The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-02-28
Houma Indians. Studied as
Kin to Prehistoric
Mound Builders
By JOHN r. FRANKlSH
United Press Staff Correspondent

United fresS Staff SofeSf'o
PHILADELPHIA, FcO. -. -.
CCPD. - The Houma Indians Oh
the Louisiana bayou country ma!
be descended, at least lndIreCtiE'
from the prehistoric RACES OF MIS-
y;ssippi Valley Mound builders
according to Dr. f. G. SpecN, pro-
fessor Of anthropOloEN ut thc
University OF Pennsylvania.
The scientist returned recently
from Il tip Of several months
through parts Of the a moSt MAG
cessible bayou regions. near inc
town of Houma, La, after making
a preliminary investigation which,
he said, represented the tlrSi
study Of the history, customs ana
civilization of the Houma group
since Il survey 80 years ago by the
Bureau Of American Ethnology.
DR.. Spcck found the little
known tribe. which is made up OF
remnants of the original Houma
and several other tribes virtually
wiped out in colonial Indian wars
to be Furnishing.
LIVE PRIMITIVE LIFE
The people DEFEND almost en-
tirely on hunting, fishing and
oyster gathering in the bayou
country and live in comfort and
simplicity in the vast marshes and
cypress swamps in which the
white man usually does not sur
vive,' the anthropologist report.
ed.
"Thcir homes usually are
matched palmetto huts and then
transportation over the marsh
lands is provided by swift, dugout
canoes. They are contented,
pcaccablc, wcll-ordcrcd, virtually
crimclcss and extremely clean"
DR.. Speck's findings Indicate a
link between the present tribe and
the Mound Builders who develop
cd q high degree Of civilization,
living in the Mississippi valley for
four centuries prior to the coming
of the white man.
EARLIER LINK OSSSlBLE
"They suggest connection
with earlier peoples on the Mcxl-
can coast and gulf whose position
is still problem in respect to the
influence from McXica which may
have resulted in the development
of the Mound Builders civiliza-
tion," he said.
because the Houma have been !!
visited by few ethnologistS and
are comparatively little !
known, a preliminary invcstiga- |
ton has been begun preparatory !
to more complete study of their
language and civilization"
The present race Of fishermen
and hunters, which numbers about
| 600 men, women and children
and is increasing steadily, speaks
Creole French as evidence Of con-
TACT with early French settlers
who drove the Houma from CEN
trail Louisiana in the 18th CEN
Jury, Dr.. Spcck explained.
FRENCH TROOPS
In the colonial Indian wars, re-
oriSals for uprisings of other
.rib6s which were caused by
french slavc-hunting expeditions
among the Indians, brought the
Houma into conflict with French
colonial troops and armed negro
slaves.
Dr.. Spcck said research had dis
,losed an order of the French
governor of Louisiana in 1880 di-
rccting arming Of negroes and
them to wipe out the In
iians' bayou villages of Washa
md Chawasha to remove the
menace not only Of the aborigi-
les, but to arouse enmity between
he negroes and Indians TO ward
,ff the possibility Of a joint up
Using Of the two races against
he French.
The negroes later revolted, but
~ that time the Indians had been
lrivcn into the trackless, 500-mile
waste of the impenetlable bayou
country.