CADDO INDIANS IN ARKANSAS

THESE INDIANS ENTER WRITTEN HISTORY WHEN CHRONICLES THE HERNANDO DE SOTO ENCOUNTERED THEM DURING THE SPANISH PASSAGE IN 1542. THE CADDO WERE FAMOUS SALT MAKERS, FARMERS, HUNTERS, TRADERS, POTTERY MAKERS WHO USED MOUNDS. THEY BELIEVED THE DEAD TRAVELED TO A WORLD BEYOND THIS. THEIR VILLAGES WERE RELATED TO FARMSTEADS AND THEY LIVED IN CIRCULAR THATCHED HOUSES THAT HAD POLES BOUND AT THE TOP. THEY HAD AN OVAL OR WORK PLATFORM WITH DRYING URN AND A THATCHED DOME STRUCTURE FOR STORING CORN. SOME HOUSES WERE RECTANGULAR, DOMED WITH MUD AND COVERED WITH GRASS AND COVERED WITH GRASS. THERE FARMSTEADS STRETCHED FOR MILES WITH CEREMONIAL CENTERS. EACH VILLAGE HAD A CHIEF WHICH WAS HEREDITARY. A BOY SET TO BE A CHIEF HAD YEARS OF TUTORING. HE WAS WELL SCHOOLED TO KEEP ORDER FOR HIS COMMUNITY. HE HAD A BIG ROLE HE APPROVED MARRIAGES, SET TIME TO BUILD A HOUSE, CALLED ASSEMBLIES, HOSTED FEASTS, ORGANIZED WELCOMING VISITORS, WAS A SPONSOR AT PLANTING AND HARVESTING CEREMONIES, SUPERVISED GIFTS, AND CONDUCTED PEACEMAKING CEREMONIES.

ONLY A FEW SPIRITUAL LEADERS LIVED AT THE MOUND CENTERS. ONE HELD POWER AND PRESTIGE SUPERIOR TO A CADDI. THE SPIRITUAL LEADER WAS ON A HOUSE ATOP A MOUND. HE WAS GUARDIAN OF SACRED FIRE. THERE ARE ABOUT 20 CEREMONIAL CENTERS WITH ONE MOUND IN A FOUR MILE WIDE AREA. IN THE 16TH CENTURY THE SPANISH WERE PROBABLY ALWAYS WITH IN 20 MILES OF AN ACTIVE TEMPLE.

HERNANDO DIED A MONTH BEFORE HIS ARMY ENTERED THE CADDO AND THEY HAD 600 SOLDIERS. THEY HELD 500 INDIANS CAPTIVE. THEY HAD HOUNDS TRAINED TO KILL INDIANS. THEY BECAME DEPLETED AND WERE LOOKING FOR FOOD AND SUPPLIES AND A GUIDE TO DIRECT THEM TO MEXICO. SOMEWHERE NEAR NASHVILLE THE CADDO BROUGHT THE SPANISH SKINS, FISH, ROASTED VENISON. AND FOUND ANOTHER SALT SITE. THE SPANIARDS PLUNDERED THERE GRANARIES.

BY THE TIME THE FRENCH MET THE CADDO THEY STOPPED MOUND BUILDING. THE FRENCH WERE INVITED TO A CEREMONY. THE CADDO DID NOT HAVE GUNS. THEY HUNTED BISON WITH BOWS AND ARROWS. THE FRENCH USED ONE SINGLE SHOT. THEY BECAME ALLIES WITH THE FRENCH .

IN 1835 THE CADDO HOMELANDS WERE FORCED TO CEDE ALL THEIR LAND IN THE NATION, NEVER TO LIVE THERE AGAIN. THEY TOOK A LONG JOURNEY IN ARKANSAS TO CADDO COUNTY, OKLAHOMA. BY 2006 THEY HAD ABOUT 4700 PEOPLE. ARKANSAS HAS PROTECTED THEIR SACRED SITES WHERE THEIR ANCESTORS LIVED AND DIED.

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