28 ■ BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 48 



Religion 



As the Choctaw dealt with in this paper have been under the 

 influence of the Roman Catholic Church for many years, it is not 

 surprising that they have modified some of their primitive beliefs 

 regarding the future state. But even in spite of Christian teaching 

 many of their ancient ideas have persisted. 



From 1845 until his death in 1887 Pere Adrian Rouquette lived 

 among the Choctaw, the greater part of his time being spent at either 

 Bayou Lacomb or Chinchuba, although the first of his three chapels 

 was near Bonfouca, some eight miles east of Bayou Lacomb. By 

 the Choctaw Pere Rouquette was known as Chataima, literally 

 "Choctaw-like," from his fancied resemblance to a Choctaw. His 

 hair, which was dark and straight, was worn long, his eyes were dark 

 and piercing, and the natural swarthiness of his complexion was 

 increased by constant exposure to sun and wind. The two women, 

 Emma and Louisa, now living at Bayou Lacomb, when children 

 were baptized by Pere Rouquette, and the former was one of the 

 Choctaw who followed his body through the streets of New Orleans 

 and carried wreaths made by the Sisters at Chinchuba. 



It is evident that, before the coming of Pere Rouquette, the Choc- 

 taw did not agree even among themselves regarding the future state. 

 Some held to the belief that with death all existence ceases. They 

 seem to have had a vague idea of a spirit in the body, but when the 

 spirit died, then man, or rather the body, ceases to move. Others, 

 who are said to have constituted the predominating element in the 

 tribe, had a radically different conception of man's future state. 

 These believed in the existence of two spirits — Aba being "the good 

 spirit above" and Nanapolo 'Hhe bad spirit." While they insisted 

 that a spirit abides in every Choctaw, still they were of the opinion 

 that all spirits do not leave the earth after death, as explained by 

 the peculiar belief set forth below. 



Persons dying by violent deaths involving loss of blood, even a few 

 drops, do not pass to the home of Aba (heaven), regardless of the 

 character of their earthly lives, or their rank in the tribe. At night 

 spirits are wont to travel along the trails and roads used by living men 

 and thus avoid meeting the bad spirit, Nanapolo, whose wanderings 

 are confined to the dark and unfrequented paths of the forest. The 

 spirits of men like the country traversed and occupied by living men, 

 and that is why Shilup, the ghost, is often seen moving among the 

 trees or following persons after sunset. 



The spirits of all persons not meeting violent deaths, with the excep- 

 tion of those only who murder or attempt to murder their fellow 

 Choctaw, go to the home of Aba. There it is always spring, with 

 sunshine and flowers; there are birds and fruit and game in abun- 

 dance. There the Choctaw ever sing and dance, and trouble is not 



