Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana


The Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana is one of three federally recognized tribes of Koasati people. They are is located in Allen and Jefferson Davis Parishes, Louisiana. The tribe hosts an annual pow wow during the second weekend in June.

Reservation

The Coushatta Indian Reservation is located on 154-acres in Allen Parish, Louisiana. Approximately 400 people lived on the reservation in the 1990s. The reservation has a tribal police department, fire department, and court house. There is also a tribal medical facility, fitness center, and event center.

Language

The Koasati language is part of the Apalachee-Alabama-Koasati branch of the Muskogean languages. An estimated 200 people spoke the language in 2000, most of whom lived in Louisiana. Historically, the language was spoken exclusively among tribal members and was never written down. In 2007, along with McNeese State University, the tribe received a NSF documenting endangered language grant that provided necessary resources to document and preserve the Koasati language.

Government

The Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana is headquartered in Elton, Louisiana. The tribe is a sovereign nation and is governed by a democratically elected five-member council. The current administration is as follows:
On November 17, 2008, the Sovereign Nation of the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana became the first Native American tribe to recognize, honor and welcome official representatives of the State of Israel.

Economic development

The tribe owns and operates the Coushatta Casino Resort in Kinder, Louisiana. The casino is home to the Koasati Pines golf course. The casino operates 8 restaurants and 4 hotels, and is the largest casino in the state. The casino employs over 2500 local residents, and it is one of the top five largest private employer in Southwest Louisiana. ],