Region 2: Louisiana Red River Valley and the Neutral Strip
The Red River Valley cuts across the state from Shreveport to the Mississippi River and includes Shreveport, Alexandria, and Natchitoches. The old Neutral Strip that separated Spanish Texas and French Louisiana stretches down the Sabine River from the Zwolle area through Beauregard Parish.
The Red River Valley and Neutral Strip region is home to many folk groups and traditions, including several groups of Native Americans.
The Red River Valley cuts across the state from Shreveport to the Mississippi River and includes Shreveport, Alexandria, and Natchitoches. The old Neutral Strip that separated Spanish Texas and French Louisiana stretches down the Sabine River from the Zwolle area through Beauregard Parish.
The parishes within this region are Avoyelles, DeSoto, Red River, Beauregard, Grant, Sabine, Bossier, Natchitoches, Vernon, Caddo, Rapides, and Winn.
The Red River Valley and Neutral Strip region is home to many folk groups and traditions, including several groups of Native Americans. The Tunica-Biloxi, Koasati, and Jena Choctaw are federally recognized.
- The Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Avoyelles Parish
- The Koasati (Coushatta) have their tribal center in Allen Parish, but many Koasati live in Beauregard Parish
- The Jena Choctaw have their center in LaSalle Parish, but many reside in Grant and Rapides Parishes
- The Clifton Choctaw and the Caddo-Adai, both of Natchitoches Parish
- The Choctaw-Apache of Sabine Parish
- The Apalachee in Natchitoches, Grant and Rapides Parishes.
Region 2 includes many communities with European origins:
- Italian communities along the Red River centered in Shreveport, Powhatan, and Natchitoches
- Jewish communities in Shreveport and Alexandria
- the Czech community in Rapides Parish
- French Creoles in Natchitoches, Avoyelles, Caddo and Rapides Parishes
- Hispano communities descended from colonial settlers in Natchitoches and Sabine Parishes
- Acadians in southern Beauregard Parish.
Other traditional cultures include numerous communities of:
- Anglo, Scots, Irish
- African-Americans
- Greeks
- Asians.
Regional occupational folk groups include:
- musicians
- cowboys
- minersoil industry workers.
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