Notes on the Caddo Collections – Page 2 of 2

Caddo Sibling or Cousin Nomenclature

The sibling or cousin nomenclature, I may say incidentally, was quite difficult to work out, as White Moon persistently assumed that the Indian and the English systems were the same. It was only through testing by the genealogical tables that the differentiation became clear first to me, then to him. And then one of the genealogical tables, in one case, had to be revised, a woman who had been described as a father’s sister having to be reclassified as a parallel cousin. As for the principles of seniority which prevail, as we are to see, in this part of the … Read more

Caddo Naming Traditions

To an infant a name is given in the family, by any relative, maternal or paternal. White Moon (R. NichaGaiyu’) does not know the relative who gave him this name. The infant name may continue in use or it may be supplanted by a later name, perhaps the name of the being acquired as a guardian spirit, as in the case of Nvhi’, Horned-hoot-owl or, probably, of Moon-head, or by a name given quite as a nickname, as in the case of K’akitsaiyet’, Chewed-up or Ba’tshush, Tail-cut-off, who was in boyhood attacked by a bear; of Hina’kahdi, Snow-chief, from his … Read more

Caddo Mixed Marriages

Several mixed marriages or lineages appear in the genealogies. Chu´’uu’s first husband, White Moon’s maternal grandfather (Gen. II, 16), was a Shawnee. Enoch Hoag’s wife is Delaware (Gen. I, 9), and one of his sisters married a man “part Delaware,” Ninin or Alfred Taylor (Gen. I, 17, 34). Another sister married a Choctaw (Gen. I, 6). Margaret and Bertha Deer (Gen. I, 14, 25) are Muskogean (Mashkoki). The first wife (Gen. II, 13) of Kill-deer was a Kickapoo. The widow of Billy Bowlegs (and wife of Amos Longhat) (Gen. II, 10) is half French (Kanosh). The father of Chanatih (Gen. II, … Read more

Caddo Instructions of Youth

Boys were sent every morning to bathe in the river, even through the ice. The boys would shoot birds and a little boy liked to show his birds to his grandmother. The older woman in the family would talk to both the girls and the boys about how to take care of themselves. White Moon remembers that his grandmother told him he was not to interfere in other people’s affairs. “That feeling grows in… I don’t want to fool with anybody’s business and I don’t want them to fool with mine.” A boy used to be told that he was … Read more

Caddo Hunting

When the Caddo hunt Eagles are shot, not snared. If you picked up the feather dropped by a live eagle, there would be a death in the family (Ingkanish). After shooting an eagle, or finding a dead eagle, you must notify your people, “otherwise something awful will happen to you; eagles have wonderful power.” Ritual must be performed, by any older man. Then the bird may be plucked, after which it is buried like a person. The eagle killer is bathed all over with warm water and tobacco, and smoked with cedar fumes. The eagle feathers may be given away … Read more

Caddo Hand-Game, Racing

The Caddo Hand-game (kanidano’tsuisa, they are going to have a hand-game) may be played at any time, indoors. It is played by men and women, mixed, not sex against sex. A drummer and choir sit on the west side, likewise the score keeper, the two rows of players, north and south (Fig. 1). The score keeper hands the two little bones to the two players nearest him in the north row, a bone to each. The player opposite in the south row has to guess which hand the bone is in, the player with the bone keeping both hands in … Read more

Caddo Government

Between the northern and southern divisions of the tribe the prime distinction is in the chieftaincy. Each division has its own chief (kadhi’). In missions to Washington both chiefs are expected to participate. One division would not be properly represented by the chief of the other division. Since 1896 Enoch Hoag (Gen. 1, 7) has been chief at Sugar Creek. The Fort Cobb chieftaincy is for the moment unfilled, Francis Longhat,14 the chief, having lately died. Harry Age (chuitsi) (Gen. III, 17), the interpreter, is being talked of for chief. (In 1922 he became chief.) To Francis Longhat, the deceased … Read more

Caddo Ghost Dance – Nanisana

The nanisana or Ghost dance is held two or three times during summer or autumn, the first performance in June. Enoch Hoag, the chief, is today in charge. Before his death in 1917 Thomas Wister or Mr. Blue (Gen. I, 10White Moon’s father) who was Enoch Hoag’s younger brother, had been in charge, because, long before the land allotment, it was Mr. Blue who had put into order the dancing grounds (R. Guhayu’ Gudj’axGundj’anao’can: cu, where, hayu’, up, i.e. up creek, where there is a place to dance),–hoeing up the weeds for a dance place and erecting the circular arbor. … Read more

Caddo Geographical Location

The remnants of the Caddo confederacies of northwestern Louisiana and northeastern Texas settled in Oklahoma in 1859. After the Louisiana Purchase when Louisiana bands joined their tribesmen in Texas all lived there peaceably until some White Texans determined upon an indiscriminate massacre of raiding Comanche and of all Reservation Indians. The Caddo escaped by a forced march of two weeks in midsummer to the banks of the Washita River. Of this period White Moon talked as follows: Comanche and Kiowa would raid, up to the Caddo villages. The Texans trailed them and blamed the Caddo as well. The soldiers stood by the … Read more

Caddo Genealogy Tables

ka’inchi, grandchild, w. sp. Gen. III, 3 > Gen. III, 24 son’s son, w. sp. iba`, mother’s brother Gen. II, 57 > Gen. II, 30 mother’s brother Gen. III, 44 > Gen. III, 12 mother’s brother Gen. II, 57 > Gen. II, 34 (iba`t’iti, little mother’s brother) mother’s brother Gen. II, 63 > Gen. 11,48 (iba`t’iti) mother’s brother Gen. II, 59 > Gen. 11,12 mother’s mother’s brother Gen. I, 49 > Gen. I, 10 parallel cousin removed. The mother of Gen. I, 49 called Gen. I, 10, brother. Gen. I, 42 > Gen. I, 17 father’s sister’s husband Gen. I, … Read more

Caddo Dialectical Distinction

Between the northern division and the southern there appears evidence of dialectical distinction. Gaduda’atcu (R.), which is “the strongest language,” prevails in the north, although most of the Fort Cobb people also speak it. Similarly, although ha’ine (R.) is spoken in the north and one of the northern family localities is called naha’ine , the centre of ha’ine’ is in the south. Now and again a nacidu’c (R.) word or a ha’ic (R.) word will be used. Of other dialectical divisions,’ “perhaps two,”‘ White Moon had forgotten the names. The Caddo term for such divisions is kuosho’dacha, meaning lots of … Read more

Caddo Creation Story

White Moon knew little if anything of the tradition of tribal emergence from cave or underground which Caddo and other Southeasterners have in common with Southwesterners; but familiar to White Moon was the phrase, d’qki haiyano kin’aota, six human (peoples) out came a reference to the emergence from the earth of the traditional six tribal divisions of the Caddo. kwikiwawa dashkui nihaia where we used to live darkness when it was which is translated by Dorsey as “old-home-in-the-darkness” is perhaps another reference to the emergence or pre-emergence period. “They claim that it used to be dark all the time,” said … Read more

Caddo Age Class Terms

Age-Class Terms gayotsi baby sihyat’iti} boy under ten tat’iti} nutyit’it’i} sihnuti} girl under ten nutyit’it’i} tishiyatsi boy, about ten and over tinuti girl, about ten and over shiyatsi youth, eighteen or twenty nutitsi maiden, eighteen or twenty hanistih mature or old man sayatih mature or old woman Joking Relationship: Respect Between relations by marriage within the same generation, i.e. between those who call each other da’hai’, there is a joking relationship (tsimbakanishia, I joke with him, with her) as well as with one kind of cousin you call “sister,” dahai’. More explicit on this parallel cousinship White Moo could not … Read more

Burial Customs of the Caddo Tribe

Before the corpse is taken out from the house, those present pass their hands over it, from head to feet, and then over their own person. Messages are sent through the deceased to other dead relatives. Anybody arriving too late to see the deceased will go to the grave, to the east side, and, making a pass over the grave, will pass his hands down his own person. This rite is repeated at the other sides of the grave, south, west, north. Graves are made near dwelling houses, nowadays on your own land. At the time of the land allotment … Read more

Application of Terms in Caddo Genealogical Tables

a’a, father, father’s brother Gen. I, 42 > Gen. I, 10 father Gen. II, 65 > Gen. II, 47 father Gen. I, 42 > Gen. I, 7 father’s brother Gen. II, 30>Gen. II, 8 father’s brother Gen. II, 25 > Tom Shemamy, brother of Gen. II, 7 father’s brother Gen. III, 24 > Gen. III, 12 father’s half brother (a’atete) Gem I, 61 > (in theory) Gen. I, 30 father’s father’s brother’s son Gen. I, 42 > Gen. II, 17 grandmother’s husband. They lived in the same house, whereas the father of Gen. I, 42 lived elsewhere. By Whites … Read more

Additional Caddo Families or Persons

Fort Cobb Brave or Tom Keys (Gen. I, 37); and his wife, Nettie Pardon; and his brother (Gen. I, 11). Dora Keys, the sister of Tom Keys, a widow; and one child. Fritz Hendricks (Gen. I, 47); and his wife. Harry Age (Chuitsi, Cry-baby) (Gen. III, 17), brother of Stanley and Jerome Age. See Boggy Creek. East of Fort Cobb Basindiba; and his wife who is the mother of Ben Carter. Sister of Ben Carter; and her husband. Anadarko Ben Carter; and his wife. James Ingkanish; and his wife, a Cheyenne (Gen. III, 12, 13). Henry Ingkanish; and his wife … Read more