Description
The Coushatta (Koasati: Koasati, Kowassaati or Kowassati) are now living primarily in the U.S. states of Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. When first encountered by Europeans, they lived in the territory of present-day Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama. They were historically closely allied and intermarried with the Alabama people, also members of the Creek Confederacy. Their languages are closely related and mutually intelligible. Under pressure from Anglo-American colonial settlement after 1763 and the French defeat in the Seven Years' War, they began to move west into Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas, which were then under Spanish rule.
Language
Koasati (also Coushatta) is a Native American language of Muskogean origin.
Culture
The Coushatta were traditionally agriculturalists, growing a variety of maize, beans, and squash, and supplementing their diet by hunting game and fish. They are known for their skill at basketry. Nearly all the Spanish expeditions (including the 1539-1543 Hernando de Soto Expedition) into the interior of Spanish Florida recorded encountering the original town of the tribe. Music holds a special place in Koasati culture, with traditional songs and dances playing a significant role in their ceremonies and celebrations. Storytelling is an integral part of Koasati tradition, serving as a means of preserving their history, teachings, and cultural values.