We are the CANNECI TINNÉ APACHE TRIBE of the Lipan Apache (Ndáe) Nation, and we have been in Louisiana since the 1700s!

The CANNECI TINNÉ (pron. shaw-nehsh-eh tihn-neh) people grew from two bands that joined together; Tcic n’ti óané (Trees Tall Standing People) & Gocłic Łit’xuné (People of the Red Mud). While these two bands may not have received written recognition in colonial records, our oral history has preserved them; Meredith Magoosh Begay, a Lipan/Mescalero Elder & Medicine Woman on the Mescalero Apache Reservation, was our last elder to have specific knowledge of these people and has since crossed over. We are descendants of the Forest People of the Lipan Apache, who were inhabitants of the Red (Vermillion) River area in Louisiana a century before the Louisiana Purchase took place. The CANNECI TINNÉ have welcomed other Indigenous peoples into our family, such as Chiricahua, Padouca, & Vaquero Apache. In the Bayou Country we have included Ishak, Chahta, Chitimacha and other Indigenous Peoples that sought refuge with our hidden community, along with Cajun and Creole peoples.

Our original territories include St. Martin Parish (Prairie Maronne) and Lafayette Parish (Bayou Tortue). Despite numerous efforts to displace or eliminate us, we have managed to persist and uphold our culture!

In all we do, we are dedicated to creating a meaningful impact. Our power resides not only in the principles we uphold, but above all in the tangible results of our endeavors.

Tribal Council

Every Canneci citizen receives an Enrollment Certificate, sanctioned by Nant’a and a member of the council, which prominently features the official Tribal Seal. Enrollment is based on the merit of ancestry and relation to the tribe, both historically and present day – and must be vetted and approved by Nant’a and Council. Enrolled Citizens are expected to be engaged with regular meetings, events, and ceremonies of the Tribe (to the best of their ability). Speaking our language, and other cultural traditions, are strongly encouraged – especially with our young people!