Ancient Indian village of Sakti Hata was located near Bridgeport Park in Wilcox County, Alabama

The site of the ancient Indian village of Sakti Hata is a place that many Wilcox County residents have likely driven by many times without realizing that it was once heavily populated by Native Americans.

According to National Geographic Society maps, Sakti Hata, which means “White Bluff” in the Choctaw language, was located near the intersection of present-day County Road 37 and County Road 43, not far from the entrance to Bridgeport Park. The location of this old village is one of the best documented Indian sites in Wilcox County as it was originally marked on French maps of the area made in 1733. (Today, you can also find Sakti Hata on Google Maps.)

On Friday afternoon, after a hot round of cutting grass at home, I got the itch to get out and do some riding around. With Sakti Hata in mind, I pointed my truck towards Bridgeport Park and a short time later found myself in the area shown on my trusty National Geographic map. When I got to the intersection of County Road 37 and County Road 43, I pulled over and stepped out into the warm sunshine.

For those of you who have been to this location before, you will know that it’s heavily-wooded private property. What’s not so readily apparent is that this area is on somewhat of a high point, with an elevation between 151 and 200 feet. By way of comparison, Bridgeport Park has an elevation of just 100 feet.

As I stood there beside the road, I tried to imagine what this area must have looked like hundreds of years ago during its heyday as a large Indian village. No doubt the proximity of the Alabama River played a major role in the lives of those Indians as it provided a source of freshwater and food. In many ways, this place would have been a paradise for those early Wilcox County inhabitants.

Another prominent Indian village in this area was the village of Tali Huli, which I’ve seen spelled “Talle quile” and “Tali Hieli.” Tali Huli, which means “Standing Rocks” in Choctaw, was also listed on 1733 French maps of this area, but its exact location remains somewhat uncertain. Historical sources say that it was more or less one mile above Bridgeport, while University of Alabama maps say that it was located at Bridgeport.

A mile or so above Bridgeport would place Tali Huli in the vicinity of modern-day Roland Cooper State Park. This location too would have been an ideal site for a large Indian village as it offered ready access to freshwater and plentiful fish and game. One is left to wonder if any old artifacts or relics have ever been uncovered on the park grounds.

In the end, I’d like to hear from any readers with more information about Sakti Hata and Tali Huli. I’m especially interested in hearing any old stories about this area, including any old folk tales, local legends or ghost stories associated with these sites. Also, if you know of any old Indian mound sites in these areas, please let me hear from you.