Yazoo
The Yazoo were a small Indigenous tribe situated near the Yazoo River in Mississippi, primarily known for their linguistic connection to the Koroa tribe within the Muskogean language group. Documented by Henri de Tonty in 1682, the Yazoo are noted for their distinct speech patterns, particularly their use of the "r" sound, which differentiated them from other nearby Indigenous groups. As European trade intensified in the region, the Yazoo engaged in fur trading, capturing members of neighboring tribes like the Chawasha and selling them into slavery. Their traditional dwellings were round structures made from poles and clay, with unique burial customs that included elaborate mourning practices.
The Yazoo played a significant role in the 1729 uprising against French colonial forces, collaborating with the Natchez tribe to attack Fort Rosalie and leading to the destruction of the French garrison. However, following their participation in this conflict, the Yazoo faced devastating retaliatory attacks from the Quapaw tribe, resulting in a dramatic decline in their population. Ultimately, the Yazoo ceased to exist as a distinct group, merging with other tribes such as the Chickasaw and Choctaw. Their history reflects the broader narrative of Indigenous resistance and adaptation in the face of European colonization and the complex dynamics of tribal relations in the Southeast.
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Yazoo
- CATEGORY: Tribe
- CULTURE AREA: Southeast
- LANGUAGE GROUP: Muskogean
- PRIMARY LOCATION: Mississippi
In 1682 Henri de Tonty found this small Indigenous group living on the Yazoo River, close to the Mississippi River, north of present-day Natchez, Mississippi. The Yazoo were closely associated with the Koroa, resembling them in speech patterns. Both tribes used an “r” sound in speaking, which other Indigenous groups in the area did not.
As European trade increased in the lower Mississippi Valley, many Indigenous people eagerly sought the goods that could be obtained by trading fur pelts and widely increased their hunting range. The Yazoo took captives, especially the Chawasha, and sold them as enslaved peoples to British traders; at times, they were made captives themselves (particularly by the Chickasaw), sold into slavery, and sent to Charleston markets. Some were purchased by local planters, but the rest were shipped to the West Indies.
The houses of the Yazoo were round and constructed of poles plastered with a clay-moss mixture. This structure was then covered with cypress bark or palmetto. There was one door, approximately five feet high, but no windows or chimneys. Little is known about their traditional customs. After a death, the corpse was carried into the woods, escorted by relatives carrying lighted pine torches that were thrown into the grave before it was covered. Relatives and friends went to cry nightly at the burial site for six months. A post carved with the figure he painted on his body marked the head of a chief’s grave.
The Yazoo joined with the Natchez Indigenous Americans in an uprising against the French, who controlled the area along the Mississippi. In 1729, they, along with the Koroa, attacked and destroyed the entire French garrison of Fort Rosalie, a fort not far from the mouth of the Yazoo River, and murdered the French missionary Father Souel, who had settled among them in 1727. Shortly after this event, the Yazoo were attacked and nearly destroyed by the Quapaw; only fifteen Yazoo men were left. The few remaining Yazoo apparently joined with the Chickasaws and Choctaw, and the Yazoo disappeared as a separate Indigenous group.
Bibliography
Fedell, Vera Ann. “Vicksburg Facts: The First People in Warren County.” The Vicksburg Post, 20 Jan. 2023, www.vicksburgpost.com/2023/01/20/vicksburg-facts-the-first-people-in-warren-county. Accessed 19 Nov. 2024.
Mooney, James. “Catholic Encyclopedia: Yazoo Indians.” New Advent, www.newadvent.org/cathen/15732d.htm. Accessed 19 Nov. 2024.
“Yazoo Indian Tribe.” Native Languages of the Americas, www.native-languages.org/yazoo.htm. Accessed 19 Nov. 2024.