From December, 1908, to April, 1909, the author was in lower Louisiana, the greater part of the time being spent in St. The notes obtained as a result of these visits are now presented on the following pages.
CONTENTS
VIII CONTENTS
THE CHOCTAW OF BAYOU LACOMB, ST. TAMMAM
PARISH, LOUISIANA
HABITAT
HISTORY
The river "Talcatcha" is the present Pearl River, and, as will be seen, the distance between the village of "Colapissas" up the river from Lake Pontchartrain is the same as the present Choctaw settlement. On the Ross Map of 1765, a small portion of which is reproduced on Plate 2, the site of an ancient town of "Colapissas" is given near the mouth of Pearl River, evidently too far to the south. The next river to the west on the Ross map is the "Tanzipao", the present Tangipahoa, flowing through the parish of the same name, bounding St.
BUSHNELL] THE CHOCTAW OF BAYOU LACOMB, LOUISIANA 3
EVIDENCES OF EARLY OCCUPANCY
Owing to the heat the earth is discolored to a depth of 6 to 8 inches below the surface of the hearth, and to a depth of several inches it. For reasons stated above, it was not possible to determine whether the shells rested on the original surface or filled an artificial excavation. Fragments of many pottery vessels were also recovered, but no whole objects of any kind were found, nor was a single piece of stone discovered in any part of the excavation.
BUSHNELL] THE CHOCTAW OF BAYOU LACOMB, LOUISIANA 5 Examples of pottery from the shell deposit are shown in plate 4
Several burials are said to have been discovered in a small mound a short distance west of the Chinchuba mound. As previously indicated, several names still unused were known and applied to streams at the time of the earliest French exploration of the region. The name of the Gulf of Mexico, as given on the Lamhatty map of 1707, '* is Ouquodky.
MATERIAL CULTURE
CJiefuncte River.— Known by the same name among the Choctaw, the word meaning "chinkapin" (Castanea 'pumila). OTcesok (Juglans squamosa nuts).— The nuts were broken and the flesh removed. BUSHNELL] THE CHOCTAW OF BAYOU LACOMBA, LOUISIANA 9residue in the sieve is called tonlache.
BUSHNELL] THE CHOCTAW OF BAYOU LACOMB, LOUISIANA 9 portion remaining in the sieve is called tonlache. Much of the hotu
This is quite remarkable as the plant was formerly so widely used by the Southern tribes. One of the favorite patterns, the only one they remember, was a yellow crescent, outlined in blue, painted on both cheeks.
TATTOOING
Their ancient method of dressing is shown in the photograph of the old woman, Heleema (Luisa), plate 10. At present they buy the necessary tools and equipment in shops and other facilities are no longer used. The following list is believed to include all things of native origin now made by the Choctaw atBayou Lacomb:.
WOOD
STONE
LEATHER
The skin is then removed from the mortar and crushed; several small holes are cut round the edge, and through these strings are passed, which serve to hold the skin, stretched between two upright poles, as shown in plate 12, a. To soften it, the skin is pulled back and a stake, smooth and round, is driven into the ground all the time to prevent the skin from tearing (see Fig. 12, a, on the right).
POTTERY
If another person has the opportunity to look at an object being made or before it is burned, the Choctaw believe that it will crack as soon as it is placed near the fire. Pottery bowls are no longer made, although they are remembered by the living Indians, who remember seeing bowls provided with three small feet; therefore bowls must have been in use only a short time ago.
HORN
BASKETS
The only colors used by the Choctaw before aniline dyes were obtained were yellow, red, and black. BlacJc or Dark Brown.— At present the Choctaw of Bayou Lacombe yield no black or dark brown dye. The Choctaw of Bayou Lacombe do not know that mats were ever made or used in their tribe.
CORDS
Taposhake sliakapa (mandelbow [shape]).– A very old example of this unusual basket is shown on Plate 18. This is a very large double basket, formed from two different thicknesses of reeds; the bottom part is 18 inches high. This is a double weave, made entirely of naturally colored reed, no dyes have been used.
METAL
Thestrap passes through four loops of the cane, as shown in the illustration. Covered Heskettas.—These are no longer made, though they are remembered by women as having been fashioned a generation ago. Another form of basket, no longer made but formerly common, was designed to hang on the wall.
SOCIAL CULTURE
Inhulata ogla, or People of the Prairies.—This was considered the largest and perhaps the most important division of the Choctaw. 7 meters in length; is made from a single piece of cane (Arundinaria macrosperma; ChoctSiW,us]ce), iormed into a tube with joint holes, which is given as a smooth opening of uniform diameter throughout. Arrows {suma'nte) are made either of small, thin reeds or of pieces of yellow pine, sharpened at the end; they are from 15 to 18 inches in length. To'le.-The players were divided into two equal groups or sides, which may be designated AdheB.
BUSHNELL] THE CHOCTAW OF BAYOU LACOMB^ LOUISIANA 21
The Bayou Lacomb Choctawalways dance at night, never during daylight hours, the snake dance, the last of the seven, ends at. Tliis agrees with the statement made by Bossujust one and a half centuries ago that ''almost all the gatherings of the Chactas take place at night. Neither the men nor the women of this branch of the tribe seem to know of any special dances, though it is highly probable that in former years different ceremonies were performed on particular occasions.
Until a few years ago, several hundred Choctaw lived near Bayou Lacomb within a radius of a few miles. Their dance ground was in the pine forest some distance north of where the few remaining members of the tribe now live. To the second hoop are attached four narrow strips of rawhide, each of which is .. attached to a stick passing diagonally through the wall of the drum.
If you want to tighten the drum head, it is only necessary to drive the wedge further. It is impossible to say whether this instrument is a purely American form or shows the influence of the negro. bSloane Collection in the British Museum, American Anthropologist, n. s., vni, no bushnell] choctaw of bayou lacomb^ louisiana 23 Medicinal plants and treatment. The Choctaw use many different plants in the treatment of various ailments and demonstrate a wide knowledge of the flora of the region.
The i)oil enumerated in the following list* were all collected between January 1 and April 15 in the vicinity of Bayou Lacomb.
PLANTS
The Choctaw treat ulcers and sores by applying a salve. pine resin mixed with lard or tallow. The bitten limb is inserted into a hole dug in the ground, which is then filled with soil and water. let it remain like this in thoroughly soaked soil for several hours. As a remedy for severe stomach pains or rheumatic pains, these Choctaws believe in the efficacy of a powerful anti-irritant.
BUSHNELL] CHOCTAW OF BAYOU LACOMBA, LOUISIANA 25pain a piece of cotton or similar material, about the size of a.
BUSHNELL] THE CHOCTAW OF BAYOU LACOMB, LOUISIANA 25 the pain a piece of cotton or similar substance, about the size of a
The Choctaw have a high reputation among the inhabitants of the surrounding country for honesty and truthfulness. Many of the man's friends and relatives accompanied him to the girl's village, where they obviously had something. In the case of the death of a person of great importance, however, the corpse was allowed to remain in state for a day before burial.
This object was placed near the door or entrance of the lodge and indicated to everyone that the resident wished to end mourning. During these three days, the friends of the mourners gathered and began to dance and celebrate. In time, they stopped crying and joined the festivities, which continued another day.
Since the Choctaw covered in this article have been under the influence of the Roman Catholic Church for many years, it is not surprising that they have changed some of their primitive views about the future state. Emma and Louisa, now living in Bayou Lacomb, when the children were baptized by Pere Rouquette, and the former was one of the. Persons who die by a violent death involving the loss of blood, even a few drops, do not go to the house of Aba (heaven), regardless of the nature of their earthly life or their rank in the tribe.
Unfortunate spirits who fail to reach Aba's home remain on earth near the places where they died.
MYTHS AND LEGENDS
At night, when the person is resting and everything is fine, the "spirit" steals away .. away from the body and wanders the country and sees many . people and things that the individual knows when he wakes up. In this event, Kwanoka'sha and the three old spirits told him how to use the herbs –. The Choctaw say that few children wait to accept the third spirit's offering of good herbs, and therefore there are comparatively few great mediciners and others.
Its legs and feet are those of a deer; the former is covered with hair and the latter has cloven hooves. It lives in low, swampy places, far away from people's habitations. After the third day their skin begins to change and soon resembles the skin of a trout. While the hunter slept, the hunter took delight in attaching to his hands and feet deer legs chosen for this purpose.
Then a skin was found that covered him well, and finally antlers were placed on his head. One day when they were in the forest, they found his bow and arrow hanging from a branch of the tree under which he had slept next to the doe's body. To the astonishment of all, it spoke, whereupon they recognized the voice of the lost hunter.
Distressed, the hunter's mother begged her companions to remove the deerskin, antlers, and legs from her son, but she was told that he would surely die if they did so.
BUSHNELL] THE CHOCTAW OF BAYOU LACOMB, LOUISIANA 33
34. Come closer,” said the developer, “so I can get into your boat.” The girls said she could not do that, but she rested one end of her paddle on the side of the boat and the other on the bank, and told the devil to walk over the bridge thus made. That night, after they had all gone to sleep, the old woman went into the house and cut off the man's head, which she put in the basket she carried for that purpose; then she covered the man. The man's body with his blanket and quietly left the house. Soon she was a big bear, who said to her: 'I have hidden you in your basket, old woman. You must not see it,” she said, “for if you look at it you will lose your eyes; It is poison and evil.' The bear was satisfied and moved on.
BUSHNELL] THE CHOCTAW OF BAYOU LACOMB, LOUISIANA 35
INDEX
POTTERY FROM SHELL DEPOSIT IN MOUND NEAR GHINCHUBA CREEK
PIPE {/() FROM SHELL DEPOSIT AND STONE OBJECTS (b-m) FOUND ON SURFACE ARTIFACTS FOUND IN OR NEAR SHELL DEPOSIT.
POUNDING CORN IN WOODEN MORTAR
NATIVE BASKETS
ANCIENT METHOD OF WEARING THE HAIR-PHOTOGRAPH OF HELEEMA (LOUISA)
TWO TANNING PROCESSES
PISATUNTEMA (EMMA)
NATIVE BASKETS, DOUBLE WOVEN, WITH COVERS
