Houma Blowguns and Baskets in the Mississippi River Delta

Abstract

The Houma moved into the coastal marshes of the Mississippi River delta around 1800, where they acquired baskets and blowguns characteristic of Middle and South America. Their oral history provides evidence of relocation diffusion and contacts with distant areas of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. The delta's history also gives answers to how the tribe acquired these culture elements. This area was the focal point of several colonial powers. The settlement pattern of the Houma and the physical characteristics of the delta help explain why the diffusion of these culture elements went no further than within the tribe.