Alabama Coushatta Tribe

United States

Indigenous Peoples of the United States

Indigenous Peoples of Texas

Alabama Coushatta Tribe

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Guide to Alabama Coushatta Tribe ancestry, family history and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, parish registers, and military records.

Introduction

The Alabama-Coushatta Tribe is primarily associated with the state of Texas and has been since the early 1800s. Prior to that, they were associated with the Creek Confederacy in the Southeastern United States.

Alabama-Coushatta is Recognized by and eligible to receive services from the BIA.

• Served By: BIA Region: Southern Plains Region
• Regional Office: Southern Plains Regional Office

Alabama-Coushatta Tribe BIA Area Office (Archived by NARA):

• 1926-1956: Anadarko Area Office (National Archives at Fort Worth)

Tribal Headquarters

Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas
571 State Park Road 56
Livingston, TX 77351
Phone: 936-563-1100
Website

History

Learning the history of any Native American tribe is essential in finding the genealogical records that are available. For this reason, we have included the following:

Alabama-Coushatta History and Content on FamilySearch Research Wiki

• Indigenous Peoples of Texas
• Alabama-Coushatta Indian Reservation (Texas)

History

• The Alabama Indians of East Texas, by Mary Donadson Wade. Livingston, Texas : Polk County Enterprise, 1936. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
• A History of the Presbyterian Church in Texas, by William Stuart Red. [Austin, Tex. : Steck Co., c1936]. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
• Texas Indian Papers, edited by Dorman H. Winfrey. Austin, Texas : Texas State Library, 1959-61. Online at: Vol. 1 (1825-1843) - FamilySearch Digital Library
• Sam Houston’s Indians: The Alabama-Coushatti, by Prairie View Malone. San Antonio, Texas : Naylor Co., c1960. FS Catalog book 970.1 M297s; At various libraries (WorldCat).
• The Alabama-Coushatta Indians, by Jonathan B. Hook. [College Station, Texas] : Texas A & M University Press, c1997. FS Catalog book 970.3 AL41h; At various libraries (WorldCat).
• Alabama-Coushatta Indians: (Creek), by Daniel Jacobson. New York, New York : Garland Pub. Co., 1974. FS Catalog book 970.3 C861j; At various libraries (WorldCat).
• Journey to the West: The Alabama and Coushatta Indians, by Sheri Marie Shuck-Hall. Norman, Oklahoma : University of Oklahoma Press, c2008. FS Catalog book 970.1 Sh91j; At various libraries (WorldCat).
• The Indians of Texas: An Annotated Research Bibliography, by Michael L. Tate. Metuchen, New Jersey : Scarecrow Press, c1986. FS Catalog book 970.1 T187i; At various libraries (WorldCat).

Additional Resources

• American Indian Genealogy Research: Texas State Library and Archives Commission
• Tracing American Indian and Alaska Native Ancestry – U.S. Department of the Interior Indian Affairs.
• A Guide to Tracing your American Indian and Alaska Native Ancestry - U.S. Department of the interior.
• American Indian and Alaska Native Records in the National Archives: National Archives and Records Administration.
• The Alabama-Coushatta and their Texas Friends – East Texas Historical Journal – A Publication of the East Texas Historical Association.
• Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas Web Site.
• The Alabama Coushatta Indians – Google Books – Digital preview only.
• Alabama-Coushatta Indians – Texas State Historical Association
• Alabama–Coushatta Tribe of Texas – Wikipedia
• Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas Research Report – Texas Department of Transportation

Brief Timeline

• 1540 Desoto's expedition of the South-East U.S. documented the Alabama and Coushatta.

Alabama Tribe

• 1541 Alabama Indians were documented in 1541 in NE Mississippi and N.W. Alabama.
  • Alabama Villages were in Northern Mississippi.

Coushatta Tribes

• 1540 the Coushatta tribes lived on islands and banks along the Tennessee River in Alabama an Tennessee.
• 1600s both tribes migrated to central Alabama, settling near the confluence of the Coosa and Tallapoosa rivers. The Alabamas eventually forced smaller Creeks into the Mobile Bay area of southern Alabama.
• 1702 the French began to land in Mobile Bay. The French settled among their friends, the Choctaw. Therefore, the Alabamas made the French their enemies because of disputes with the Choctaws.
• 1714 peace was established with the French (and by affiliation, the Choctaw). This friendship was solidified by the construction of Ft. Toulouse, on the outskirts of Alabama villages.  This was near Alabama and Coushatta Villages.
• 1763 the French gave up their lands east of the Mississippi River.  So, the Alabama and Coushatta left the area.  
  • Having forged a half-century of friendship some Alabamas & Coushattas opted to follow the French to Mobile Bay Alabama. Upon Returning to Central Alabama, some found better conditions with other Nations and intermarried.  Others participated in the Seminole and Creek Wars. Still, more decided to join their brethren by island hopping from Alabama to New Orleans, and St. Bernard Parish Louisiana.

• 1838:  Those remaining in Alabama were forced onto the Trail of Tears, ending up in Oklahoma. That remnant became the Alabama-Quassarte tribal town of Oklahoma. They are still the relatives of the Alabama-Coushatta tribe of Texas.  But because they have been with the Creek culture in Oklahoma so long, they have assimilated into that culture.
  • In Louisiana, the Commandant in New Orleans granted the Alabamas 1280 acres (2 leagues) of land, but they never took possession of it.  In Northwest Louisiana, both tribes settled near the Caddo Tribes.  They migrated to Caddo and Moeser Parishes.  They established a friendship with the Caddo tribes.

• Coushatta:

• 1790s, Coushattas migrated across the Sabine River.  The Caddos invited the tribes to hunt with them in East Texas.
• 1803, the tribes each settled three villages along with building a network of trails from Louisiana and Texas.
  • The trails of Coushattas and Alabama followed each other from Fort Toulouse (Central) Alabama to Polk County Texas.  The Alabama settled near the Neches River and Coushatta near the Trinity River (Near Livingston Texas).
  • Afraid of U.S. expansion, Spanish Mexico invited tribes to live along the Sabine River in Texas.  Alabama and Coushatta are documented trading at Atascocita in Liberty County and Nacogdoches Posts in Nacogdoches Texas.
  • Alabama and Coushatta were enlisted to patrol East Texas.
  • Goods were exchanged for intel on settlers, tribes and contraband activity from the El Camino Real de los Tejas to the Gulf Coast.
  • Coushatta warriors also participated in the Battle of Rosales against the Spanish.  The Spanish were surprised because they had no battle plan, so they retreated. The Coushatta Warriors were cited for bravery.

State of Texas

• 1857, the Coushattas were permitted to move onto the Alabama Reservation. Others opted to return to Louisiana. This is why there is a Coushatta tribe in Louisiana.
• 1858 was the formation of the Lower Brazos Reservation for all tribes in Texas in Young County.  A Tribal delegation including Chiefs visited the site and told the Indian Agent the land was unsuitable.  The Alabama and Coushatta people refused to move.

Civil War and After

• Since 1859 there was no government assistance for the Alabamas and Coushattas tribes.  
• 1860, a Presbyterian missionary (Reverend Tinney) advocated for a church to be established on the Alabamas and Coushattas reservation.
• 1880 the Presbyterian Church was established on the Alabamas and Coushattas reservation.
• 1914 was the first time the tribal people had a representative of the Federal Government come to their lands. Therefore, he completed a census of the Alabamas and Coushattas people.

• 1929, Charlie Martin Thompson was elected Principal Chief, given the name “Sunkee.”  He and a delegation of tribal members and local supporters went to Washington, DC to advocate for help.  Following congressional hearings Mikko Sunkee met with Pres. Hoover.
  • A $32,000 loan was given to the tribe.  This was supplemented by the State of Texas for $40,000.   This was used for homes and 3,014 acres adjacent to the reservation.  The land deed was written out to the “Alabamas and Coushattas Tribes of Texas.  This was the first time the combined name appeared.
  • In addition, the reservation Independent School District was established for Indian students. 

• 1954, the federal government opted to relinquish trusteeship over smaller tribes including the Alabama and Coushatta. As a result, the Texas Board of Special Schools took over trusteeship of the tribes with the implication that Tribal members were now wards of the state.

Reservations

Alabama-Coushatta Reservation (Texas)

Records

Alabama – Coushatta Tribe in U.S. Census Population Schedules

• Many Native Americans from the Alabama – Coushatta Tribe were enumerated in Polk County Texas on the following Censuses:
  • 1880 US Census
  • 1900 US Census,
  • 1910 US Census
  • 1920 US Census
  • 1930 US Census
  • 1940 US Census
  • 1950 US Census

Many Native Americans were enumerated at Precinct 5 in Polk County, Texas.

• The 1900 and 1910 U.S, Censuses have specific inquiries relating to Native Americans.  For more information, see Wiki article United States Special Inquiries Relating to Indians.

Alabama – Coushatta Tribe Deed Records

• Deed records, 1845-1886; index, 1846-1898. Texas. County Court (Polk County). General index to deed records 1846-1898, Deed records v. A 1846-1898. FS Library film 1006879(+++); image number 7.
• Deed records, 1845-1886; index, 1846-1898. Texas. County Court (Polk County). Deed records v. D-F 1853-1857. FS Library film 1006881(+++); image 12 (pages 11-12); image 178 (starting on page 311); image 193 (starting on page 341); image 238 (pages 431-433).

Tribal Records, of Genealogical Significance, at the Alabama-Coushatta Tribal Archive website:

• Alabama-Coushatta Tribal Archives
• Alabama-Coushatta Tribal Archives: Files and Histories: Includes Presbyterian Church Records, Histories, 1880 Census etc.
• Indian Presbyterian Church Records : Alabama-Coushatta Tribal Archives Projects
• A Short History of the Coushattas : Alabama-Coushatta Tribal Archives Projects
• Alabama Indians of Texas : The Southwestern historical Quarterly, digital copy at Alabama-Coushatta Tribal Archives Projects

National Archive on the Alabama-Coushatta

American Indian Records on Microfilm – The National Archives at Fort Worth Texas.  This includes the Alabama-Coushatta Texas Tribe:

• 1931: List of Arrivals. NARA: 7RA348, Roll 2
• 1936-1938: Records relating to tribal elections and Government.  NARA: 7RA348, Roll 1
• 1942: List of Births and deaths. NARA: 7RA348, Roll 2
• 1944: Census Roll. NARA: 7RA348, Roll 2
• 1945 List of Indian Students in Public Schools: NARA: 7RA348, Roll 2
• N.D.: Record of Alabama-Coushatta households in Polk County NARA: 7RA348, Roll 2

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

Websites

• Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas
• Constitution and By-Laws of the Alabama and Coushatta Tribes of Texas, approved August 19, 1938
• Alabama-Coushatta Reservation at Wikipedia