5 ways to gain a glimpse into Caddo Nation's influence

When children see the Willow Chute Village diorama at the Bossier Parish Historical Center they're surprised, curious and excited.

Marisa Richardson, curator of Collections and Exhibits, said many children have no idea the Caddo Indians were the first inhabitants of the Red River area. She added many adults don't realize Caddo Parish is named for the Caddo Indians.

"It's very important to know the people who were here first," Richardson said. "Learning about other cultures expands your world view."

Caddo influence can be traced back to the 10th Century, according to archaeologist Jeff Girard. Caddo artifacts turned up in Bossier's Willow Chute Bayou area as well the Shreveport area during the late 17th and early 18th Centuries. Two additional sites where artifacts were found — the McLelland and Joe Clark sites in southern Bossier Parish — have since been destroyed during lock and dam construction to prevent flooding by Red River.

"Most of the human occupation of northwest Louisiana was Caddo culture," Girard said. "Preserving the Caddo heritage is very important. It's part of all of our cultural pasts."

The term "Caddo" is a contraction of Kadohadacho, which means "real chiefs" and refers to any one of 25 different tribal groups in Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma. With 18 tribes represented, Louisiana is home to more American Indian tribes than any other Southern state.

Four tribes — the Chitimacha Tribe, Coushatta Tribe, Jena Band of Choctaw Indians and Tunica-Biloxi Indian Tribe — are federally recognized, while 10 other tribes are recognized by the state and four other tribes exist without official status. Individuals need to prove 1/16th ancestry in order to enroll as a current member of a tribe.

The Caddo culture can still be seen throughout Louisiana, and tribes have kept their language, culture and traditions alive.

The Louisiana State Exhibit Museum in Shreveport has a standing memorandum with the Caddo, who have given the museum permission to act as a repository for the tribe's its artifacts.

"We have been custodians for a number of decades," said Nita Cole, the museum's curator.

The museum, which opened in 1939 and developed through the leadership of pediatrician Clarence H. Webb and architect Edward Neild, is the only organization in Caddo Parish that works actively to preserve and display pre-historic Caddo culture. A walk-through of the West Wing gallery presents visitors with artifacts such as plummets, jasper owl figurines, a wall-to-wall diorama and a 30-foot-long dugout canoe. Exhibit signs also educate about the Caddo culture.

Who were the pre-historic Caddo?

The pre-historic Caddo were farmers as well as a hunter-gatherer society who believed humans and animals had a powerful relationship and that certain humans could communicate with the animals and even shape-shift into animal form. As part of that relationship, the Caddo also believed animals would willingly sacrifice themselves during hunts for the good of the tribe. In return, the Caddo gave thanks to every animal spirit and used all parts of the animal following the hunt. In addition, the Caddo had knowledge of more than 200 root plants to add to their diet.

Master traders, the Caddo used sign language to communicate with other tribes. One of the most rare artifacts they created were owl figurines carved from red jasper. Only 30 such figurines have been found so far in the United States.

Men held most positions of power in Caddo society. A head priest, called a xinesi, facilitated ceremonies and mediated between the tribe and the deities. A group of headmen named the Caddi were responsible for making important political decisions for the tribe. The tammas were the village elders, and the amayxoya were the warriors of the tribe.

Hair was given special attention among the Caddo. Men wore a small tuft of hair on the crowns of their heads or a strip of short hair from the forehead to the base of the neck. Women parted and fastened their hair behind their heads.

The Caddo highly revered their dead and believed their ancestors would become angry ghosts if disturbed. Attempting to contact the dead was thought to be highly dangerous. The ceremonial rituals for putting a tribal member to rest could last up to six days and included leaving food, water, weapons and sacred objects at the grave site.

The Caddo partook in a number of ceremonies. For a particular purification ceremony, they made a tea from youpon holly or the paste of ground frijolillo seeds. Those who drank this "Black Drink" would vomit soon after, an act of cleansing. The tea was often served in a whelk shell, carved with animal motifs.

The Caddo's Continued Influence

Girard said the Caddo didn't leave much of a written record; what is known about the pre-historic tribes comes from studying the artifacts they left behind. Girard said it's important to treat artifacts with respect when they are found, as they are the best gateway into an understanding of the past.

"It's a fragile thing," Girard said of preserving ancient cultures. "And once it's gone, it's gone. We need to take more of an active interest in the Caddo culture."

With more than 5,000 current tribal members, the Caddo Nation is still very much alive today. Here are five ways to gain a glimpse into the Caddo's continued influence.

1. Visit the mounds

Louisiana has the oldest earthen mounds in North America, with more than 700 recorded mound sites. Mounds were used for religious functions as well as the burial of the tribe's elite members. The mounds at Marksville, Poverty Point and Watson Brake are recognized internationally as historic sites, and the Ancient Mounds Heritage Area and Trails Initiative created a map with a self-guided tour of privately owned mound sites the public can view from the highways.

2. Visit a museum

Check out the Louisiana State Exhibit Museum's West Wing gallery in Shreveport or the Caddo artifacts on display at the Bossier Parish Historical Center in Bossier. For road-trippers, head to the Adai Indian Nation Cultural Center to view historic dwellings and learn more about the Adai Caddo.

3. Attend a powwow

Several tribes hold annual pow wows, social gatherings where people gather to celebrate tribal heritage through food, song and dance. Unlike some other American Indian ceremonies, pow wows are open to the public and even have inter-tribal dances where all are welcome to join in and dance. Visitors will also be able to experience American Indian cuisine, including famous Indian tacos and fry bread.

The Choctaw-Apache tribe is holding a Veterans pow wow Nov. 6.

4. Hike around Walter B. Jacobs Memorial Nature Park

The Nature park's "Caddo Trail" commemorates the Caddo, and the Twin Eagle American Indian Inter-Tribal Association dedicated the "Miracle Trail" in November 1994. A placard at the start of the trail tells the story of the White Buffalo Calf Woman. While a legend from the Sioux culture in the West, the story shows how American Indian presence crosses state lines.

5. Learn some words from the Caddo language

The native language of tribes is critical to their survival. The Kiwat Hasinay Foundation in Oklahoma is dedicated to teaching and preserving the Caddo language. Additionally, Online resources can be a fun way to learn some American Indian vocabulary. Here are some useful words and phrases from the Caddo, courtesy of the Hello! Oklahoma Project:

The Tunica-Biloxi, Chitimacha, Coushatta, and Jena Choctaw tribes also have reservation land. Reservations are considered sovereign nations, managed by the tribes and the US Bureau of Indian Affairs. While tribal culture and language is powerfully present on reservations and a testament to the resilience of American Indian people, reservations in the United States often suffer from crippling poverty and unemployment rates and provide stark contrast to living conditions experienced by most in mainstream society.

If you are aware of a current issue in Indian Country you would like to see covered, please contact Lex Talamo at Alexa.Talamo@shreveporttimes.com or @LexTalamo.

IF YOU GO:

Poverty Point World Heritage Site: 6859 LA-577, Pioneer (318) 926-5492

Louisiana State Exhibit Museum: 3015 Greenwood Rd, Shreveport (318) 632-2020

Bossier Parish Historical Center: 2206 Beckett St, Bossier (318-746-1693)

Adai Indian Nation Cultural Center: 4460 Hwy 485, Robeline (318-472-1007)

Choctaw-Apache Tribe Veteran's Pow Wow: 217 Gene Knight Rd, Noble (318- 617-0322)

Walter B. Jacobs Memorial Nature Park: 8012 Par Rd 4, Shreveport (318) 929-2806