A tribe of Indians who formerly lived near the site of the city of Natchez, Mississippi. In 1729 they were subdued by the French; the survivors joined the Creek Confederacy.

Native North American tribe of the Muskogean language family and of the Southeast culture area. The tribe once lived along the lower Mississippi River, near present day Natchez MS. The Natchez were the largest and most unified tribe of the region, with some 5000 people in the mid-1600's. In 1729 the French, together with the Choctaw, drove the Natchez from the region. Some joined the Creek, Cherokee, and Chickasaw tribes. Others were captured by the French and sold into slavery. The Natchez were sun worshipers, and kept a perpetual fire burning in their temples. They had rigid class distinctions, including a noble class of three ranks: Great Suns, Suns, and Honored Men. The tribe is now considered extinct. Return

a town in southwest Mississippi on the Mississippi River