The Pascagoula (also Pascoboula, Pacha-Ogoula, Pascagola, Pascaboula, Paskaguna) were an indigenous group living in coastal Mississippi on the Pascagoula River.
The name Pascagoula is a Choctaw term meaning "bread eater". Choctaw native Americans using the name Pascagoula are named after the words for "bread eaters". [1]
Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville encountered the tribe in 1699 and was impressed by the beauty of Pascagoula women. According to local Euro-American legend, the peace-loving tribe walked single file into the river because the local Biloxi tribe were planning to attack. [2] Anola, a Biloxi " princess", eloped with the Pascagoula chief Altama, although she was engaged to a Biloxi chieftain. Anola's angry would-be husband led his soldiers into battle with the Pascagoula. Outnumbered and fearing enslavement by the Biloxi, the tribe joined hands and walked into the river singing a death song. The river became known as the "Singing River" because of this death song, which reportedly can still be heard at night. [3] [4]
Pascagoula | |
---|---|
Region | Mississippi |
Extinct | (date missing) |
unclassified | |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | None (mis ) |
07q | |
Glottolog | None |
John Sibley reported that they spoke their own language which was different from neighboring languages in addition to Mobilian Jargon. Their language is undocumented.
The Pascagoula (also Pascoboula, Pacha-Ogoula, Pascagola, Pascaboula, Paskaguna) were an indigenous group living in coastal Mississippi on the Pascagoula River.
The name Pascagoula is a Choctaw term meaning "bread eater". Choctaw native Americans using the name Pascagoula are named after the words for "bread eaters". [1]
Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville encountered the tribe in 1699 and was impressed by the beauty of Pascagoula women. According to local Euro-American legend, the peace-loving tribe walked single file into the river because the local Biloxi tribe were planning to attack. [2] Anola, a Biloxi " princess", eloped with the Pascagoula chief Altama, although she was engaged to a Biloxi chieftain. Anola's angry would-be husband led his soldiers into battle with the Pascagoula. Outnumbered and fearing enslavement by the Biloxi, the tribe joined hands and walked into the river singing a death song. The river became known as the "Singing River" because of this death song, which reportedly can still be heard at night. [3] [4]
Pascagoula | |
---|---|
Region | Mississippi |
Extinct | (date missing) |
unclassified | |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | None (mis ) |
07q | |
Glottolog | None |
John Sibley reported that they spoke their own language which was different from neighboring languages in addition to Mobilian Jargon. Their language is undocumented.