Tensas Parish LA

The Taensa were a small Native American tribe related to the Natchez, likely encountered by De Soto in 1540 and first documented by La Salle in 1682. They lived near Lake St. Joseph in Louisiana and experienced several visits from European explorers and missionaries throughout the late 17th century. Facing threats from neighboring tribes, the Taensa eventually relocated, settling near Mobile and later Red River. By the early 19th century, they had largely disappeared as an independent entity, although some descendants exist among the Chitimacha.