NEW ORLEANS From Bienville to Bourbon Street to bounce. 300 moments that make New Orleans unique.

WHAT HAPPENED On March 9, 1699, 1718 ~ 2018 Indians lead Iberville and Bienville to 300 Bayou St. John. TRICENTENNIAL

By the time Europeans arrived, several tribes A map showing the regions of the Native Americans in the region in 1909. The Coushatta tribe began had lived up and down the Mississippi River weaving baskets out of long- for centuries. The Indians helped René-Robert The United Houma Nation holds an annual leaf pine in the mid-20th powwow. century, as traditional river Cavalier Sieur de La Salle, Pierre Le Moyne cane, wiregrass and split d’Iberville and others as they explored the re- white oak became scarce. gion. Indians originally showed Iberville the por- tage route from the Bayou St. John to the river, which ultimately led the French to establish New Orleans. Under French and Spanish rule, the Native American tribes were given sovereignty and leeway to trade and live side by side. At the end of the 17th century, about 70,000 Native Ameri- cans lived in lower Louisiana. Native Americans in New Orleans and Louisiana played a pivotal role in the creation of the Crescent City. The French and other European settlers en- slaved Indians. The Spanish outlawed such slav- ery. The leeway given the Indians in the Louisi- ana territory changed under U.S. rule. Previous agreements were rescinded, and the Caddo and Choctaw tribes, among others, were forced to move outside of Louisiana. The New Orleans Jazz and Several smaller tribes refused to leave, settling Heritage festival features a in swamps and marshes outside of the city. The Native American village with powwows, music and food Native Americans formed communities includ- Native Americans from tribes including Choc- from tribes including United ing Pointe-aux-Chenes and Isle de Jean Charles. taw and Chitimacha settled in Pointe-aux- Houma Nation, Jena Band of Native Americans witness René-Robert Cavalier Sieur de La Salle taking possession of Louisiana for Chenes in Terrebonne Parish in the 1800s to Choctaw, Coushatta Tribe of These remaining Native Americans helped and the French in 1682. avoid being moved by the federal government. Louisiana, Louisiana Band housed African-American slaves in the 1800s. Af- of Choctaw and the Tunica- rican-Americans honor them in New Orleans by LOUISIANA PLACE NAMES OF INDIAN ORIGIN: ABITA SPRINGS • AMITE • ATCHAFALAYA RIVER • AVOYELLES PARISH • BATON ROUGE • BAYOU GOULA • BAYOU NEZPIQUE • Biloxi Tribe. BOGUE CHITTO • BOGUE FALAYA • CADDO PARISH • CALCASIEU PARISH • CATAHOULA PARISH • COUSHATTA • HOUMA • MISSISSIPPI RIVER • NATCHEZ • NATCHITOCHES • OPELOUSAS • dressing up as “Mardi Gras Indians.” OUACHITA PARISH • PLAQUEMINE • PONCHATOULA • ST. TAMMANY PARISH • TANGIPAHOA PARISH • TCHEFUNCTE RIVER • TCHOUPITOULAS STREET • TENSAS PARISH • TICKFAW • TUNICA