Chitimacha Nation

Guide to Chitimacha Nation ancestry, family history and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and other agency records.

The Chitimacha Tribe is primarily associated with the state of Louisiana.

Tribal Headquarters

Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana
155 Chitimacha Loop / P.O. Box 661
Charenton, LA 70523
Phone: 337-923-4973
E-mail: info@chitimacha.gov
Website

History

Brief Timeline

1699: French encounter the tribe, The French allies of Acolapissa and Natchitoches tribes made slave raids and took military actions against the Chitimacha.

1718: French made peace with the tribe.

1762: French turned "Louisiana" over to Spain. Many Acadian intermarried with the Chitimacha.

1919: Federal recognition

Additional References to the History of the Tribe

Frederick Webb Hodge, in his Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico, gave a more complete history of the Chitimacha tribe, with estimations of the population of the tribe at various time periods. Additional details are given in John Swanton's The Indian Tribes of North America.

Records

The majority of records of individuals were those created by the agencies. Some records may be available to tribal members through the tribal headquarters.They were (and are) the local office of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and were charged with maintaining records of the activities of those under their responsibility. Among these records are:

• Allotment records
• Annuity rolls
• Census records
• Correspondence
• Health records
• Reports
• School census and records
• Vital records

Important Websites

• Constitution and By-laws of the Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana
• Sovereign Nation of the Chitimacha Official Website
• Chitimacha Tribe Wikipedia

For Further Reading

For background information to help find Native American ancestors see For Further Reading.