
"singing hair."
Bogue Falaya.—From
the Choctaw bogu,
"river," and
falaya,
"long."
Cane bayou.—Known
to the Choctaw as
chela'ha, "noisy;"
said by them to be so named on account of the
noise caused by the wind blowing through the
canes.
Bayou Lacomb.—Called
by the Choctaw
butchu'wa,
"squeezing." Their settlement is also known by
the same name.
Pearl river.—Known
to the Choctaw at the present time as Hatcha.
The same name is applied to the settlement.
Lake
Pontchartrain.—The
Choctaw name for the lake, as well as for any
wide expanse of water, is Okwa'ta (okwa=water,
the suffix ta
meaning "large" or
"wide"). The name of the Gulf of Mexico, as
given on the Lamhatty map of 1707,° is
Ouquodky.
MATERIAL CULTURE
Habitations
The primitive habitations of
the Choctaw who lived on the north shore of
Pontchartrain are described as having been of
two types, circular and rectangular. The
frames were formed of small saplings; the tops
and sides were constructed of palmetto
thatch.6
According to the present
inhabitants, many of the circular houses were
large, affording shelter for many persons.
Only one door was made, this in most cases
facing the south. A fire was kindled on the
ground within the lodge, the smoke passing out
through an opening made for the purpose at the
top near the center.
The
later form of habitation is shown in plate 12,
b.
It will be seen that the
sides, formed of thin planks, are arranged in
the same way as the palmetto thatch of former
days.
REF:
Food: Supply And Preparation
Unfortunately, comparatively
few of the articles of food used by the
primitive Choctaw are known to the members of
the tribe of whom this paper treats. They are
able to give, however, the names of a few
plants that are even now used.
Ahe
(Smilax
laurifolia).—The hard bulbous roots are
pounded fine, a small amount of water is added
if necessary, and the paste is made into small
cakes, which are fried in grease. The Choctaw
say that formerly bear's grease was always
used for this purpose.
Ahe
is spoken of as haying
been one of their favorite foods.
Ahelo'sa
(Phaseolus
diversifolius).—The roots are first thoroughly
boiled, then mashed, and served as food.
Nuse
(acorns of the Quercus
aquatica).—These acorns were pounded in a
wooden mortar until fine. The meal was then
put into an openwork basket and water was
poured through several times. It was then
boiled or used as cornmeal.
Okesok (nuts of
the Juglans squamosa).—The nuts were cracked
and the meat was removed. When a sufficient
quantity had been obtained, the meat was
pounded and made into a paste, which was
beaten up in a small quantity of boiling
water. The mixture was then eaten as a broth
or soup.
Kombo ashish.—The
leaves of Lauras
sassafras are
gathered during the autumn, usually about the
middle of October, after they have turned red.
They are thoroughly dried in the sun and air,
without the use of artificial heat. They are
then pounded in a wooden mortar until reduced
to a very fine powder, which is sifted to
remove all hard particles. The powder is again
placed in the mortar and pounded until as fine
as it can be made, when it is ready for use.
About a teaspoonful of this powder added to a
kettle of soup gives it a glutinous quality
and the flavor also is relished. This powder
is highly prized by the Creoles of Louisiana.
Tonche
(Zea mays).—Corn is
allowed to ripen and harden on the cob; then
it is removed and dried thoroughly over hot
ashes. Next, it is put into a wooden mortar
(kite),
plate 7, and pounded with
a wooden pestle
(Jcetoke), plate
8, after which it is placed in a winnowing
basket (obfko'),
plate 9. The
obfko'
is held horizontal, with
the flat edge away from the operator; it is
jerked back and forth, up and down, thereby
throwing the crushed grain a foot or more into
the air. The lighter particles are carried off
and fall into the large flat basket
(tapa),
plate 9, resting on the
ground. The portion of the grain remaining in
the obfko'
is again pounded in the
mortar and subsequently passed through a sieve
(ishsho'ha),
plate 9. The fine
particles that pass through the sieve are
known as botu;
the coarser
portion remaining in the sieve is called
tordache.
Much of the
botu
was parched and eaten
mixed with water; but most of the coarser
tonlache
was boiled either with or
without meat. Corn is said to have been
extensively raised by the Choctaw during past
years. Beans and potatoes were also raised,
but no other vegetables are remembered.
Wild crabapples are gathered
and dried on a frame arranged over a bed of
hot ashes and coals. This appears to be the
only fruit that is preserved in any manner and
kept for future use. Many kinds of haws and
berries grow in great quantities in the
vicinity of Bayou Lacomb, but it is said they
are never dried, being eaten only when fresh.
Honoshe
(rice).—The Choctaw have
a very simple method of preparing rice. After
being gathered and dried, it is pounded in a
wooden mortar
(kite), with a
wooden pestle
Qcetoke), care
being taken not to crush the grain more than
can be avoided. Next the chaff is removed by
shaking the grain up and down in a winnowing
basket (obfko'),
the chaff falling
into the large
tapa. If all the
husks are not loosened during the first
pounding, the grain is again pounded in the
mortar and later winnowed. It is then sifted
to remove the broken grains, and afterward
washed and dried.
Game was formerly abundant
throughout lower Louisiana and venison and
bear's meat were important articles of food,
either fresh or dried. The Choctaw method of
preserving meat may be described as follows:
Thin strips were hung on sticks or spread over
a frame, or in the thick smoke from a fire on
which green or wet wood had been placed. Meat
thus prepared during the cold months would
remain good throughout the following spring
and summer. Large quantities were formerly
prepared in this way. Pork is now similarly
treated.
As
they live where fish are abundant and easily
caught, it is remarkable that the Choctaw
seldom, if ever, eat them. At times, however,
large trout and shrimp were dried in the sun
for future use.
As before stated, a large
area surrounding the mound near Chinchuba, and
also in the vicinity of Pere Rouquette's last
chapel, is covered with the shells of the
Rangia cuneata
Gray, these clams
having been brought up the creek from the
shore of Lake Pontchartrain. That they
constituted an important article of food is
evident from the vast quantity of shells found
mixed with charcoal, broken pottery, and many
bones of turkey, deer, and other animals, none
of which appear to be very ancient, and which
consequently must have been left by the
Choctaw. The women at Bayou Lacomb say,
however, they have never eaten clams, although
the "old people" may have done so. The present
natives know of the accumulated mass of
shells, and as they are scattered over the
site of one of their old settlements they
express the opinion that the shells must have
been gathered by the Choctaw ("the old
people") who lived there.
Ilex
cassine.—This
grows throughout the region and some specimens
were found near Bayou Lacomb, but the Choctaw
have no knowledge of a tea ever having been
made of it. This is rather remarkable as the
plant was formerly so extensively used by the
Southern tribes.
Dress And Personal
Decoration
Hair
Men wore their hair long
enough to enable them to make two braids, one
on each side of the head. In front the hair
was cut straight across, above the eyebrows.
Women allowed their hair to grow very long.
Their ancient method of wearing it is shown in
the photograph of the old woman,
Heleema
(Louisa), plate 10.
PAINTING
Both men and women painted,
especially when dressed for dancing. The women
remember having seen blue, red, yellow, and
green used on their faces. They say there were
no special designs and that no combination of
colors had any meaning. One of the favorite
patterns, the only one they remember, was a
yellow crescent, outlined with blue, that was
painted on both cheeks. This was used by both
men and women and represented a new moon in
the dark blue sky.
TATTOOING
Tattooing
(hanchahale) was
practised by both men and women, but only to a
very limited extent. An old woman who died a
few years ago is said to have had lines of
tattooing extending from the corners of her
mouth across both cheeks to her ears.
According to the writer's informants, no
totemic devices were ever represented, and
tattooing was done only as a means of
ornamenting the face. In some cases the
shoulders were tattooed, but no other part of
the body. The method of tattooing practised
was as follows: A needle was used to puncture
the skin and soot caused by a fire of yellow
pine was rubbed over the surface. This was
then wiped off and more soot rubbed in, to
make certain that all the punctures were
filled. The soot gave a bluish tinge to the
dots. No other substance or color was ever
employed.
ORNAMENTS
Quantities of glass beads
and much bright-colored ribbon are said to
have been obtained from the traders. The
Choctaw are very
fond of bright and
gaudy colors. Among the older men are
remembered several who were experts in
the art of making silver ornaments.
One small pin is shown in plate 14;
this was made from a silver dime and
the date 1856 still may be clearly
read on the back. Larger ornaments
were made from larger coins. Pendant
earrings were also fashioned, having
glass beads attached to the lower
part. When dancing, the men often wore
strings of small brass bells around
each leg, below the knee. These bells
were highly prized by the older
generation. Feathers do not seem to
have been held in great esteem,
although they were worn.
Artifacts
Comparatively few
articles are now made by the Choctaw,
much of their ancient art having been
forgotten. At the present time they
purchase the necessary tools and
implements at the stores, and other
objects are no longer used.
The list which
follows is believed to include all
things of native origin now made by
the Choctaw at Bayou Lacomb:
WOOD
Mortars and pestles
(see pp. 8, 9).
Scrapers, two forms
of, used in preparing skins (see pp.
11, 12).
Drum (see p. 22).
Ball club (see p.
20).
Blowgun and darts
(see p. 18).
Canoes (see p. 18).
STONE
Pieces of chert or
jasper are sometimes used with a steel
to "strike fire."
LEATHER
Straps for
carrying baskets.
Narrow strips
used on the ball clubs.
Untanned skins
used for the heads of drums.
Long strips of
tanned deer skin used as lashes for
whips by the drivers of ox teams
employed in the lumber industry. The
Choctaw method of tanning is as
follows:
(a)
Skins to be
tanned soft, without the hair. A hole
is dug in the ground, its size being
determined by the number of skins to
be prepared. The walls and bottom are
made smooth and water is poured in,
which, on account of the nature of the
clay and sand formation, remains
several hours. The skins are then put
into the water, where they are allowed
to remain several hours, or sometimes
during the night. A hole filled with
water, containing several skins, is
shown beneath the ax handle in plate
11, a.
After the skin
has become sufficiently soaked and
softened, it is taken from the water
and spread over the end of a beam, as
shown in plate 11,
a.
In this position
the hair is readily removed by the use
of an instrument resembling a modern
drawknife, and, although a piece of
metal is now used in the wooden
handle, it is highly probable that
stone or bone was formerly employed
for the same purpose.
The hair having been
removed, the skin is placed in a
mortar, or in a hole cut in a log (see
pl. 11, 6) which serves the purpose.
Eggs and cornmeal mixed with a little
water are then poured over the skin,
which is thoroughly beaten with a long
wooden pestle.
The skin is then
taken from the mortar and wrung rather
dry; a number of small holes are cut
around the edge and through these
cords are passed, which serve to hold
the skin stretched between two upright
posts, as shown in plate 12,
a.
While in this
position it is scraped and all
particles of flesh are removed. The
instrument now employed consists of a
piece of metal attached to a long
wooden handle. A large bone probably
served as the primitive implement.
The skin remains
stretched, until dry, when it is, of
course, rather stiff. To soften it,
the skin is pulled back and forth over
the top of a stake driven into the
ground, which has been made smooth and
round to prevent tearing the skin (see
pl. 12, a,
on the
right).
This process of
tanning renders the skin soft and
white. The Choctaw claim that it is a
very ancient method of preparing
skins. Eggs of various kinds, they
say, are used with equally good
results. The method described,
including the use of corn and eggs,
may have been followed by all the
Southern tribes.
Lawson,a in writing
of the Indians of Carolina more than
two centuries ago, referred to their
use of "young indian corn, beaten to a
pulp," in the place of the brains of
animals, in preparing skins. "Young
indian corn" would probably have about
the same effect as the mixture of eggs
and cornmeal.
If the skins are to be smoked, a
process that renders them more
durable, a hole a foot or more in
depth is dug in which a fire is kept
until a bed of hot ashes accumulates.
On this are put pieces of rotten oak,
no other wood being used for this
purpose; these are not permitted to
blaze, as the more smoke that arises
the better it is for the skins. These,
already tanned soft and white and
perfectly dry, are stretched over the
hole and allowed to remain in the
smoke an hour or more.
(6) Skins to be tanned soft, with the
hair remaining. If the skin is dry and
stiff it is first softened with clear
water, after which it is spread over a
beam and scraped on the inner surface
to remove all flesh. The inside is
then thoroughly rubbed with a mixture
of eggs, cornmeal, and water, great
care being taken not to wet the
outside, or fur. When the skin is
about dry, it is pulled and worked
back and forth over the top of a
stake, as already explained, after
which it remains soft.
POTTERY
Pipes
(ashun'kwa)
are still
made and used by the Choctaw. Two
specimens fashioned by Ahojeobe
(EmilJohn), plate 13, are shown in
plate 14. These are made of a white
clay that outcrops in certain places
beneath the superstratum of yellow
clay and sand along the banks of the
bayous. There is no tempering of sand
or pulverized shell, only the clay
being used.
The clay is
moistened and kneaded until the mass
is uniformly damp throughout. The pipe
is then modeled and allowed to dry.
The incised decoration is added before
the pipe is burned in a bed of hot
ashes and glowing coals. When
thoroughly burned it turns rather dark
in color, whereupon it is removed from
the fire and immediately immersed in a
bowl of grease, which is absorbed by
the clay and carbonized by the intense
heat. This process causes the pottery
to turn black and also adds a certain
luster to the surface.
Herein probably is
to be found the explanation of the
origin of the rich black ware obtained
from mounds and burials in Louisiana
and Mississippi.
The use of white
clay by the Choctaw is in harmony with
a statement made by Lawson
a
concerning the
Indians of Carolina, about the year
1690: "Where they find a vein of white
clay, fit for their purpose, [they]
make tobacco pipes."
The Choctaw have a
strange superstitious belief in
connection with the making of pottery.
They say that no person except the one
who is making the object should see it
until after it has been removed from
the fire. If another person chances to
look on an object while it is being
made or before it is burned, the
Choctaw believe that it will crack as
soon as placed near the fire.
Pottery bowls are no
longer made, although they are
remembered by the living Indians, who
recall having seen bowls provided with
three small feet; consequently bowls
must have been in use only a short
time ago.
HORN
Spoons are made
by the Choctaw from cow horns
(wale lape'she
sti'mpa;
literally, cow horn spoon).
Two good examples
are represented in plate 14.
In describing the
manners and customs of the Choctaw,
Adair6 alluded to "their wooden
dishes, and spoons made of wood and
buffalo horn;" consequently the making
of spoons is a continuation of an
ancient art.
BASKETS
The Choctaw are
excellent basket makers, although
their work at the present time is
greatly inferior to that of a
generation ago. The best baskets are
made of narrow strips of cane,
Arundinaria
macrosperma
(Choctaw,
uske),
though now, at
Bayou Lacomb, they are using the stems
of palmetto,
Serrenoa
serrulata
(Choctaw,
tola), as
cane is no longer found near-by, and
to obtain it a journey has to be made
to Pearl river, some fifteen or twenty
miles away.
The baskets now
made, with few exceptions, are very
crude and rather poorly formed.
Brilliant aniline dyes are used in the
place of the more subdued native
colors. Large numbers of small baskets
provided with handles are made and
exchanged in the stores of the near-by
towns for various goods; these are
purchased by strangers and taken away
as examples of native art.
Ref
Dyes
The only colors
utilized by the Choctaw before they
obtained aniline dyes were yellow,
red, and black. These, together with
the natural cane, gave them four
colors to combine in their work.
The old Cherokee
basket now in the British Museum,
known to have been obtained in
Carolina in 1721, displays the same
colors— yellow, red, and a very dark
brown, or black. It is evident that
these were the only colors used by the
Southern Indians in their basket work.
The Choctaw method
of making the dye and coloring the
material is simple.
Yellow.—To
make a yellow dye they gather a
quantity of roots of the
Rumex crispus
L. (yellow
dock), which when dry are reduced to
small pieces by pounding in a wooden
mortar. The dye is then extracted by
boiling in water. The material to be
dyed is placed in the infusion and
allowed to boil until the desired
color is obtained.
Red.—Equal
parts of the bark of the
Quercus texana
(red oak)
and the
Nyssa aquatica
L. (black gum)
are burned to a fine ash. Water is
then added to the ashes, forming a
thick paste. The material previously
dyed yellow, as above described, is
then placed in a vessel and the ash
paste poured over it. After a few
hours the strong alkali turns the
yellow to a deep red. The intensity of
the color depends on the length of
time the material remains in the
ashes. If, during the first process,
the material is dyed dark orange, the
application of the paste causes it to
turn reddish purple.
Black or dark
brown.—At
the present time the Choctaw of Bayou
Lacomb do not make a black or dark
brown dye. They claim, however, that
the "old people" made such a dye from
the bark of a tree that grows in the
north but not in this region,
referring probably to the walnut.
In addition to
the dyes enumerated above the Choctaw
make and use a red paint, but this is
seldom applied to baskets. It is made
thus: Equal parts of the bark of the
Quercus
texana
(red oak) and the
Quercus
obtusiloba
(post oak) and a
smaller quantity of the bark of the
Quercus
virens
(live oak) are boiled together until
the liquid begins to thicken. The bark
is then removed and the liquid is
again boiled until still thicker. Just
before removing the mixture from the
fire a small piece of yellow pine
pitch is added and, when melted, is
thoroughly mixed with the extract. The
latter is then removed from the fire
and is ready for use. The drum (pl. 7)
was decorated with paint of this sort.
Types
Kishe'
(packbasket),
plates 15, 16. The bottom is
rectangular; the top flares on two
sides. Extreme height, 21 inches. Made
entirely
of natural colored cane, no dyes being
used. The strap
(aseta)
passes through
four loops of the cane, as are shown
in the illustration. This particular
basket was made at Bayou Lacomb about
five years ago by Pisatuntema (Emma),
plate 17.
Taposhdke shakapa
(basket
elbow [shape]).—A very old specimen of
this peculiar basket is shown in plate
18. This is made of cane, some parts
being colored yellow and red with
native dyes.
Taposhdke chufa
(basket
pointed).—A typical specimen is shown
in plate 18. This is claimed by the
Choctaw to be one of the oldest forms
made by them.
Covered baskets.—These
are no longer made, although they are
remembered by women as they were
fashioned a generation ago. Two
examples are here shown: (a) Plate 19,
a.
This is a very
large double basket, formed of two
distinct thicknesses of cane; the
lower part is 18 inches in height. The
basket is rectangular in form. The
cover is about 5 inches in depth. The
ornamentation is formed of canes dyed
red and yellow. The specimen is a rare
example of Choctaw basketry,
(b)
Plate 19,
b.
A very old basket
of Choctaw make. This is a double
weave, made entirely of natural
colored cane, no dyes having been
used. The dimensions are: Length, 8\
in.;
width, 4 in.; depth, 5 in.
Another form of
basket, no longer made but formerly
common, was designed to hang on the
wall. The basket proper was
rectangular or slightly oval in shape.
One side extended 8 or 10 inches above
the other and was provided with a loop
at the top, by means of which the
basket was suspended from a nail or
peg.
The sieve,
winnowing basket, and large flat
basket, or
tapa,
are described in
the section treating of the
preparation of food (pp. 8, 9).
The Choctaw at Bayou
Lacomb have no knowledge of mats ever
having been made or used in their
tribe.
CORDS
Narrow strips of
the bark of -the cypress tree
(Cupressus
disticha;
Choctaw,
shamgo'lo)
serve as cords,
which are employed for various
purposes. Spanish moss was never used
to make ropes.
Metai.
Ornaments, as pins,
earrings, etc., were formerly made by
hammering silver coins until they
became thin and then perforating them
in various designs.
SOCIAL CULTURE
It is interesting to know that many of
the primitive beliefs and customs of
the people here dealt with have
persisted to the present day,
notwithstanding the fact that the
Choctaw have been in close
contact with
Europeans for about two
centuries, and under the
direct influence of Christian
missionaries for several
generations.
The Tribe
By the
people of the tribe, or, more
correctly, that portion of the
tribe now under consideration,
they themselves are called the
Chata' ogla
or the
Chata' people or family.
According to them, the first
word can not be translated as
it is merely a proper name.
The great
tribe is divided into many
distinct subdivisions, each of
which has a special name. The
oldest male member of each
subtribe, or subdivision, of
the great tribe, was the
recognized leader or chief of
that division or family. These
leaders were the ones to be
consulted whenever advice was
required, and, as will be seen
later, they played an
important part in the marriage
ceremony of the tribe. The
subdivisions of the tribe were
numerous and no two members of
the same division
(ogla)
were allowed to marry.
The
divisions known to have lived
in this region are:
Kasha'pa
ogla,
or the
Half people.—They lived at
Bayou Lacomb and the remnant
of the tribe now dwelling
there belong to this division.
The name of the village was
Butchu'wa.
Shatje
ogla,
or the
Crayfish people.—The home of
this family was near
Chinchuba, some twelve miles
west of Bayou Lacomb.
Toshkachlto (pl. 20) is said
to be the last member of the
family.
Inhulata
ogla,
or the
Prairie people.—This was
considered the largest and
probably the most important
division of the Choctaw Living
in the region. Their principal
settlement, Hatcha, was
located on Pearl river.
Other
divisions, known by the people
at Bayou Lacomb to have lived
in the country a short
distance northward, are:
Tula'iksa' ogla,
or
Fall-in-bunches people.
Ohufaiksa' ogla,
or
Bunches-of-flies people.
Shunkwane
ogla,
or Ant
people.
Hanna'le
ogla,
or Six
people.
Unfortunately the people at
Bayou Lacomb know very little
respecting the tribal
organization and customs.
Brief List Of Words Used By
The Choctaw At Bavoit Lacomb
The Divisions Of The Year
Arrow
ina'' ke
basket
taposhake
It is asserted by the women at
Bayou Lacomb that the Choctaw
year was divided into twelve
moons; but it is highly
probable that thirteen—not
twelve—is correct. The native
method of reckoning the
divisions of the year is no
longer practised, nor do the
present Choctaw remember the
names of all the moons; they
assert, however, that the year
begins in December instead of
the first of January. The only
names they can recall are:
December
Una'fa liashe,
Cold
moon.
February
Hashe Icapo'sha,
Moon of
snow.
March
Hash'mdhale,
Moon of
wind.
April
Tans hashe,
Corn
[planting] moon.
July
Hash' luwak,
Moon of
fire.
The year is
divided into two seasons,
which in turn are subdivided,
making four seasons in all:
Spring
Tofa ape.
Summer
Tofa laspa.
Autumn
Unafa ape.
Winter
Unafa kapese.
Beliefs
Concerning Eclipses
Eclipse
of the sun,
ashe
dklelega
("sun
dark or dirty"). The Choctaw
say that since the sun works
every day he becomes dirty and
smoked from the great fire
within. It is necessary
therefore for him to rest and
clean himself, after doing
which he shines the brighter.
During the eclipse he is
removing the accumulated dirt.
A similar explanation applies
to the dark of the moon, their
term being:
ninaahukwa oMelega,
lcoshsholeje,
or
moon dark
or dirty, cleaning
Beliefs
Concerning Thunder And
Lightning
Thunder
and lightning are to the
Choctaw two great
birds—Thunder
(Heloha),
the female; Lightning
(Mala'tha),
the male.
When they hear a great noise
in the clouds, Heloha is
laying an egg, "just like a
bird," in the cloud, which is
her nest. When a tree is
shattered the result is said
to have been caused by
Mala'tha, the male, he being
the stronger; but when a tree
is only slightly damaged, the
effect is attributed to
Heloha, the weaker.
Great
trouble or even war was
supposed to follow the sight
of a comet.
Section II
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