The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1909-02-04
AMONG LOUISIANA INDIANS
Ancient Customs That .c Passing
Rapidly Away.

kapiuiy away.
The first tribe / succeeded In To-
eating we're the Chitimacha, says a
writer in the Southern Workman.
The old Chtimacha language, which
is still spoken by few, has a pc
cular sound to the unaccustomed ear
on account of the largo number OF
"sh" sounds. Ii is especially inter
esting, however, because 1t has no
known Affiliations, is like no other
u dian language and so forms a lin
guistic stock all to itself. French Is
spoken by all the tribe now, and as
it has become the language of com.
mon use the Indian tongue will soon
be lost forever. The old dances and
customs have already become ubso-
lote. although still remembered by
the older people; and the Indians
live MS do their French neighbors.
One old art, ana one only, is still
kept up in something like its original
purity, the art of making fine baskets
OF cane--baskets whose fadeless
colors are JOY to all lovers of In
dian handiwork. The Chitimacha are
compelled nowadays to travel twenty
or thirty miles to get their cane lor
askets whose fateless colors are a
Joy to all lovers of Indian handi-
work. The Chitimacha are com.
PEELED to travel twenty or thirty
miles to get their cane for basket
making. Once gathered and brought
home, 1t is carefully split and labori-
ously scraped until only the hard
outer shell of the stalk is left, when
it is ready for coloring and use. The
black color seen In Chitimacha bask-
cts is made with black walnut shells,
which are boiled with the bundles OF
cane splints eight or ten days before
the color is sufficiently set. The yell
low is secured by soaking the cane
splints eight days in lime water
made with burned shell of the fresh
water mussel; the red is produced
by boiling the cane, already dyed
yellow with lime, in a mash made OF
the roots of wood called "po-ash."
Ihe baskets are made in many
shapes and sizes. many of them
double - two complete baskets,
one inside the other, united at the
edges. Many patterns are used, to
which are given such names as
worm" SNAKE" alligator en-
trails" perch" bears earring"
"blackbird's eye" and "muscadine
pleling." Blowguns. hand made pot
terry vessels and silver ornaments
had been used within the memory OF
all the older people, but none could
be found at the time of my visit.
l found fossil shell thought to
have the power Of making rain. The
method OF use was to place the
'kash," as 1t was called. In a bowl
of water. which would be promptly
absorbed into the stone. A storm
was supposed to begin within q short
time after this was done, the fury
OF which was bound to increase un-
Ill the charm was removed from the
water and an appropriate formula
repeated. When l found the ''raiE-
stone" 1t was swathed in large
white cloth to keep it dry. and only
succeeded in buying it by promising
to keep 1t away from water.
The Houma tribe, near Houm2,
rerrebonne parish, is now nearly
extinct, only two or three persons
being found who can claim pure In
dian blood. The Houma language,
which belongs to the MuskogeaA
stock and is closely related to the
Choctaw. is remembered to-day BY
two old women only and one of these
has forgotten much Of what sb>
kLew of the Indian tongue. Strange
to say. this very woman remembers
some characteristic Indian songs
French is the prevailing language to
cay. and the Houma live like the
white people about them Even tha