Kadohadacho facts for kids
The Kadohadacho (pronounced Kah-doe-HA-da-cho) are a group of Native American people. They are part of the larger Caddo Confederacy. Today, the Kadohadacho are officially members of the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma.
The Kadohadacho Story
The Kadohadacho people traditionally lived in an area where the states of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana meet today. They were skilled farmers, growing important crops like corn, beans, and squash. They also gathered pecans. The Kadohadacho were known for making bows and pottery, which they used for trading with other groups.
In 1541, some Kadohadacho traveling parties met explorers led by Hernando de Soto. However, the Spanish explorers did not enter the Kadohadacho homeland. Later, in 1687, the Kadohadacho welcomed the few people who survived the La Salle expedition into their villages in Texas. From then on, the Kadohadacho had friendly relationships with the French.
During the 1600s and 1700s, the Kadohadacho were one of three main groups of Caddo tribes. Their group included four communities that lived near the Great Bend of the Red River.
In the early 1700s, the Kadohadacho were attacked by the Chickasaw tribe. Many Kadohadacho people were either killed or taken as captives. Some who survived moved west and joined other Caddoan-speaking groups like the Nassoni and the Natchitoches. By the late 1700s, the remaining Kadohadacho joined their Natchitoches relatives in northwestern Louisiana.
Moving to New Lands
In 1845, the United States government moved both the Kadohadacho and the Hasinai tribes to the Brazos Reservation in Texas. Then, in 1859, these tribes were moved again. Along with other Caddo tribes, they were sent to Indian Territory (which is now Oklahoma). Their new reservation was located between the Canadian and Washita Rivers.
The Kadohadacho Today
Today, the Kadohadacho are official members of the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma. The main office for the Caddo Nation is in Binger, Oklahoma. Other Caddo tribes, like the Hasinai and the Hainai, are also part of this nation. The Kadohadacho speak a special way of the Caddo language. This dialect is very similar to the Hasinai and Natchitoche dialects, and people still speak it today.
