▁present - day ▁Mississippi , ▁Louisiana , ▁and ▁sout he astern ▁Texas . ▁ ▁History ▁▁ ▁The ▁Bil ox i ▁tribe ▁first ▁encountered ▁Europe ans ▁in ▁ 1 6 9 9 , ▁along ▁the ▁P asc ag ou la ▁River . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁mid - 1 8 th ▁century , ▁they ▁had ▁settled ▁in ▁central ▁Louisiana . ▁Some ▁were ▁also ▁noted ▁in ▁Texas ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁their ▁numbers ▁were ▁already ▁dw ind ling . ▁By ▁ 1 9 3 4 , ▁the ▁last ▁native ▁speaker , ▁Emma ▁Jackson , ▁was ▁in ▁her ▁eight ies . ▁Morris ▁Sw adesh ▁and ▁Mary ▁Ha as ▁spoke ▁with ▁her ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 4 ▁and ▁confirmed ▁that ▁she ▁spoke ▁the ▁language . ▁ ▁Classification ▁ ▁Bil ox i ▁is ▁an ▁Ohio ▁Valley , ▁or ▁S out he astern , ▁Si ou an ▁language . ▁It ▁is ▁related ▁to ▁O fo ▁and ▁T ut elo . ▁ ▁Ph on ology ▁ ▁Multiple ▁possible ▁invent ories ▁have ▁been ▁suggested . ▁This ▁article ▁follows ▁that ▁of ▁E ina udi ▁( 1 9 7 6 ). ▁ ▁V ow els ▁ ▁Al ong ▁with ▁contrast ive ▁nas al ization , ▁Bil ox i ▁also ▁has ▁ph on em ic ▁v owel ▁length . ▁ ▁Notes : ▁ ▁May ▁be ▁either ▁open - mid ▁or ▁close - mid . ▁ ▁Bil ox i ▁may ▁have ▁a ▁ph on etic ▁sch wa , ▁but ▁Dor