The Opelousa (also Appalousa) were an Indigenous people of the Southeastern Woodlands in Louisiana. They lived near present-day Opelousas, Louisiana, west of the lower Mississippi River, in the 18th century. At various times, they allied with the neighboring Atakapa and Chitimacha peoples.
The Opelousa (also Appalousa) were an Indigenous people of the Southeastern Woodlands in Louisiana. They lived near present-day Opelousas, Louisiana, west of the lower Mississippi River, in the 18th century. At various times, they allied with the neighboring Atakapa and Chitimacha peoples.
== Territory == Michel De Birotte, who lived in Louisiana from 1690 to 1734 and spent 40 years living among the Indians, wrote the Appalousa lived just west of two small lakes. This description is thought to apply to Leonard Swamp (east of present-day Opelousas). During the period, this was the westernmost channel of the Mississippi River. Due to mineral deposits and the great number of leaves covering the bottom, the lake waters appeared black. The Appalousa who hunted and fished in the lake found their legs became stained black from these waters. Appalousa and Atakapa tribes originated in the same region in central-southwest Louisiana.
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