1. Does the Apalachee have a reservation? No. When the Apalachee first arrived in Louisiana in 1763, they were given 22,000 acres along the Red River to settle on by the French. The land was illegally sold in 1805 by a chief from another tribe to pay a debt. The land was later resold to a slave owner who died in 1849. Today, most of the original land that the Apalachee settled on in Louisiana was taken back by the state and absorbed into part of the Kisatchie National Forest.
2. How old is the Apalachee tribe? Archaeologists have been able to date the Apalachee back to 1,000 A.D. Some archaeologists believe the tribe is even older!
3. Are there any other bands of the Apalachee? No. The Talimali Band in Louisiana is the only band in existence. We do not recognize any other “tribe/band” as part of the Apalachee
4. How many enrolled members are there in the Talimali Band? There are 252 members that are enrolled and have their own identification number.
5. Do the Apalachee have any certification? Yes. Each enrolled member of the Talimali Band has had their genealogy traced back and certified with a 3rd party genealogist.
6. How do you find out if you’re Apalachee? You must trace your family’s lineage through different documents as far back as possible. Contact the tribe for further information for document requirements.
7. Do the Apalachee have their own language? Yes. The Apalachee language is believed to be part of the Muskogean language family. However, the Apalachee language is considered a dead language with only a couple elders able to speak our native words today. Parts of the language was discovered in a letter written to the king of Spain in 1688.
8. Are there any historical Apalachee landmarks/sites? Yes. There is a cabin in Louisiana built by one of our ancestors in the mid 1800s that is not open to the public. There is also Mission San Luis in Tallahassee, Florida which is a living history museum that is devoted to sharing the stories of its former Apalachee and Spanish residents.
9. Can you visit Mission San Luis today? Yes. The Mission San Luis is open to the public. At the mission, you can visit the Apalachee museum, visit reconstructed versions of a church and council house, and join the celebration of the Winter Solstice.