Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana

The Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana is one of three federally recognized tribes of Koasati people. They are is located in Allen and Jefferson Davis Parishes, Louisiana. The tribe hosts an annual pow wow during the second weekend in June.[3]

Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana
Tribal flag
Total population
910[1]
Regions with significant populations
 United States ( Louisiana)
Languages
English, Koasati
Religion
Traditional tribal religion, Protestant Christianity[2]
Related ethnic groups
Other Koasati people

Reservation

The Coushatta Indian Reservation is located on 154-acres in Allen Parish, Louisiana. Approximately 400 people lived on the reservation in the 1990s.[2] The reservation has a tribal police department, fire department, and court house. There is also a tribal medical facility, fitness center, and event center.

Language

The Koasati language is part of the Apalachee-Alabama-Koasati branch of the Muskogean languages. An estimated 200 people spoke the language in 2000, most of whom lived in Louisiana.[4] Historically, the language was spoken exclusively among tribal members and was never written down.[5] In 2007, along with McNeese State University, the tribe received a NSF documenting endangered language (DEL) grant that provided necessary resources to document and preserve the Koasati language.[6]

Government

The Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana is headquartered in Elton, Louisiana. The tribe is a sovereign nation and is governed by a democratically elected five-member council. The current administration is as follows:

  • Chairman: David Sickey
  • Vice–Chairmam: Kevin Sickey
  • Secretary Treasurer: Loretta Williams
  • Council Member: Crystal Williams
  • Council Member: Jonathan Cernek.[7]

International Relations

On November 17, 2008, the Sovereign Nation of the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana became the first Native American tribe to recognize, honor and welcome official representatives of the State of Israel.[8]

Economic development

The tribe owns and operates the Coushatta Casino Resort in Kinder, Louisiana. The casino is home to the Koasati Pines golf course. The casino operates 8 restaurants and 4 hotels, and is the largest casino in the state. The casino employs over 2500 local residents, and it is one of the top five largest private employer in Southwest Louisiana.[9] ],[2] [10]

Notes
  1. "Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana." Archived 24 March 2005 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 27 May 2013.
  2. Pritzker 364
  3. Coushatta Powwow. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
  4. "Koasati." Ethnologue. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
  5. "The Koasati Indians of Southwest Louisiana."
  6. "Koasati Language Project." Retrieved 11 December 2018
  7. "Tribal Government." Archived 4 July 2013 at Archive.today Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
  8. "Coushatta signs friendship treaty with Israel." Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  9. "Major employers of Southwest Louisiana."
  10. "Coushatta Casino Resort." 500 Nations. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
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References
  • McCrocklin, Claude (1990). "The Red River Coushatta Indian Villages of Northwest Louisiana, 1790-1835". Louisiana Archaeology. No. 12.
  • Pritzker, Barry M. A Native American Encyclopedia: History, Culture, and Peoples. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. ISBN 978-0-19-513877-1

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