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Newspaper Page Text
" Wf5(. mtnSPytfT 'PrT?- Trrr y.jtJwYBr' 46 THE INDIAN ADVOCATE. JL V THE CADDO AND ASSOCIATED TRIBES. The Caddo are the principal southern representatives of the Caddoan stock, which includes also theWichita, Kichai, Pawnee and Arikara. Their confed aracy consisted of about a dozen tribes or divisions, claiming as their original territory the whole of lower Red river and adjacent country in Louisiana, eastern Texas and southern Arkansas. The original home of the Caddo was on lower Red river in Louisiana. Ac cording to their own tradition, which has parallels among several other tribes, they came up from under the ground, through the mouth of a cave in a hill which they call "Cha-Kani-Na" the place of crying on a lake close to the south bank of Red river, just at its junction with the Mississippi. In those days men and animals were all brothers and all lived together under the ground. But at last they discovered the entrance to the cave leading up to the surface of the earth, and so they decided to ascend and to come out. First an old man climbed up, carrying in one hand fire and a pipe, and in the other a drum. After him came his wife with corn and pumpkin seeds; then followed the rest of the people and the animals. All intended to come out, but as soon as the wolf had climbed up he closed the hole and shut up the rest of the people and animals under the ground, where they still remain. Those who had come out sat down and cried a long time for their friends below, hence the name of the place. Because the Caddo came out of the ground they call it ina, moth er, and go back to it when they die. Because they have had the pipe and the drum and the corn and pumpkins since they have been a people, they hold fast to these things and have never thrown them away. From this place they spread out to ward the west, following up the course of the river, along which they made their principal settlements. For a long time they lived on Caddo lake, on the boundary between Louisiana and Texas; their principal village on the lake be ing called "Sha-chid-ni" Timber Hill. Their acquaintance with the whites began at a very early period. One of the tribes, the Niidiiko, is mentioned under the name of Nandacao in the narrative of De Soto's expedition, as early as 1540. The Kadohadacho were known to the French as early as 1G87. The relations of the Kaddo with the French and Spaniards were intimate and friendly. Catholic missions were established among them about the year 1700, and continued to exist until 1812, when they were suppressed by the Spanish govern ment and the Indians were scattered. In the meantime Louisiana had been purchased by the United States, and the Caddo soon began to be pushed away from their ancient villages into the western territory, where they were exposed to the constant inroads of the prairie tribes. From this time their decline was rapid, and the events of the Texan aud Mexican wars aided still further in their demoralization. They made their first treaty with the United States in 1835, at which time they were chiefly in Louisiana, southwest of Red river and adjoining Texas. They after wards removed to Brazos river in Texas, and toWashita river in Indian Territory in 1859. When the rebellion broke out the Caddo not wishing to take up arms against the government, fled north into Kansas and remained there until the close of the war, when they returned to the Washita. Their present reservation, which they hold only by executive order and jointly with the Wichita, lies between Washita and Canadian rivers in western Okla homa, having the Cheyenne and Ara paho on the north and west, and the iililiagilfiHfitfaaHIMaiaHHii