Virtual Field Trip

Kookayadaneeya: Springs

Story

 

Ever wonder what it was that nurtured the ancient people of this area and provided the resources to develop agriculture, artistry, and flourishing villages and ceremonial centers? Water is a major piece of that puzzle, and the natural springs at Caddo Mounds may have been one of the things that encouraged people to settle and prosper in the area. Water plays an important role in Caddo stories, ceremonies, and everyday life. Water is central in Caddo stories of underworld creatures and transitions between worlds, the gifting of power, the care and arrival of plants, and more. Like many of us, the Caddo have a flood myth as a part of their story tradition. The natural springs and ponds onsite are home to a variety of wildlife, including koo-hoo, alligators.

What's in Caddo Voices

Each section of the Caddo Voices Virtual Experience places content into a play list of Contemporary Caddo, Practice, and Ethnohistory videos.  

 

  • In Contemporary Caddo you will learn about current Indigenous movements. 
  • In Practice you are invited to explore hands-on projects that incorporate traditional Caddo knowledge into modern projects. 
  • In Ethnohistory you will tap into a wide range of scholarship about Caddo history and culture from anthropologists, historians, and other researchers. 

Keep Exploring

In this extensive 2021 bibliography, you will find 386 pages of resources to learn more about Caddo history and culture.

 

Visit the THC’s Learning Resources page for home-related lesson plans and activities you can do at home or on a visit to Caddo Mounds State Historic Site.

 

Read the Caddo stories written down in “Traditions of the Caddo” by George Dorsey in 1905. Dorsey’s stories were collected from Caddo informants including Tsa Bisuh “Wing” (who told 49 percent of the stories) and Dashkat Hakaayuʔ “Whitebread” (who told 19 percent of the stories). 

 

Explore more about the Caddo history and culture at Texas Beyond History.