|
Atákapa Indians
To close the list of
the linguistic families encircling the
Maskoki stock, we mention the Atákapa, a
language which has been studied but very
imperfectly. This tribe once existed upon
the upper Bayou Tčche northwest and west of
the
Shetimasha, north and northwest of the
Opelousa Indians, and from the Tčche
extended beyond Vermilion river, perhaps
down to the sea coast. The Atákapa of old
were a well-made race of excellent hunters,
but had, as their name indicates, the reputation of being
anthropophagites (Cha’hta: hátak, haitak
person, ápa to eat). At first, they suffered
no intrusion of the colonists into their
territory and cut off expeditions attempting
to penetrate into their seats. During the
nineteenth century they retreated toward the
Sabine River. The name by which they call
themselves is unknown; perhaps it is
Skunnemoke, which was the name of one of
their villages on Vermilion River, six
leagues west of New Iberia. Cf. Th. Hutchins
(Phila., 1784).
The scanty vocabulary
of their language, taken in 1802, shows
clusters of consonants, especially at the
end of words, but with its queer,
half-Spanish orthography does not appear to
form a reliable basis for linguistic
conclusions. A few words agree with Tónkawē,
the language of a small Texan tribe; and
according to tradition, the Karánkawas, once
the giant people of Matagorda Bay, on the
Texan Coast, spoke a dialect of Atákapa.
These three tribes were, like all other
Texan tribes, reputed to be anthropophagists.
In extenuation of this charge, Milfort
asserts that they "do not eat men, but roast
them only, on account of the cruelties first
enacted against their ancestors by the
Spaniards" (p. 90). This remark refers to a
tribe, also called Atákapa, which he met at
a distance of five days travel west of St.
Bernard bay.
We have but few notices
of expeditions sent by French colonists to
explore the unknown interior of what forms
now the State of Louisiana. One of these,
consisting of three Frenchmen, was in 1703
directed to explore the tribes about the
river de la Madeleine, now Bayou Tčche. The
two men who returned reported to have met
seven "nations" there; the man they lost was
eaten by the natives, and this misfortune
prompted them to a speedy departure. The
location seems to point to the territory of
the Atákapa.1
Footnotes:
- Pénicaut, in Margry
V, 440.
Back to:
Southern Families of Indians
Notes About Book:
Source: Gatschet, Albert S., A Migration Legend of the Creek Indians.
Pub.
D.G. Brinton, Philadelphia, 1884.
Notes about Online Publication: This manuscript has been ocr'd and heavily
edited. Many of the Native American words have been reproduced as clearly as
online publication will allow us, but not all are exactly the way they were in
the original work. The structure of this manuscript has been changed to allow
better online presentation.
|
|
Pre-Order Family Tree Maker 2012!!!