The Chitimacha are the only Louisiana Indians known to currently live in their ancestral homelands. Indian settlements date back at least 6,000 years, based on artifacts found in the area.

Long before the Europeans arrived, the Chitimacha became numerous, powerful and culturally mature because Mother Nature treated them more kindly than she treated most Native Americans. Their highly developed political system allowed women to elevate to the status of chief, which is rare among Native Americans but religious affairs were the sole responsibility of the men.

Before the French established colonies along the lower Mississippi River Valley, the Chitimachas belong to a confederation of about fifteen village communities with a collective population of more than 3,000. They occupied most of the delta region below New Orleans, thrived and enjoyed the benefit of a full-fledged civilization. They occupied an area the French wanted for establishing commercial trade, the lower Mississippi River, and in 1706, war broke out. Chitimachas lost an eleven year war, against the French and entered a period of decline at the war's end that reduced them to a small remnant by the end of the nineteenth century. They survived nonetheless, and earned distinction as the only federally recognized Indian Tribe native to Louisiana. Some Chitimachas were sent to sites (reservations) by the French. War captives were pressed into colonial service, and a high proportion of their slave force in Louisiana came from the Chitimacha Tribe.

A long struggle remained for the Chitimacha, many years of great land loss followed. On August 31, 1919, 282 acres of remaining Chitimacha land was assigned by the United States as a reservation for the use and benefit of the Chitimacha Indians.

The Atchafalaya Basin and the Chitimacha Indians have had a binding and perpetual relationship; even today tribal members have a saying, "We were always here". The 'here' refers to the south Louisiana area west of the Mississippi and east of the Bayou Teche, that territory locals today call the Basin. Unlike the majority of North American Indians, the Chitimacha were never relocated. The tribal lands have been reduced to a 260 acre site located on the western edge of the Atchafalaya Basin in the community known as Charenton, in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana.

Since that time great strides have been made in the areas of government, education, health, housing and employment for the Chitimacha people. The Chitimacha Tribal political structure was set up under the provisions of the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act. In 1969, the formal political structure was established which comprises a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary-Treasurer and two Council members. In this manner the needs of each tribal member is addressed through his councilman at bi-weekly council meetings. The programs contracted from the federal government The programs contracted from the federal government are administered through the council with a support administrative staff.

On January 14, 1971, the Chitimacha constitution and by-laws were accepted by the Department of Interior making the Chitimacha the first organized tribe in Louisiana.