Caddo Nation
Caddo Nation is a federally recognized tribal entity with headquarters located in Binger, Oklahoma. Descendants of the historic Caddo tribes with documentation of at least 1/16 ancestry are eligible to enroll as members in the Caddo Nation. The two most commonly used dialects today are Hasinai and Hainai.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caddo
The ancestors of the Caddo Indians were agriculturalists whose distinctive way of life and material culture emerged by 900 A.D. When members of Hernando de Soto’s expedition entered the region in 1542, thriving Caddo communities were distributed along the Brazos, Trinity, Neches, Sabine, Red, and Ouachita rivers. These communities played important economic and diplomatic roles during the 17th and 18th century colonial era.
The Caddo people suffered hardships when the U.S. government removed them to reservations in Texas and later Oklahoma during the 19th century. Additional losses resulted from the subsequent sale of reservation lands as a result of allotment.
In 1938, the Constitution for the Caddo Indians of Oklahoma became an established government. The Tribal Council is composed of 8 members including 4 representatives from 4 distinct areas with high populations of Caddo people. Though these Representatives are elected to represent their individual constituencies, they play an important part in making decisions for the entire tribe.
20th century efforts to revitalize economic, social, political, and religious institutions and preserve links with their heritage enable the Caddo people to maintain a distinctive identity today and continue building toward a hopeful and prosperous future. They do this by building upon their tribal programs, gaming, and heritage and culture initiatives. For example, the Caddo Nation Children’s Clothing Assistance, funded through the Tribal Tag Office/Section 106 Programs, awards each enrolled child $75 which is intended to assist families with back to school expenses. The Bison Ridge Casino and Travel Lodge promotes tribal economic development, self-sufficiency, and sovereignty. Also, several tribal departments and organizations have come together to preserve and document their language including the Caddo Heritage Museum, the Kiwat Hasinai Foundation, and the Education Department. http://caddonation-nsn.gov/2670-2/
Tamara Francis-Fourkiller (Chairwoman)
Tel: (405) 656-2344
Fax: (405) 656-2209
PO Box 487
Binger, OK73009-0487
Website: http://www.caddonation-nsn.gov
The Caddo are thought to be an extension of Woodland period peoples, the Fourche Maline and Mossy Grove cultures, whose members were living in the area of Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas between 200 BCE and 800 CE.[8] The Wichita and Pawnee are related to the Caddo, as both tribes speak Caddoan languages.
By 800 CE, this society had begun to coalesce into the Caddoan Mississippian culture. Some villages began to gain prominence as ritual centers, where major earthworks were built, serving as temple mounds and elite residences. The mounds were arranged around leveled, large, open plazas, which were usually kept swept clean and were often used for ceremonial occasions. As complex religious and social ideas developed, some people and family lineages gained prominence over others.[8] By 1000 CE, a society that is defined by archaeologists as “Caddoan” had emerged. By 1200, the many villages, hamlets, and farmsteads established throughout the Caddo world had developed extensive maize agriculture, producing a surplus that allowed for greater density of settlement.[8] In these villages, artisans and craftsmen developed specialties. The artistic skills and earthwork mound-building of the Caddoan Mississippians flourished during the 12th and 13th centuries.[9]
The Spiro Mounds, near the Arkansas River in present-day southeastern Oklahoma, were some of the most elaborate mounds in the United States. They were made by Mississippian ancestors of the historic Caddo and Wichita tribes, in what is considered the westernmost point of the Mississippian culture.[10] The Caddo were farmers and enjoyed good growing conditions most of the time. The Piney Woods, the geographic area where they lived, was affected by the Great Drought from 1276–1299 CE, which covered an area extending to present-day California and disrupted many Native American cultures.[11]
Archeological evidence has confirmed that the cultural continuity is unbroken from prehistory to the present among these peoples. The Caddoan Mississippian people were the direct ancestors of the historic Caddo and related Caddo language speakers who encountered the first Europeans, as well as of the modern Caddo Nation of Oklahoma.[12]
Caddo headquarters is located in Binger, Oklahoma.
Intersection of Highways 281 and 152
5 miles east of Binger, OK
The Caddo language is a member of the Caddoan language family. It is linguistically related to the Pawnee, Arikara, Wichita, and Keechi languages. Each band of the Caddo had a distinct dialect, but these dialects could generally be understood by all speakers of the Caddo language. The differences in the dialects are both on the level of pronunciation and vocabulary. The two most commonly used dialects today are Hasinai and Hainai.
The following words are taken from a Caddo dictionary compiled by Randlett Edmonds, from language lessons held in Gracemont with Clara Longhat Brown and Randlett Edmonds, and from the participants in the current Caddo Language Project. Keep in mind that different speakers may speak different dialects and have different ways to pronounce words and that listeners may transcribe words in different ways.
20th century efforts to revitalize economic, social, political, and religious institutions and preserve links with their heritage enable the Caddo people to maintain a distinctive identity today and continue building toward a hopeful and prosperous future. They do this by building upon their tribal programs, gaming, and heritage and culture initiatives. For example, the Caddo Nation Children’s Clothing Assistance, funded through the Tribal Tag Office/Section 106 Programs, awards each enrolled child $75 which is intended to assist families with back to school expenses. The Bison Ridge Casino and Travel Lodge promotes tribal economic development, self-sufficiency, and sovereignty. Also, several tribal departments and organizations have come together to preserve and document their language including the Caddo Heritage Museum, the Kiwat Hasinai Foundation, and the Education Department.
Tamara Francis-Fourkiller (Chairwoman)
Tel: (405) 656-2344
Fax: (405) 656-2209
PO Box 487
Binger, OK73009-0487
Website: http://www.caddonation-nsn.gov
