Indians of Louisiana

Description

The Indians of Lousianarepresent one of the state’s most fascinating stories. Proud, industrious, andresourceful, the various tribes have left their imprint in a variety of ways.One finds links to these old cultures simply by taking notice of some ofLouisiana’s place names-Houma, Caddo, Atakapas, Natchitoches, Tangipahao, Bayougoula, and Uochita are but a few examples. But the story of Louisiana’sIndians isn’t limited to names.In Indians of Louisiana, Dr. Fred B. Kniffen traces thejourneys of the first Indians to arrive in Louisiana more than a thousand yearsago and provides a general overview of their cultures. The earliest Indians, hepoints out, had no bows and arrows, no axes, and made no pottery. Hereconstructs the cultures of these fascinating and mysterious early inhabitantsthrough archaeological studies of Indian “middies”-great white moundsof clamshells and dirt.But archeology is just one tack taken by Kniffen in the course of hisstudies. A professor of geography and anthropology at Louisiana StateUniversity, he is considered one of the state’s foremost authorities on thesubject of indigenous cultures. In addition to his archaeological approach, Dr.Kniffen also looks at the cultural aspect of Louisiana’s Indian tribes; herecords their legends and their tales and doesn’t leave out modern history, either. The story of the Europeans’ arrival to Louisiana and their inevitableconquest of the Indians is also recounted.Mildred Compton’s lively and accurate illustrations add depth and color tothis authoritative and entertaining work.