An interesting account of the various tribes of Native Americans found in early St. Tammany Parish was written up by Charlene Hayton Layburn many years ago. A newspaper clipping of it was recently found in the scrapbook of an older resident. Here is the text of that article.
The Indians of St. Tammany Parish
By Charlene Hayton Layburn
"One night two men who were really friends, not enemies, were dancing and drinking with many others, when they suddenly began quarreling and fighting; finally one was killed by the other.
The following day, after the murderer had recovered from the effects of the whisky, he realized what he had done, and knowing he would have to die, he went to the relatives of the murdered man and told them he was ready to meet his doom, but asked that he be allowed to remain with them about two weeks longer, as he did not want to miss a dance to be held within that time.
To this they consented, and during the following days he was given many small presents, as pieces of ribbon, beads, and tobacco. He was treated by everyone, by old and young alike, with the greatest respect and kindness; all endeavored to make his last days enjoyable. At last came the event on account of which his life had been prolonged, and for three days and nights all sang and danced.
The next day, just at noon, when the sun was directly overhead, was the time fixed for the execution. Shortly before that time his friends and relatives gathered at his house, where he joined them. All then proceeded to the cemetery, for the execution was to take place on the edge of the grave that he himself had helped to dig, in a spot he had selected.
The murderer stood erect at one end of the grave, and with his own hands parted his shirt over his heart. Four of his male friends stood near with their hands on his shoulders and legs, to keep his body erect after death. His female relatives were on each side, and all were singing loudly.
Soon he announced that he was ready. A relative of the murdered man advanced and pressing the muzzle of a rifle against the murderer's chest, fired."
This event, the last native execution according to tribal custom, was recorded in 1909 by David I. Bushnell Jr. in an interview with two Choctaw women of Bayou Lacombe. It happened on the outskirts of present day Abita Springs on the banks of the Abita River.
Who were the Indians living on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain when DeSoto discovered the Mississippi, when Bienville founded New Orleans? According to the Louisiana State Historical Roadside Marker in downtown Abita Springs, they were Choctaw. But the Choctaw nation was broad and many tribes are closely related; such a tribe was the Acolapissa. In fact, so closely related were they that history can no longer distinguish between them and the Choctaw.
They belonged to the same language family as tribes of the Muskogean stock—
the Choctaw of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama and the Creek of Alabama, Georgia and Florida. Whether or not these people were Acolapissa, Creek or a small branch of the main Choctaw tribe cannot be determined.
However, the names of many rivers and streams in St. Tammany Parish reflect this Choctaw heritage:
Bayou Castine: from the Choctaw "caste" or "fleas," named for the large number of fleas on its shores.
Chinchuba Creek: "chinchuba" meaning "alligator."
Chefuncte (Tchefuncte) River: "chefuncte" meaning "chinkapin" (a fish).
Pontchitoawa (Pontchitalawa) Creek: meaning "singing hair."
Bogue Falaya: "bogue" meaning "river" and "falaya" meaning "long."
Other areas known to have been inhabited by the Choctaw in this area include:
Cane Bayou: called "chela' ha" or "noisy."
Bayou Lacombe: known as "butchu' wa" or "squeezing."
Of particular interest is the derivation of "abita." According to the Choctaw Indians living in the area at the turn of the century, it is not a Choctaw name, yet the Abita Springs area and the banks of the Abita River were home for several bands of the Indians in St. Tammany.
The explanation of "abita" may also give a clue to the geneaology of the entire Indian population of the north shore. The Choctaw Indians reported the story of an old man who called himself Abeta and came from far away to make his home near the spring.
The name Abeta suggests another Indian tribe, the Abihka of the Upper Creeks in Alabama; Abeta may have brought the Creek nation to mix with the Choctaw and-or Acolapissa.
However, a brochure proclaiming the attributes of Abita Springs explains that the name does come from the Choctaw but with various spellings—Abita, Ibetab.
Apparently, history has, for the time being, left no exact explanation. Since the last Indians living in the area, and many of the terms claim Choctaw derivation, one would be inclined to consider the Choctaw influence the most dominant.
The Choctaw Indians had various villages throughout the parish. Chinchuba Creek was very popular and a mound, bones representing those animals in the Indians' diet, fragments of pottery, a pipe, and several burials have been round along its shores.
The major tribe divisions in this area included:
Kash'pa ogla, or the Half People -- Living at Bayou Lacombe.
Shatje ogla, or Inc Crayfish People -- Twelve miles west of Bayou Lacombe near Chinchuba.
Inhulata ogla, or the Prairie People—Principal settlement, Hatcha, on the Pearl River; this was the largest and probably most important division in the region.
Other people living north of the shores of Lake Pontchartrain were:
Tula'iksa' ogla, or Fall-in-bunches people.
Chufaiksa' ogla, or Bunchies-of-flies people.
Shunkwane ogla, or Ant people.
Hanna' la ogla, or Six people.
The homes were built either circular or rectangular of frames of small saplings with tops and sides of palmetto thatch. The circular houses were usually large and provided shelter for many persons and a single door opened to the south. The lodge was heated by a fire in the center whose smoke passed through an opening the roof directly over it.
The oldest male member of each "ogla" or subdivision of the tribe was the leader of that division. The leader or chief functioned much the way as has been pictured in the old west movies; he gave advice and led many ceremonies, such as marriage.
The Choctaw were a very honorable people and the political basis for their lives revolved around truth. Dealings with them demanded these rules of fairness be strictly followed; to lie or mislead them led to contempt and distrust. As demonstrated by their punishment for murder, one's duty was to accept an equal-for-equal exchange.
Likewise, anything stolen had to be returned if the thief was discovered, or if the thief could not be located, his family was required to make an equal restitution of the property. Even in murder, should the murderer escape, another member of his family usually was executed in his place.
Likewise, anything stolen had to be returned if the thief was discovered, or if the thief could not be located, his family was required to make an equal restitution of the property. Even in murder, should the murderer escape, another member of his family usually was executed in his place.
To act in any way other than this honorable tradition was to be a coward and to be shunned by the village. The early settlers of this area respected the Choctaw for their ordered society, and they were recognized as peaceable and quiet people. It is said that this particular tribe never warred with the encroaching Americans.
The Choctaw of St. Tammany, like the majority of the Indians of North America, placed deep significance in nature. All their stories and legends were based on natural explanations, including the creation of the variety of Indian nations, the reason for good or bad children, the temptations and dangers of the forest, etc.
One particularly interesting story explains the eclipse of the sun, "ache oklelega" ("sun dark or dirty"): The Choctaw believe that since the sun works very hard each day it becomes dirty and smoked from the great fire within. Therefore, it must sometimes rest and clean itself, which it does during an eclipse. Afterwards, the sun will shine even brighter.
The story of the "Okwa Naholo," "White People of the Water" is significant since "they" live in the Abita River . Again, David Bushnell in "The Choctaw of Bayou Lacombe, Louisiana" shares this piece of folklore: "The Okwa naholo dwell in deep pools in rivers and bayous. There is said to be such a place in the Abita River; the pool is clear and cold and it is easy to see far down into the depths, but the surrounding water of the river is dark and muddy.
Many of the Ok-wa naholo live in this pool, which is known to all the Choctaw.
As their name signifies, the Okwa naholo resemble white people more than they do Choctaw; their skin is rather light in color, resembling the skin of a trout.
When the Choctaw swim in the Abita near the pool, the Okwa naholo attempt to seize them and to draw them down into the pool to their home, where they live and become Okwa naholo.
After the third day their skin begins to change and soon resembles the skin of a trout. They learn to live, eat, and swim in the same way as fish.
Whenever the friends of a person who has become one of the Okwa naholo gather on the river bank near the pool and sing, he often rises to the surface and talks with them some of time even joining in the singing.
But after living in the pool three days the newly made Okwa naholo cannot leave it for any length of time; if they should go out of the water they would die after the manner of fish, for they cannot live in the air."
History can be interesting; particularly when its memory is with us every day. One cannot mention "Bogue Falaya" "Chinchuba" or "Abita Springs" without a flashing remembrance of the Indians who gave the parish these colorful, musical names.
History is alive and well and living in St. Tammany Parish.
