Abstract
In a recent volume of the Caddoan Archeology Newsletter, Daniel Hickerson argues that Apache aggression across the Southern Plains, Apache trade in horses and other European goods, and European-introduced diseases dramatically affected Caddo an populations by encouraging their migration south to the upper Neches/Angelina river basins area traditionally occupied by one segment of the Caddo, the Hasinai groups. In his opinion, the Hasinai confederacy was a nascent chiefdom that developed as a direct result of this mid to late-seventeenth century southern migration. As has been pointed out by Caddoan ethnographers, ethnohistorians, and archeologists for 50 years or more, the Caddo were affected by a number of historical processes that resulted from the European exploration and settlement of the New World, and we would agree with Hickerson that these are worthy of study and continual reexamination. However, it is our view that Hickerson's consideration of historical processes has only dealt with a fraction of the available archeological and archival/documentary literature on the Caddo peoples, and this reliance on a limited sample of this material has led to a portrayal of Apache aggression and its effects on the Caddo populations in eastern Texas that is overdrawn and misleading. Furthermore, Hickerson incorrectly characterizes the limitations of the eastern Texas environment, leading to depictions of the region, as an impenetrable forest that stood as a defensive barrier, that do not stand up to scrutiny. Finally, a failure to differentiate between the Caddo and Southern Plains Caddoan-speakers causes Hickerson to inappropriately attribute to the Caddo the effects of Apache hostilities directed against the Pawnee and Wichita, close tribal allies.
Highlights
Nancy Adele Texas Historical CommissionPart of the American Material Culture Commons, Archaeological Anthropology Commons, Environmental Studies Commons, Other American Studies Commons, Other Arts and Humanities Commons, Other History of Art, Architecture, and Archaeology Commons, and the United States History Commons Tell us how this article helped you
This article is available in Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State: https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/ita/vol1996/iss1/12
1t 1s our view that Hickerson's consideration of historical processes has only dealt with a fraction of the available archeological and archival/documentary literature on the Caddo peoples, and this reliance on a limited sample of this material has led to a portrayal of Apache aggression and its effects on the Caddo populations in eastern Texas that is overdrawn and misleading
Summary
Part of the American Material Culture Commons, Archaeological Anthropology Commons, Environmental Studies Commons, Other American Studies Commons, Other Arts and Humanities Commons, Other History of Art, Architecture, and Archaeology Commons, and the United States History Commons Tell us how this article helped you. In a recent volume of the Caddoan Archeology Newsletter, Daniel Hickerson (1995) argues that Apache aggression across the Southern Plains, Apache trade in horses and other European goods, and European-introduced diseases dramatically affected Caddoan populations by encouraging their migration south to the upper Neches/Angelina river basins area traditionally occupied by one segment of the Caddo, the Hasinai groups. In his opinion (Hickerson 1995:12), the Hasinai confederacy was a nascent chiefdom that developed as a direct result of this midto late-seventeenth century southern migration. A failure to differentiate between the Caddo and Southern Plains Caddoan-speakers causes Hickerson to inappropriately attribute to the Caddo the effects of Apache hostilities directed against the Pawnee and Wichita, close tribal allies (Meredith 1995:20-21 )
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Index of Texas Archaeology Open Access Grey Literature from the Lone Star State
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
