The Alabama-Coushatta Indian Reservation stands as a testament to the enduring spirit and resilience of the Alabama-Coushatta Tribes of Texas. This federally recognized tribe is a unique union of two distinct yet historically intertwined groups: the Alabama Indians (also known as Alibamu or Albaamaha) and the Coushatta Indians (Koasati). Their shared history and eventual consolidation in the 1880s created a vibrant cultural entity that continues to thrive on their ancestral lands in East Texas.
This article will explore the rich history, cultural heritage, and contemporary life on the Alabama-Coushatta Indian Reservation. We will delve into the origins of the Alabama and Coushatta tribes, their interactions with European colonizers, their westward migration, the establishment of the reservation, and the enduring traditions that define the Alabama-Coushatta people.
Origins and Early History
The Alabama and Coushatta tribes boast a history stretching back centuries, deeply rooted in the southeastern landscape of what is now the United States. The Alabama Indians were once part of the powerful Moundville chiefdom, a complex socio-political organization centered in western Alabama and eastern Mississippi. The Coushatta, on the other hand, were associated with the Coste chiefdom, which flourished near Bussell Island in present-day eastern Tennessee.
The Alabama tribe were members of the Muscogee Creek Confederacy, a loose alliance of autonomous towns bound by trade and military cooperation. Their ancestral homelands lay along the upper reaches of the Alabama River, encompassing parts of modern-day Alabama and eastern Mississippi. The Alabama’s first documented encounter with Europeans occurred in 1540, when Hernando de Soto and his expedition ventured into their territory.
The Coushatta tribe originally inhabited regions encompassing Georgia, Tennessee, and Mississippi before migrating westward into Alabama. Like the Alabama, they were affiliated with the Creek Confederacy, maintaining a close alliance with their Alabama brethren. The Coushatta also encountered de Soto’s expedition on the Tennessee River. They experienced encounters with British Europeans in the 18th century, who designated them as Coushatta Indians.
The Impact of European Contact
The arrival of Hernando de Soto and his conquistadors in the 1540s marked a turning point in the history of both the Alabama and Coushatta tribes. This initial encounter, though brief, had devastating consequences. Soto’s expedition brought with it not only violence and enslavement but also European diseases to which the tribes had no immunity. The resulting depopulation left the Alabama and Coushatta vulnerable to attacks from neighboring tribes, such as the Chickasaw to the west and the Cherokee to the north and east.
In the aftermath of Soto’s incursion, survivors from both tribes scattered, initiating a prolonged exodus from their ancestral homelands in an effort to escape the calamitous effects of European contact. This period of upheaval and displacement shaped the future trajectory of both the Alabama and Coushatta people.
Migration and Consolidation in Central Alabama
In the decades following Soto’s expedition, the Alabama and Coushatta tribes gradually converged in central Alabama, near present-day Montgomery, as a result of continuous migrations. By 1686, Spanish explorer Marcos Delgado observed that Alabama and Coushatta refugees had established towns and villages along the protective bluffs where the Alabama, Coosa, and Tallapoosa rivers converged.
This new environment provided a haven for the tribes, offering an abundance of game and fertile soil for cultivation. The tribal names themselves reflected their connection to this new land. In the Alabama language, "Alabama" signifies "vegetation gatherers," while in the Coushatta language (Koasati), "Coushatta" translates to "white cane."
By 1700, the Alabamas and Coushattas had established a thriving, tightly knit community in central Alabama. Each town operated autonomously, governed by a miko, or headman (often referred to as a chief in the nineteenth century), a council of elders, and a war chief. Intermarriage played a crucial role in fostering strength, stability, and cohesion within Alabama and Coushatta society, creating extensive kinship ties that bound the communities together. United by these alliances, Alabama and Coushatta towns became collectively known as the Alabama Nation by Europeans throughout much of the eighteenth century.
Navigating European Rivalries
As English and French explorers and settlers made their way into Alabama in the first half of the eighteenth century, the Alabama Nation presented a united front. The tribes’ strategic location at the river junctions proved advantageous in negotiations with Europeans seeking trade. Alabama and Coushatta leaders also forged flexible alliances with neighboring towns, many of them Creek, to enhance their importance and sovereignty in central Alabama.
French and British emissaries actively competed for the allegiance of the Alabama Nation. Like many other southeastern tribes, the Alabamas and Coushattas skillfully navigated these European rivalries by maintaining a neutral stance, allowing them to receive gifts, trade, and protection from both French and English representatives eager to secure their favor.
The Alabama and Coushatta further solidified their importance in the Southeast by inviting the French to construct a trading post and fort in the heart of their territory. With the assistance of Alabama labor, the French built Fort Toulouse, also known as Fort des Alibamons and aux Alibamons, by 1717. The Alabama Nation played a key role in controlling and maintaining Fort Toulouse, which became a vital center for trade and diplomacy. The close proximity of the French garrison to Alabama and Coushatta towns fostered frequent contact, leading to intermarriage and cultural exchange. These interactions with the French influenced Alabama and Coushatta culture, as they became more reliant on European trade goods. Despite these changes, children born to Alabama and Coushatta women and French men were raised according to matrilineal tradition, assuming their mother’s clan membership.
Westward Migration and Settlement in Texas
The close kinship ties with the French created a precarious situation for the Alabamas and Coushattas as French control of the Southeast weakened, particularly in the years leading up to the French and Indian War. During the conflict, the Alabama Nation, like other neighboring Indian groups, attempted to remain neutral to benefit from the competition between France and Britain. However, some members of both tribes actively supported the French, assisting the garrison at Fort Toulouse.
Following the British victory, the French abandoned Fort Toulouse, resulting in a gradual decline in Alabama-Coushatta influence in central Alabama. By the late 1700s, the majority of Alabamas and Coushattas had migrated westward to Louisiana, accompanied by many of their French kinsmen. For approximately two decades, they prospered through farming and hunting buffalo, bear, and deer. However, persistent American encroachment and escalating hostilities between the two cultures forced the Alabamas and Coushattas to relocate further west and reestablish their community in present-day southeast Texas.
In 1795, the Coushatta arrived in the Big Thicket area of East Texas. In 1805, nearly 1,000 Alabama came to Tyler County’s Peach Tree Village in East Texas. The two tribes became close allies and often intermarried. By 1820, there were three main Alabama towns and three large Coushatta towns in east Texas, in the region known as the Big Thicket.
They eventually were given land along the Trinity River. By the mid-nineteenth century the two tribes again faced mounting pressure from settlers and continued to suffer depopulation and extreme hardship. They were soon overrun by European-American settlers, leaving them homeless again.
These tribes had supported the Americans in their war to emancipate Texas. After the war, Governor Sam Houston proposed that land be set aside separately for the Alabama and the Coushattas. He recommended that the state purchase 1,280 acres (5.2 km2) for the Alabamas and set aside 640 acres (2.6 km2) for the Coushattas.
Establishment of the Alabama-Coushatta Indian Reservation
In 1853, Chief Antone of the Alabamas negotiated with Sam Houston and other Texas officials and gained a permanent title to land in east Texas. In 1854, the Alabama were given 1,280 acres (5 km2) in Polk County. The following year, 640 acres (2.6 km2), also in Polk County, were given to the Coushattas. The Coushatta claim was disputed by white settlers in 1859.
When the Coushatta lost their land claim, the Alabama invited them to live on their lands. The federal government approved a large grant to purchase additional land near the reservation in 1928. It was granted to the "Alabama and Coushatta tribes." Since that time, the reservation has officially been known as "Alabama-Coushatta Indian Reservation." The Alabama-Coushatta Indian Reservation stands as the oldest of its kind in Texas.
Cultural Identity and Traditions
Despite facing immense challenges throughout their history, the Alabama-Coushatta people have steadfastly preserved their cultural identity and traditions. Similar origin myths indicate these two tribes were connected long before encroachment by Europeans. The origin myths of both tribes focus on the interconnectedness of the tribes.
One myth states that the two tribes sprouted from either side of a cypress tree. According to their tribal folklore, the ancestors of the two groups traveled from deep beneath the Earth before reaching the surface. After much time had passed, they surfaced at the opposite ends of the tree’s roots, and once they saw the light of day, their ancestors discovered the great Alabama River. The emerging Alabamas and Coushattas established their villages in two separate bodies but often hunted together and eventually began to intermarry.
Another legend was recorded in 1857 from Se-ko-pe-chi, one of the oldest Creeks in Indian Territory. He said that the Alibamu and Koasati tribes “sprang out of the ground between the Cohawba and Alabama Rivers.”
The symbol of the Alabama-Coushatta Indian Reservation tribe comes from precontact Mississippian culture: two intertwined woodpeckers, now symbolic of the connection between the two tribes.
Both the Alabama and Coushatta speak languages which are part of the Apalachee-Alabama-Koasati branch of the Muskogean languages and are mutually intelligible.
Contemporary Life on the Reservation
The 2000 census reported a resident population of 480 persons within the reservation, with a total tribal population of about 550 members of the Alabama-Coushatta Tribes of Texas. Today (2014) the tribal population is 1,137 enrolled members, with about 500 living on the reservation.
The Alabama-Coushatta Indian Reservation is a vibrant community, striving to maintain its cultural heritage while navigating the challenges of the modern world. The tribes operate a visitor center that is open in the summer and a campground. The Alabama-Coushatta also have nature tours of the reservation.
The Alabama-Coushatta Tribes of Texas remain dedicated to preserving their unique cultural heritage, promoting economic development, and ensuring the well-being of their members. Through education, cultural preservation efforts, and economic initiatives, the Alabama-Coushatta people continue to shape their future while honoring the legacy of their ancestors.