Atakapa-speaking man poling a dugout canoe along the upper Texas coast, as envisioned by artist Hal Story. From W.W. Newcomb's Indians of Texas, courtesy University of Texas Press.
The Atakapa used canoes as a means of travel at times. Their swampy environment would have made it difficult for them to cross certain locations on foot or by horse. They created artificial fish traps within the muddy waterways, indicating a strong understanding of how to adapt to their new surroundings (migrated to avoid Europeans settlers). The canoes were mainly used when the high tides would flow in, and fish would migrate through these waterways. It is believed they hunted flounder and redfish. During the low tide season, when no fish were present, the Atakapa would harvest the roots lining the waterways. | Source: “Mitchell Ridge,” n.d. https://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/mitchell/ethnohistory.html.Download Original File
"Atakapa-speaking man poling a dugout canoe along the upper Texas coast, as envisioned by artist Hal Story. From W.W. Newcomb's Indians of Texas, courtesy University of Texas Press." appears in: The Atakapa: A Brief History
