Description
The Bayougoula Tribe, which means "bayou people" in Choctaw, lived with the Mugulasha Tribe. The name likely came from either their location or their tribal emblem - the alligator. The present-day town of Bayou Goula in Iberville Parish, south of West Baton Rouge Parish, bore the tribal name and was likely the site of the original Bayougoula tribal village. In 1700, the Houma killed several Bayougoula victims. The Bayougoula turned on the Mugulasha and destroyed their tribe. In 1706, the Taensa, who sought refuge with the Bayougoula, attacked and killed their hosts, and the remaining Bayougoula members merged with the Houma and Acolapissa who lived in the area, whilst others likely intermarried with neighboring French, Spanish, and German colonists.
Language
Before European contact, the Bayougoula and Mugulasha were the only tribes that spoke a Choctaw dialect of the Muskogean language family that lived west of the Mississippi River.
Culture
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 offerings were made. At this time they numbered 200 to 250 men, probably including the Mugulasha.