Some origin stories I have heard about Opelousas name:
1. It was briefly mentioned to me once a long time ago that someone said they heard it was believed it is from "la pelouse" (the lawn in French). I don't think this is a correct origin, but is an interesting view onto the French lens applied to native named things in Louisiana (think sac-a-lait). I only mention it for thoroughness, because everyone knows Opelousas is a native place.
2. Opelousas is known to be a native place, named for the tribe of Ishak who called themselves or their place Opelousas (black leg).
a. black leg because - the natives walked the tea colored swamp water (Leonard swamp) and other bayous. The tannins in the water made their legs dark.
b. black leg because the natives had dark skin
c. black leg because the natives walked the burned prairies and the soot made their legs black
d. black leg referring to salt water?
e. vpi lusa /black stem (oppaloosa) - aster. This is also known as the Symphyotrichum lanceolatum /panicled aster. The Choctaw name for it is vpi lusa (black stem). The elder who brought the plant told me that it's where he believed the name Opelousas. Unsure if this is passed down information or based on similarity of the name.
- information relayed from Dr. Ian Tompson of the Choctaw Nation of Oklaholma
-through Dustin Fuqua
 |
| photo Pete Gregory |
*Note Attakapas-Ishak is the preferred name of the tribe today, and
One hundred and fifty years ago April 10, 1805, St. Landry Parish was officially established by an act of legislature. In 1690 the first white man is believed to have settled in
Opelousas, which is the parish seat, thus making Opelousas one of the oldest settlements
in these United States, The name of the first settler has not come down to us, but he was
undoubtedly a Frenchman.
The Attakapas Indians were here - this was their land, They had chosen for their
camping grounds the site of the city of Opelousas, because of its location on high land
above the flood level. From legends comes the story of how Opelousas was named.
The Attakapas were {RUMORED TO BE} a cannabalistic tribe, fierce and warlike, and they: preyed upon the
neighboring tribes who dwelled along the high bluff that we call the Grand Coteau ridge.
There were three tribes - the Opelousas, the Choctaws, and the Alabamans. They held a
counsel and decided to try and wipe out the Attakapas, who were constantly making war
with them. So together the three tribes waged war upon the Attakapas and finally succeeded
in driving them from their lands, destroying almost the entire tribe of Attakapas Indians.
The few who escaped with their lives flew to the south, and made their camping-grounds in
the regions of what is now St, Martin parish.
The three tribes then made a pact and gave the land of the Attakapas to the Opelousas
Indians, and thereafter the territory was called ‘‘Opelousas”’, as the land below it was cal=
led “Attakapas"’.
‘For their main campsite the Opelousas tribe chose the high land on which the present
city of Opelousas is located. The exact spot has by tradition been established as the
grounds of the old Academy of the Immaculate Conception, on the north end of town. Some
years past there was here a small mound with a pine tree Standing on it, and this was said
to be the lookout post. Many arrowheads have been turned up on lands nearby, and also
fear this same spot are some very old springs.
The name “‘Opelousas’ has been given many meanings, but the one most commonly
accepted is ‘‘Blackleg’’ -- possibly the tribe painted their legs a dark color. Other trans-
Tations are “Blackfoot’’, and ‘‘Man with black leg’’. Still another translation is ‘‘Salt
Water,’’ which alludes to the fact that from here south the land lowers to the Gulf of Mex-
ico and ‘‘saltwater’’,
No comments :
Post a Comment