The Indians of Louisiana

By Fred B. Kniffen

The Indians of Lousiana
represent one of the state's most fascinating stories. Proud, industrious, and
resourceful, the various tribes have left their imprint in a variety of ways.
One finds links to these old cultures simply by taking notice of some of
Louisiana's place names-Houma, Caddo, Atakapas, Natchitoches, Tangipahao,
Bayougoula, and Uochita are but a few examples. But the story of Louisiana's
Indians isn't limited to names.
In Indians of Louisiana, Dr. Fred B. Kniffen traces the
journeys of the first Indians to arrive in Louisiana more than a thousand years
ago and provides a general overview of their cultures. The earliest Indians, he
points out, had no bows and arrows, no axes, and made no pottery. He
reconstructs the cultures of these fascinating and mysterious early inhabitants
through archaeological studies of Indian "middies"-great white mounds
of clamshells and dirt.
But archeology is just one tack taken by Kniffen in the course of his
studies. A professor of geography and anthropology at Louisiana State
University, he is considered one of the state's foremost authorities on the
subject of indigenous cultures. In addition to his archaeological approach, Dr.
Kniffen also looks at the cultural aspect of Louisiana's Indian tribes; he
records their legends and their tales and doesn't leave out modern history,
either. The story of the Europeans' arrival to Louisiana and their inevitable
conquest of the Indians is also recounted.
Mildred Compton's lively and accurate illustrations add depth and color to
this authoritative and entertaining work.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0911116974
• ISBN13: 9780911116977
• Release Date: January 1985
• Publisher: Pelican Publishing Company
• Length: 112 Pages
• Weight: 1.67 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.2" x 9.3"
• Age Range: 11 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 6 and higher