Description
A Muskhogean tribe whose early home was probably Mauvila, or Mavilla, supposed to have been at or near Choctaw Bluff on Alabama river, Clark County, Alabama, where DeSoto, in 1540, met with fierce opposition on the part of the natives and engaged in the most obstinate contest of the expedition. The town was then under the control of Tascalusa probably an Alibamu chief. If the Mobile tribe took part in this contest, they must later have moved farther south, as they are found on Mobile bay when the French began to plant a colony at that point about the year 1700. Wishing protection from their enemies, they obtained permission from the French, about 1708, to settle near Fort Louis, where space was allotted them and the Tohome for this purpose.
Language
Mobilian Jargon, pidgin, or trade language with limited vocabulary, based on Choctaw and Chickasaw, languages of the Muskogean family
Culture
Traditionally, most Southeast tribes spoke languages of the Muskogean family. Among them were the Choctaw, Chickasaw, Apalachee, Creek, Seminole, and Alabama. Southeastern cultures relies on evidence from diverse sources, including artifacts, historical documents, ethnography, linguistics, folklore, and oral history. Many cultural traditions reported by the earliest European explorers, such as the use of ceremonial mounds, the heavy reliance on corn (maize), and the importance of social stratification in some areas, were clearly developed during the Mississippian culture period (c. 700–1600 ce). The Mississippians maintained fine craft traditions and also engaged in long-distance trade throughout the Southeast and the surrounding culture areas.