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Section33 Early HistoricHistoric Culture As you read, look for: • elements of Native American culture, and • vocabulary terms pirogue and calumet. Below: This painting by When the first Europeans came to Louisiana, the American Indians who were Francois Barnard, “Choctaw living here had a rich culture. Village near the Chefuncte,” provides an opportunity The Village for us to see history through Community life was organized around a tribe or a clan, which was headed the eyes of a person who by a chief or chiefs. Kinship was very important and, along with social class, actually lived it. directed much of a person’s life. 164 Chapter 5 Louisiana’s Early People: Natives and Newcomers Membership in clans was passed through the mother’s side of the family. The Above: The Choctaw played Caddo and the Tunica ranked the clans, with some more powerful than others, ball games as a form of and chiefs chosen only from specific clans. The Natchez had a caste (class) sys- recreation as well as to help tem with several levels. Moving into a higher group was possible through mar- them improve their skills riage, but a person could also lose rank by marriage. The Chitimacha followed a for hunting and war. George true caste system, in which people married only within their own class. Catlin caught the spirit of Children were raised in these groups, often under the care of all the adults. these games in his painting In some tribes, the mother’s brother handled discipline, and the father’s role “Choctaw Ball Game.” was more like a big brother. Discipline was mild, and the disapproval of the adults was usually enough to change unacceptable behavior. Children’s play often imitated adult work. In this way, they learned gender roles and the skills they would need as adults. But much of their childhood involved physical exercise, especially swimming and running, and they were not expected to do much work before age ten. Games were an important part of village life. Much excitement centered on games like chunky and several kinds of ball games. Chunky was a one-on-one match in which a stone called the chunky was rolled between goals. One player rolled the chunky, while the other hurled a pole to hit it. Betting on the out- come was a key part of the activity. Other competitive matches included wres- tling, racing, and archery. Section 3 Early Historic Culture 165 Clothing The Indians who lived in Louisiana wore simple clothing made from available materials. The clothes were suited to the climate and the sea- son. Men wore breechcloths made from buckskin and held at the waist with a belt. The belts were made of fur, fiber, or buckskin and were often decorated. Buckskin leggings provided more cov- ering, and men wore them when traveling or in severe weather. The women wore simple skirts. Natchez women were covered from the neck down with a garment of cloth made from mulberry bark. Choctaw women wove long skirts of buffalo wool or mul- berry bark fiber. Women in other tribes wore skirts made of woven palmetto leaves, Spanish moss, other plant fibers, or buckskin. For warmth, Caddo women added buckskin or fur ponchos. Children were dressed very simply and sometimes did not wear any clothes during the summer. When they needed footwear, the Indians made moccasins from the skins of deer, bear, or bison. Europeans admired the Indians’ feather cape, which was a woven net covered with turkey, duck, or swan feathers. Both men and women wore these beautiful garments for special occasions. Above: The matchcoat in this Body ornaments and tattooing were common to all groups. Sometimes the 1730s painting by Alexander tattoos indicated important deeds or clan membership. Body painting had dif- de Batz was made of bison ferent purposes, and certain colors and designs had different meanings. Pierced skin and was a protection ears were popular, and the Caddo pierced their noses to wear small silver orna- against the winter weather. ments. Their necklaces, bracelets, and rings were made of copper, silver, or gold. Work The natural environment of Louisiana provided the Indians with the plants Lagniappe and animals to meet their needs. Those who lived near the coast often had no need for farming and survived on the huge supply of clams. Others planted crops in the rich soil. The Native Americans also hunted, fished, and collected The Plains Indian sign wild plants. language name for the The men worked together to clear land, construct houses, and build boats. Caddo was “pierced nose.” They partially burned a cypress log and scraped out the burned area with shells to make a dugout. These boats were good for bayou travel, and the French later named them pirogues (pe ROGS). Women gathered together to weave baskets, make pottery, or craft other utensils. The double-walled baskets woven by Chitimacha women from river 166 Chapter 5 Louisiana’s Early People: Natives and Newcomers cane were so well designed that they could float. Members of the tribe also spent their time pre- paring food and making essential clothing and tools. Any items they did not need were traded for additional supplies. Shelter The Indians built their houses from available materials and adapted them to the climate. The Caddo built rectangular log houses, filling the cracks with clay mixed with deer hide to keep in the warmth. They also built a round summer house of woven grass. The Choctaw built a simple wood frame, plastered it with a clay-and-moss mixture, and then thatched it with palmetto leaves. Most of the tribes used some variation of these three types. The houses often had no window openings, and the small door faced the east for good luck. The houses varied in size; in some tribes, they were quite large and accommodated several families. Food In the wild, the Indians found acorns, hickory nuts, mayhaw, blackberries, and many other plants, including 250 kinds of roots. One of these was a wild sweet potato, the forerunner of the yam grown in Louisiana today. Above: The cabin of a chief This amazing list of foods was increased by farming. Long before the Euro- (bottom) and a temple peans arrived, The People were successful farmers. At first, the Indians culti- (top) depicted in this 1730s vated local plants such as the sunflower, amaranth, and tobacco. Trade with Alexander de Batz illustra- tribes in Mexico brought seeds for corn, beans, and squash, which soon re- tion are typical of the placed the earlier crops. shelters built by the Native Corn became the mainstay of their meals. They ate boiled corn and a dish Americans in Louisiana. of corn mixed with beans and other vegetables or fruits. The dish with ground corn was called sagamite (sa GA me ta). Corn was dried, making it a portable food supply. Called “pinole” by the Spanish and “cold meal” by the Brit- LagniappeLagniappe ish, this dried corn later developed into the well-known southern dish of Sagamite was described grits. The dried corn was ground into often in French accounts of meal and baked into bread. Another welcoming feasts. dried corn dish made by the Choctaw and Caddo included a meat filling, making a tamale-like dish. Section 3 Early Historic Culture 167 To protect the supply of corn from hungry animals, the Indians built grana- ries high off the ground. This stored food helped the Indians survive in years when crops were poor. The Indians supplemented the vegetables and fruit with the meat of deer and bison. Bear provided not only meat but also oil. Bear oil was the best fat available and became a substitute for money in an exchange economy. Religion The religion of the Indians was based on their concept of the world. Every- thing in the world had a place as part of a sacred whole. Preserving balance and harmony was the purpose of religious activities, which were supervised by priests, chiefs, and holy men. The light of the sun represented a sacred power to several tribes. The Natchez believed that their main leader, the Great Sun, possessed special gifts from the sun. Fire was one symbol of the sun’s power. Sacred fires and religious icons were often kept in special temples. For most tribes, the annual celebrations included a new corn festival and a harvest festival. Some ceremonies continued for several days, with the partici- Top: At the Grand Village of pants getting little sleep or food. Dance and music were important in these the Natchez, a Natchez religious festivities. Dances had specific meanings, and dancers often imitated house, granary, and drying animals to tell a story or teach a lesson. The musical instruments accompany- platform have been recon- ing these songs and dances included drums and cane flutes. structed. Above: Deer were Some Indian practices were not understood at all by the Europeans. The ritual important animals to the of sacrifice seemed cruel and evil, especially to those who saw the women of- Native Americans, providing fer their babies to the death fire of a great chief. To some Indians of the early both food and clothing. eighteenth century, however, that act brought honor to the family and sent spirits to join the chief in the next world. 168 Chapter 5 Louisiana’s Early People: Natives and Newcomers Government A war chief and a peace chief usually led the tribe. The war chief was the military leader, the one who decided when to go into battle. The peace chief handled the tribal matters. Some tribes also had sub-chiefs.

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