As Europeans began settling North America, the Indians living in the eastern portions of the continent either adapted to their new neighbors, resisted as best they could or moved west. Men like Hernan deSoto encountered the remnants of Indian civilizations that were in the middle of a transitional phase that would result in the more familiar tribal associations that we understand as the Creeks, Choctaw, Chickasaw and Cherokee. And absorbed into these people were smaller tribal units that found refuge among those that spoke the same language — or at least a similar dialect. Often times, they also followed the same customs and lived in a similar fashion. A great example of this is the Creek Confederation that linked a number of peoples together bound by their Muskogean language; among these people were the Cushatta.

The Cushatta who now live, often collectively, in Louisiana, Texas and Oklahoma once occupied lands to the east in modern day Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee. They were and remain closely associated with the Alabama people who are also of the Muscogee language group. As whites continued to encroach on their lands in the southeast, the Cushatta and the Alabama moved farther west settling first in Louisiana and then later in Texas.

Today the Cushatta of Louisiana are federally recognized as the Sovereign Nation of the Cushatta Tribe of Louisiana. There are around 865 members and can be found primarily in Allen Parish. In addition, a small number share a reservation near Livingston, Texas, with members of the Alabama-Cushatta Tribe. Based on the tribe’s historical record, it is believed that the tribe, after having encountered de Soto in 1540, sought out a more protected location west of their Tennessee River home. By the 18th century, the Cushatta had resettled near the Coosa and Tallapoosa Rivers in present day Alabama where they were a part of the Creek Confederacy.

The Cushatta moved yet again by the end of the 18th century, this time to Spanish held Louisiana. According to historical details provided by the Louisiana tribe’s website, the original group of migrants moved several times crossing the Red, Sabine and Trinity Rivers in an attempt to remain in neutral territory between the French, Spanish, U.S. and Mexican territories. By the 1880s, a core group of around 300 tribal members settled around Elton, Louisiana, where they remain today.

In the 20th century, the Louisiana based Cushatta tribe sought a closer connection with the U.S. government in the hopes of becoming a federally recognized tribe. They participated in an on-again off-again relationship with both entities until 1972 when the Louisiana legislature granted the tribe official recognition. The tribe now owns 5,000 acres in Allen Parish and more than 1,000 acres in the surrounding area. They are involved in rice and crawfish farming and cattle raising.

The Alabama-Cushatta that wound up in Texas began their journey alongside the Louisiana-Cushatta when they were still residing in present day Alabama. After moving to Louisiana, members of the Alabama group moved to Texas where they settled on the Neches River which was then part of the Spanish Empire in North America. According to the Alabama-Cushatta official history, members of both tribes participated in the Mexican War of Independence from Spain in 1813. A contingent of over 300 tribal members fought with Samuel Kemper’s Republican Army actually capturing San Antonio in April 1813. Afterwards, both the Alabama and the Cushatta settled along the Neches and Trinity Rivers. During the Texas revolt against the Mexican government, the tribal members either remained neutral or aided the Texas forces.

The Alabama-Cushatta people sought and received a place for themselves and their descendants from the Republic of Texas and later the state of Texas. Throughout the 19th century, the Alabama-Cushatta tribe made strides to increase their land holdings and to gain recognition from the state and federal government. The fate of the tribe seemed dark by the mid-20th century as they lost status with the federal and state governments. It was not until 1987 that the tribe again received official status under a Restoration Act that was passed by both houses of Congress.