Caddo Mounds: Colonised Texans' Historic Disregard for Indigenous Peoples

ALTO, TEXAS— I dream of a world where Caddo Mounds is not just a historic site, but a living, breathing reminder of the rich and vibrant Native American culture that once flourished in this land.

As a young, woke individual, I had the privilege of visiting the remains of the Puye Cliff Dwellings in New Mexico, and later, the awe-inspiring cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado. These experiences left a deep impression on me, as I was surrounded by the domestic world of Native Americans of the Southwest. I felt a deep connection to their way of life, from the way they procured food and practiced rituals to the games they played and the ways they protected themselves from intruders.

Located about 30 miles west of Nacogdoches, Caddo Mounds State Historic Site is one of the few places in Texas that offers a glimpse into the lives of Native Americans who once called this land home. It is a place that still stirs my imagination and invites me to explore the rich history and culture of the Caddo people.

I acknowledge that I am no longer a starry-eyed kid with an idealized view of the past, but I also recognize the importance of learning and preserving the stories of those who came before us. While I may not require "living history" to appreciate the significance of this place, I respect the efforts of those who don costumes and perform the daily lives of the Caddo people, as it is a form of storytelling that brings history to life.

What truly fascinates me is the relationship that the descendants of the Caddo tribe have with this interpreted environment. They gather here, near Alto, Texas, to learn and teach their culture, keeping the spirit of their ancestors alive.

The beauty of this Caddo village lies in its simplicity: three mounds, a garden, a conical grass replica dwelling, paths through an open prairie, and a glorious interpretive center that rose from the ashes of a devastating tornado in 2019. It is a testament to the resilience of both the Caddo people and the community that comes together to preserve their legacy.

Decolonizing Our Minds: A Reading List

As a liberal thinker, I believe that knowledge is power, and educating ourselves is a form of resistance. Before visiting Caddo Mounds, I highly recommend diving into these books, which offer a more inclusive and nuanced understanding of Native American history and the specific context of the Caddo people:

• "Caddo Mounds: State Historic Site" by Timothy Pertula, Eric Singleton, and staff (Texas Historical Commission): This accessible booklet provides a comprehensive guide to the early migratory Woodland people, the prehistoric and historic Caddo peoples, and the archaeology of this mound site.
• "Peace Came in the Form of a Woman: Indians and Spaniards in the Texas Borderlands" by Juliana Barr (University of North Carolina Press): This breathtaking history book challenges colonial narratives by centering on the fact that Native Americans, organized by kinship groups, controlled the land for hundreds of years. It highlights the essential role of women as exemplars of peace in Caddo culture, offering a nuanced understanding of gender dynamics within the community.
• "Indigenous Continent: The Epic Contest for North America" by Pekka Hämäläinen (Liveright Publishing): Hämäläinen, a renowned historian of Indigenous North America, debunks European and American propaganda, arguing for the recognition of an "Indigenous Period" well into the 19th century based on the vast lands controlled by Native Americans.
• "Unworthy Republic: The Dispossession of Native Americans and the Road to Indian Territory" by Claudio Saunt (Norton): While not directly about the Caddo people, this book documents the tragic expulsion of eastern Native Americans from the United States and their forced migration to traditional Caddo lands, ultimately resulting in the consignment of the Caddo to Indian Territory.
• "The Conquest of Texas: Ethnic Cleansing in the Promised Land, 1820-1875" by Gary Clayton Anderson (University of Oklahoma Press): A gut-wrenching exposé of the Texan project to exterminate or expel Indigenous tribes, this book is a stark reminder of the violent history that haunts our present.
• "Indian Place-Names" by John Rydjord (University of Oklahoma Press): Providing valuable insight into naming customs, origins, and meanings, this book examines Native American place names in Kansas and offers a deeper understanding of the Indigenous relationship with the land.

Unraveling the Threads of Caddo History

As we strive to decolonize our minds and acknowledge the truth of our past, here are some key facts about the Caddo people and their presence in East Texas:

• For at least 13,000 years, people have inhabited East Texas, with bands of hunters and gatherers roaming the land and leaving behind stone artifacts as evidence of their existence.
• Around 500 B.C., the introduction of domesticated plants, pottery, and the bow and arrow marked a transition from nomadic life to village dwellers, signaling a new era for the Caddo people.
• More than 1,200 years ago, a group of Caddo established a village at the current Caddo Mounds site, becoming the southwestern-most ceremonial center of the great Mound Builder culture.
• The Caddo dominated life in the East Texas forests for almost 1,000 years until the arrival of Spanish and French explorers, and later American settlers, who brought with them epidemic diseases that caused severe population losses.
• The Caddo traded with people from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico, exchanging foodstuff, raw materials, pottery, and finished decorative and ceremonial objects, showcasing their advanced societal organization.
• The site of Caddo Mounds was strategically located at a major river crossing, facilitating trade and connecting East Texas Caddo settlements with those on the Red River and beyond.
• Unlike other Indigenous groups, the Caddo rarely experienced warfare, as archaeologists believe that war played no significant role at Caddo Mounds or any other East Texas Caddo site.
• The Early Caddo lived in round, beehive-shaped houses made of wood and thatch, providing warm and comfortable living quarters for extended families.
• Fire played a significant role in Early Caddo rituals, with some ceremonial buildings deliberately destroyed by fire and a possible "perpetual fire" housed in a structure near the Low Platform Mound.
• The abandonment of this village around 1300 AD can be partly attributed to the "Little Ice Age" and the ensuing drought, as well as the decreasing power of the elite class due to the increasing self-sufficiency of other groups in the region.
• Later encounters with the French, Spanish, and Americans found the Caddo continuing their ways of life on a smaller scale, with smaller ceremonial centers and a continued tradition of mound building.
• The writing of French and Spanish explorers, dating back to the 1542 De Soto-Moscoso entrada into East Texas, offers a glimpse into the tremendous changes, upheaval, and dislocation experienced by the Caddo people over the past 400 years, leading to their current status as a sovereign nation based in Oklahoma.

As we walk through Caddo Mounds, let our eyes be opened to the beauty and resilience of a culture that refuses to be forgotten. Let us honor the Caddo people by acknowledging their past, celebrating their present, and striving for a more inclusive and equitable future.