Bayogoula Indians

Bayogoula Tribe: Meaning “bayou people,” either from their location or from the fact that their tribal emblem was the alligator. Bayogoula Connections. Their language was of the southern Muskhogean division, not far removed from Houma and Choctaw. Bayogoula Location. Near the present Bayou Goula, in Iberville Parish. Bayogoula History. Unless this tribe was the Pishenoa encountered by Tonti in 1686 and not mentioned subsequently, it was first visited by Iberville in 1699. It then occupied one town with the Mugulasha. In the winter of 1699-1700 the Bayogoula suffered severely from a surprise attack of the Houma. In the spring of … Read more

Bayogoula Tribe

Bayogoula Indians (Choctaw: Báyuk-ókla ‘Bayou people’). A Muskhogean tribe which in 1700 lived with the Mugulasha in a village on the west bank of the Mississippi, about 64 leagues above its mouth and 30 leagues below the Huma town. Lemoyned’ Iberville gives a brief description of their village, which he says contained 2 temples and 107 cabins; that a fire was kept constantly burning in the temples, and near the door were kept many figures of animals, as the bear, wolf, birds, and in particular the choucoüacha, or opossum, which appeared to be a chief deity or image to which … Read more