Louisiana Indian Tribes

The following tribes at one time are recorded in history as having resided within the present state of Louisiana. If the tribe name is in bold, then Louisiana is the primary location known for this tribe, otherwise we provide the tribes specifics as it pertains to Louisiana and provide a link to the main tribal page if available.

  • Acolapissa Indians
  • Adai Indians
  • Alabama Indians
    Some of this tribe moved to Louisiana shortly after the territory east of the Mississippi was abandoned by the French. Most of them finally passed on into Texas, but a few are still settled in the southwestern part of the State.
  • Apalachee Indians
    A band of Apalachee Indians moved from the neighborhood of Mobile to Louisiana in 1764, remained for a short time on the Mississippi River and then moved up to Red River, where they obtained a grant of land along with the Taensa. Later they sold this land and part of them probably removed to Oklahoma, but others remained in Louisiana and amalgamated with other tribes.
  • Atakapa Indians
  • Avoyel Indians
  • Bayogoula Indians
  • Biloxi Indians
    The Biloxi settled in Louisiana about 1764, and a very few are still living there.
  • Caddo Indians
    The Caddo Indians are given under five different heads: the Adai and the Natchitoches Confederacy in Louisiana; the Eyeish, the Hasinai Confederacy, and the Kadohadacho Confederacy in Texas. (See Texas)
  • Chatot Indians
    The Chatot entered Louisiana about 1764, lived for a while on Bayou Boeuf, and later moved to Sabine River, after which nothing more is heard of them.
  • Chawasha Indians
  • Chitimacha Indians
  • Choctaw Indians
    Choctaw began moving into Louisiana not long after the settlement of New Orleans, at first temporarily, but later for permanent occupancy, especially after the territory east of the Mississippi had been ceded to Great Britain. Some settled on the northern shores of Lake Pontchartrain, where a few still remain, while other bands established themselves on the Nezpique, Red River, Bayou Boeuf, and elsewhere. Most of these drifted in time to the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, but a few families are still scattered about the State of Louisiana.
  • Doustioni Indians
    A small tribe of the Natchitoches Confederacy.
  • Houma Indians
    When first encountered by Europeans, the Houma lived near the present boundary line between Mississippi and Louisiana, if not actually on the Louisiana side. In 1706 or shortly afterward they moved altogether within the limits of Louisiana, where their descendants have remained to the present day.
  • Koasati Indians
    Part of this tribe entered Louisiana near the end of the eighteenth century and lived on Red River and in the western part of the State. At the present day, the largest single band of Koasati in existence is northeast of Kinder, La.
  • Koroa Indians
    The Koroa camped, hunted, and had at times more permanent settlements in northeastern Louisiana.
  • Mugulasha Indians
    This was a tribe which formerly lived in the same town as the Bayogoula on the lower course of the Mississippi. Some early writers state that they were identical with the Quinipissa and they will be treated in connection with that tribe.
  • Muskogee Indians
    The true Muskogee were represented by one band, a part of the Pakana tribe, which moved into the colony about 1764. They were settled upon Calcasieu River in 1805. Later they seem to have united with the Alabama now living in Polk County, Tex., but there are no known survivors at the present day.
  • Natchez Indians
    When this tribe was attacked by the French after they had destroyed the Natchez post, they escaped into Louisiana and fortified themselves at Sicily Island, from which most of them again escaped. A part under the chief of the Flour Village attacked the French post at Natchitoches in the fall of 1731, drove the Natchitoches from their town, and entrenched themselves in it. St. Denis, commander of that post, attacked them, however, having been previously reinforced by some Caddo and Atakapa., and inflicted upon them a severe defeat. After this no considerable number of Natchez seem to have remained in Louisiana.
  • Natchitoches Confederacy
  • Ofo Indians
    This tribe entered Louisiana some time in the latter half of the eighteenth century and finally united with the Tunica, settling with them at Marksville. (See the articles Mosopelea Indians and Tunica Indians.)
  • Okelousa Indians
  • Opelousa Indians
  • Ouachita Indians
    A tribe of the Natchitoches Confederacy.
  • Pascagoula Indians
    This tribe entered Louisiana about 1764 and lived on Red River and Bayou Boeuf. Their subsequent history is wrapped in uncertainty.
  • Quapaw Indians
    From 1823 to 1833 the Quapaw lived with the Kadohadacho on a southern affluent of Red River.
  • Quinipissa Indians
  • Souchitioni Indians
    see Natchitoches Confederacy.
  • Taensa Indians
  • Tangipahoa Indians
  • Tawasa Indians
    Some Tawasa accompanied the Alabama to Louisiana but not until after the separate existence of the tribe had been ended.
  • Washa Indians
  • Yatasi Indians
    A tribe of the Natchitoches Confederacy.

Collection:
Swanton, John R. The Indian Tribes of North America. Bureau of American Ethnology, Bulletin 145. Washington DC: US Government Printing Office. 1953.

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7 thoughts on “Louisiana Indian Tribes”

  1. Thanks so much for this information. My mother is 81 years old and started sharing with me and my siblings about our indian heritage and how our grandmother and great grandmother were blackfoot and cherokee indian. Hmmm first we have heard of this. So now she wants us to find out what we need to do to claim this to be true and find our lineage.

    Grandmother and mother were from Baton Rouge, Bachelor La, Marksville

  2. please help connect me to the tribe i belong to from my great grandmother who was creole. maybe the picture of her in her tribal wear can help direct me to the exact tribe.

  3. please help me find the tribe my great grandmother belonged to maybe her tribal wear in her picture i have can also help tell what specific tribe she was from in new Orleans and she was creole, a dark one.

    1. Hey I’m having same problem but if you know your great grandmother name try checking the American Indian tribe censor..I had no luck…In my case my grandmother told me the tribe name before she past but she told me her mother was 100% tribal…so I contacted the tribe directly..Waiting..but hope this help

      1. I thank you Miss lavena and miss jamelia for commented and replying back to my response thank you so much it means a lot to me I hope all of us finds the information that were needed for each one of us I will continue my search and I wish you both will on your search

  4. Please stop the racism between one another I feel blessed that I’m native and black please help me find my tribal members and ancestors I’m from Natchitoches Louisiana Winnfield Louisiana Lawley grandfather’s side hall grandmother side Bradley the Whiteside

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