Description
The Atakapa people, also spelled Attakapa, Attakapas, Attacapa, called themselves the Ishak, pronounced “ee-SHAK,” which meant “The People.” The Atakapa Tribe was a tribe located near the Gulf of Mexico. The famous explorers and Spanish Conquistadors from Europe adopted the pronunciation of their name from the nearby Choctaw tribe. The Atakapa tribe can be separated into two different bands, and each band has several different groups. The Ciw?t or Alligator Band lived along the Vermilion River and near Vermilion Bay in southwestern Iberia Parish and southeastern Vermilion Parish in south central Louisiana. The Otse, Teche Band, or Snake Band lived on the prairies and coastal marshes in the Mermentau River watershed. Cannibalism was more common than one may think in North America, although most of the Native Americans did not practice it. The Atakapa tribe did consume human flesh, especially at large feasts. The Choctaw tribe called them Atakapa because it meant "man-eaters."
Language
Atakapa is an extinct language isolate native to southwestern Louisiana and nearby coastal eastern Texas. It was spoken by the Atakapa people (also known as Ishak, after their word for "the people"). The language became extinct in the early 20th century.
Culture
A hunting and gathering tribe, they lived along the Gulf of Mexico, and the river valleys, lakeshores, and coasts from Galveston Bay, Texas to Vermilion Bay, Louisiana. In the summer, families moved to the coast, where the women cultivated maize. By 1719, they had obtained horses and hunted bison from horseback. They were said to have been short, dark, and stout. Their clothing included breechclouts and buffalo hides. Their customs included the use of wet bark for baby carriers and Spanish moss for diapers. The Atakapan ate shellfish and fish. The women gathered bird eggs, the American lotus for its roots and seeds, as well as other wild plants. The men hunted deer, bear, and bison, which provided meat, fat, and hides. The women cultivated varieties of maize. They processed the meats, bones and skins to prepare food for storage, as well as to make clothing, tent covers, tools, sewing materials, arrow cases, bridles and rigging for horses, and other necessary items for their survival.