By Deborah Burkett In an April 2015 story, I heralded the exciting news that a Caddo Grass House would rise again along Highway 21 southwest of Alto. Caddo Mounds State Historic Site (41CE19) (also known as the George C. Davis Site) is an archaeological site in Weeping Mary, Texas. But after 15 years it deteriorated beyond repair, so the decision was made to burn it ceremonially per Caddo custom. Place the container over the house but leave it ajar on the lid to prevent mold. Williams said he hoped to begin the project by summer 2020. Our goal is for people to walk in and feel like they have entered a home — warm, welcoming, and completely liveable," she said. The house remained an integral part of the site until the mid 1990s, when it deteriorated beyond … Using artificial grass for commercial properties is not only good for the environment and helps contribute to building green, it also improves the bottom line by reducing costs associated with maintenance of organic landscapes. Caddo elder, Phil Cross, is pictured in two colored photos constructing a Caddo Grass House. In 2014, Friends of Caddo Mounds embarked on a mission to build a new grass house at the site. To fully understand Jeff Williams' remarkable survival, you must know he was in this replica of a Caddo grass house. To make the house as authentic as possible, workers will again use only material that would have been used on the houses that were populating East Texas, southeast Oklahoma, southwestern Oklahoma, and northeastern Louisiana as early as 1,200 years ago. Allow Phil Cross to pass on the knowledge and skills for grass-house construction to a Caddo apprentice. Caddo, one tribe within a confederacy of North American Indian tribes comprising the Caddoan linguistic family. This week, the project was named a co-winner of the 2018 Paul E. Buchanan Award during a May 4 ceremony hosted in Alexandria, Virginia, by the Vernacular Architecture Forum. “And I can't believe I was in a grass house in a F-3 tornado Celebrating 60 Years of Preserving Texas Treasures, Curatorial Facility for Artifact Research, Finding and Hiring a Preservation Consultant, Economic Impact of Historic Preservation in Texas, Friends of the Texas Historical Commission, Healthy Activities and Texas History at our State Historic Sites, Stories of the Rayburn Family: Loyce Cordelia Rayburn, Friends in High Places: Navigating Friends Group Partnerships, Texas Historical Commission Holiday Gift Guide, “A Rayburn Christmas” at the Sam Rayburn House State Historic Site, Tejano Patriot: A Discussion with Author Art Martinez de Vara, Virtual Archeology Tour of Sam Rayburn House, Building the Past: Grass House Returns to Caddo Mounds. On April … Caddo, one tribe within a confederacy of North American Indian tribes comprising the Caddoan linguistic family. Caddo elder Phil Cross has agreed to construct the grass house this summer at the site. Fake grass in Caddo is especially valuable in those high wear and tear areas, such as where children play all the time, and bald patches start to form. The Friends of the THC and the Friends of Caddo Mounds helped fund the construction of a new Caddo grass house and are currently raising funds to furnish and maintain the structure. When your grass needs mowing, remove the cover. A Caddo tribal elder and his apprentice direct the construction of a traditional grass house at their ancestral homeland in East Texas. on a hot summer day. Cross is the only living Caddo elder who knows the traditional grass house building techniques. Since the opening of Caddo Mounds as a state park until around 1995, a large Caddo grass house stood on site. Replicas of these grass houses have been built as "interpretive exhibits" at Caddo Mounds twice in the site's history. The site is part of the lush Pineywoods landscape of the Texas Forest Trail Region. Copyright 2019 KLTV and KTRE. A slow-moving cold front will bring showers to East Texas today. Photo courtesy of Anne Davison. The Grass House Crew kicked off a building project Wednes-day morning, gathering pine poles cut with permission from the Davy Crockett National Forest to create traditional Caddo grass houses at The president of The Friends of Caddo Mounds and other volunteers labored for months building it by Caddo methods. The Spring 2017 John W. Stormont Lecture Series will kick off at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 2 with "Building a Caddo Grass House" at the Museum of the Coastal Bend. The volunteer group, Friends of Caddo Mounds State Historic Site, labored for months in 2016 building the grass house by Caddo methods. With this financial boost, the grass house project is officially underway. The process of rebuilding the grass house by hand will be just as laborious as before, but the president of the Friends of Caddo Mounds group said there were lessons learned the first time around that will help in the rebuild. now known as Caddoan Mounds State Historic Site. The dome-shaped grass houses were built with a willow framework covered with woven mats made of Tule (Southern Bulrush), Cattail or Giant Wild Rye that were secured with cordage. Submitted by Rob Hodges on Thu, 05/26/2016 - 8:00am, THC's Historic Sites, Caddo Mounds State Historic Site, By Rachel Galan, Caddo Mounds Site Educator and Interpreter. Grass houses were much A.D. 1200-1700). The Caddo grass house project was designed and built as a partnership between the Caddo people and the East Texas community, which was instrumental in inspiring donations, recognition and the production of a documentary to be released on PBS stations this fall. The large beehive-shaped grass houses of the Caddo and Wichita peoples were permanent dwellings found mainly in East Texas and adjoining areas of neighboring states. First a replica Caddo house stood on site from 1981 to the mid-1990s. SFA to screen ‘Koo-Hoot Kiwat: The Caddo Grass House’ SFA Press Release February 21, 2019 Nacogdoches – The Stephen F. Austin State University School of Art and the Friends of the Visual Arts will present a free, one-night screening of the documentary “Koo-Hoot Kiwat: The Caddo Grass House” at 7 p.m. Friday, March 1 , in The Cole Art Center at The Old Opera House in downtown Nacogdoches. Caddo Mounds State Historic Site is located near Alto, 26 miles west of Nacogdoches. Grass houses were much larger than tipis, sometimes reaching 50 feet tall and housing two or more families! These … June 27, 2019 at 12:13 PM CDT - Updated June 27 at 8:26 PM, Reward offered for Cherokee County poaching arrest, Power supplier leaves nearly 1,000 without electricity in Nacogdoches. The house was destroyed when … The volunteer group, Friends of Caddo Mounds State Historic Site, labored for months in 2016 building the grass house by Caddo methods. Give visitors a unique and authentic look into the lifeways of the ancient people who lived at Caddo Mounds. Oct 20, 2015 - Explore Elena's board "caddo school project" on Pinterest. Koo-Hoot Kiwat: The Caddo Grass House. With the location and identification of the natural resources required to build the new Caddo grass house at the site (e.g. Spray the house and sprinkle grass seeds on the surfaces. See more ideas about indian project, school projects, native american projects. Their name derives from a French truncation of kadohadacho, meaning “real chief” in Caddo. This project, captured in the Emmy Award winning documentary Koo-Hoot Kiwat: the Caddo Grass House, created a community that was tested on April 13th, 2019. If you would like to participate, our Facebook page and website have information about volunteer opportunities. CHEROKEE COUNTY - Two summers ago, a group of volunteers led by Caddo tribe members created an authentic tribal grass house at Caddo Mounds State Historic Site outside Alto. By 1995, the house was architecturally unstable and provided the opportunity to conduct a staged burn of the house, artifacts, and organic remains so archeologists could observe and document the effects. Members of the Caddo tribe and a host of volunteers built the grass house which depicts life among the Native Americans who lived there 1,200 years ago. A big boost to our grass house goals came in September when Caddo Mounds was awarded a $15,000 grant from the MICA Group. Phil Cross, the Caddo elder and project architect, is perhaps the last of his tribe with the knowledge of this nearly-forgotten practice. on a hot summer day. It is a 17,873-acre (7,233 ha) protected area that was purchased in the 1930s. What you will need: 4 new standard kitchen sponges in various colors; Ruler; Permanent marker; Scissors; Large plastic food storage container. Replica Caddo grass house on the day it was burned in 1995. “The first thing we’ve got to do is collect poles, pine poles, and we’ll do that with a Native American collection permit, and we’ll do that in the Davy Crockett National Forest,” said Jeff Williams, FCM’s president. What types of houses did the Caddo live in? This is "KOO-HOOT KIWAT: The Caddo Grass House" by Curtis Craven on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them. SFA to screen ‘Koo-Hoot Kiwat: The Caddo Grass House’ Posted on February 19, 2019 by admin. Bring Caddo people and non-Caddo members of our community together for the house construction. Caddo Mounds State Historic Site outside of Alto is sporting a new beehive hairdo. Phil Cross, a member of the Caddo Indian Nation and the Caddo Culture Club of Binger, Oklahoma is a very knowledgable man of many talents. These huts were nicely furnished inside with furniture and were quite comfortable. All rights reserved. While the people who populated the Mound site at Caddo Mounds State Historic Site have been gone since about 1250 A.D. (for roughly 30 generations), the spirit of the place permeates all that we do. “That’s what I’m most proud of,” Galan said of the project and her award. A Gray Media Group, Inc. Station - © 2002-2021 Gray Television, Inc. Caddo Mounds Historic Site volunteers vow to rebuild grass house destroyed by tornado, WEBXTRA: Caddo Mounds Historic Site volunteers vow to rebuild grass house destroyed by tornado. The president of The Friends of Caddo … We are moving forward with big dreams at Caddo Mounds State Historic Site. A Caddo tribal elder and his apprentice return to their ancestral homeland to direct a group of enthusiastic local volunteers in the design and construction of the grass house. Here are some more pictures of Native American houses like the ones RELATED: President of Friends of Caddo Mounds in grass house when tornado hit. READ MORE: Caddo Mounds Historical site finishes Grass House construction, “The [pine] poles will need to be peeled, and then we’ll raise the poles and bend them into shape,” Williams explained. ½-cup grass … The goal of the park when purchased was to restore the eroded soil. “We hope to do that around this time next year; we hope to do that on a long weekend.”. A free, one-night screening of the documentary “Koo-Hoot Kiwat: The Caddo Grass House” will be at 7 p.m. Friday, March 1, in The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House. Keep the house moist, warm and well-lit. Synthetic grass for Commercial Properties in Caddo. This exciting archeological adventure was planned by the Caddo Mounds Friends Group led by President Jeff Williams, with guidance from Site Manager, Anthony Souter and Educator/Interpreter, Rachel Galan. … Last summer, site staff members, volunteers, and Caddo tribal members built a 25-foot-diameter traditional grass house using locally harvested pine poles, willow branches, and switch grass. “I appreciate your efforts to bridge our living culture of today and our history.” Instagram comment by ndnregalia, 2016. The new house will also strengthen … Bringing the Grass House Back to Caddo Mounds State Historic Site. On April … This Caddoan Mississippian culture site is composed of a village and ceremonial center that features two earthwork platform mounds and one burial mound. The first replica Caddo grass house at CMSHS was constructed in 1981. The Caddo lived in tall cone shaped grass huts. Caddo Mounds State Historic Site (41CE19) (also known as the George C. Davis Site) is an archaeological site in Weeping Mary, Texas. 2019 Tornado. Grass houses were much A.D. 1200-1700). The Caddo lived in tall cone shaped grass huts. They had no metal hammers and nails to join the pieces of their houses together. switchgrass, pine and willow poles, and a large central cedar post) and the first efforts to gather these materials, the construction phase of the grass house project is officially underway. One of the reasons the Spanish seemed to like the Caddo was because they had beds and chairs inside these huts. On April 13, 2019, one of two tornadoes which hit Cherokee County tore through the Caddo Mounds historic site, taking the grass house along with it. Native American groups such as the Caddo and the Wichita built grass homes. The purpose of the new house is more than a research project or an interpretive tool (although I am excited about that). The construction of this grass house will: There is still much work to be done in the construction of the new grass house. For hundreds of years, the Caddo Indians built huge dome-shaped houses, temples, and other structures without using modern equipment or tools! But after approximately 15 years, the structure became unstable and had to be removed. The Friends of Caddo Mounds and the Friends of the Texas Historical Commission are seeking sponsors to financially support the documentation of the grass house project, its furnishing, and its long-term maintenance. In 1981, an experimental replica grass-thatched house was constructed at the George C. Davis site and displayed an interpretive exhibit for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, which managed the site at the time. The visitors center building was destroyed by the storm, and the Caddo Grass House is gone. 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