The Houma tribe were an offshoot of the Choctaw nation. Though they spoke a dialect of the
Choctaw language and shared most
of their culture with their Choctaw relatives, they were politically independent. The Houmas originally
lived in eastern Mississippi, but were driven across the border into Louisiana with other eastern
Mississippi tribes, where they merged with Cajun communities. The Houma tribe remains in Louisiana
to this day. The Houma dialect of Choctaw has not been actively spoken since the 1800's -- most Houma
people speak English and/or Cajun French today, though some elders still speak a unique Houma variety
of creole French. Today, some Houma people are working to revive their original Indian language as well.
Our Online Houma Materials
Houma Vocabulary
List of vocabulary words in the Houma language from the early 1900's, compared to modern Choctaw words.
Houma Facts for Kids
Fact sheet on the Houma lifestyle in the past and today for kids and other students.
American Indian cultures
Houma Vocabulary
Louisiana Indian Map:
American Indian Names
