The Coushatta (also Koasati) are a Native American people living primarily in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Most Coushatta live in Allen Parish, just north of the town of Elton, Louisiana, though a smaller number share a reservation near Livingston, Texas with the Alabama people.

The Coushatta were traditionally agriculturalists, growing maize and other food crops, and supplementing their diet by hunting game. They are also known for their skill at basketry. In the 20th century they began cultivating rice and crawfish on tribally owned farms.

The Coushatta language, in the Muskogean family, is still spoken, although in the early 21st century fewer young people are learning it.

Film

• Rediscovering America: The Legends and Legacy of Our Past, part 2: Indians Among Us (1992). Produced and directed by Jonathan Donald; written by Roger Kennedy. Discovery Communications, Inc.

External links

• Sovereign Nation of the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana official site
• Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas official site

Native American tribes