Avoyel

Avoyel
Total population
extinct as a tribe, merged into Tunica-Biloxi[1]
Regions with significant populations
Louisiana
Languages
Avoyel language, Mobilian trade jargon
Religion
Indigenous religion

The Avoyel or Avoyelles were a small Native American tribe who at the time of European contact inhabited land near the mouth of the Red River at its confluence with the Atchafalaya River near present-day Marksville, Louisiana. The Avoyel are a member of the federally recognized Native American tribe and sovereign nation of the Tunica Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana.[2]

The U.S. Department of the Interior determined that: "The contemporary Tunica-Biloxi Indian Tribe is the successor of the historical Tunica, Ofo, and Avoyel tribes, and part of the Biloxi tribe. These have a documented existence back to 1698. The component tribes were allied in the 18th century and became amalgamated into one in the 19th century through common interests and outside pressures from non-Indian cultures."[1]

  1. ^ a b "General Conclusions" (PDF). Recommendation and summary evidence for proposed finding for Federal acknowledgment of the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana pursuant to 25 CFR 54. U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs. December 4, 1980. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  2. ^ "About the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe". Southern University Law Center. Retrieved 2024-05-23.