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Bidai Indian Language (Biday, Bedias, Patati)
Language: The Bidai Indians were a small tribe of southeastern Texas. They were allies of the
Caddo tribes,
but may have been more closely related to the Akokisa, an
Atakapan band.
Two other small tribes of Southeast Texas, the Patati
and the Deadose, are often
considered Bidai subgroups.
The Bidais no longer exist as a separate tribe. They were devastated by an epidemic in the late 1700's, and most of the survivors were eventually
absorbed into the Atakapa and Caddo nations. There are few remaining records of the Bidai language (only nine vocabulary words.)
The language is thought to have been related to Atakapa.
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Names:
Their own name for themselves was Quasmigdo; Bidai was
a Caddoan name for their tribe, meaning "brushwood" (in reference to their brush houses.) Alternate spellings of the name
Bidai have included Biday, Bedi, Bedae, Beadeye, Bedias, Bidais, and Baedies.
Bidai Words:
Our list of vocabulary words from the Bidai language.
Bidai Language Tree:
Theories about Bidai's language relationships compiled by Linguist List.
Texas Indian Map:
Tribal map showing the location of Bidai land in Texas.
Bidai Indian Tribe History:
Article on the Bidai tribe from the Handbook of American Indians.
Handbook of Texas: Bidai Indians:
Information on the Bidai tribe of southeast Texas.
The Bedias Indians:
Transcript of a short talk on the Bidai Indians.
The Bidai and the Blue Nun:
Story of a legendary Spanish nun who converted the Bidai, Jumano and Caddo people.
Atakapa Facts for Kids:
Very few details about the Bidai traditional lifestyle have survived, but their clothing, food and
housing were similar to the Atakapa ones described on this website. The cane baskets they wove
probably resembled the Atakapa baskets in
these pictures.
Bidai Tribe:
Bidai tribal profile, timeline, and links.
Books for Sale on the Bidais
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The Bidai Indians of southeastern Texas:
Anthropology text on the Bidai tribe.
The Texas Indians 
The Indian Texans:
Two books about the Native American tribes of Texas that include information on the Bidais.
Links, References, and Additional Information
Wikipedia: Bidais:
Encyclopedia article on the Bidai people and their language.
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