Natchitoches in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana — The American South (West South Central)
Sacred Ground
Caddo Memorial Plaza
Photographed by Dave W, May 13, 2022
1. Sacred Ground Marker
The ground upon which you are standing right now is sacred ground. In the early 1930s when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began construction of this hatchery, over 100 Caddo Indian graves were unearthed. At that time, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) was not in effect and many human remains, as well as funerary items, were crushed, stolen, looted, or destroyed. Some remains were transported to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, where they were kept in "The Nation's Attic at the National Museum of Natural History until 2007. Under authority of the Museum of the American Indian Act, and supported by the Caddo Nation's Tribal Council and Repatriation Committee, the Caddo Nation Cultural Preservation Department began a long journey in 2000 to return these remains to their home - the home of their ancestors - the Caddo Nation. The journey is now complete.
This Memorial Plaza is dedicated to honor the culture of the Caddo Nation and to remind all that spend time here of the proud history they left behind.
March 7, 2008
May the souls that were disturbed rest in peace.
Erected 2008 by Caddo Nation.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Indigenous Peoples and Communities. A significant historical date for this entry is March 7, 2008.
Location.
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Central Louisiana. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, and in the Piney Woods. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the Viceroyalty of New France, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, the Louisiana Purchase, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within one mile of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Caddo Nation (here, next to this marker); Henri de Tonti (within shouting distance of this marker); The Freedom Tree (approx. 0.9 miles away); The Jefferson Highway (approx. one mile away); Jefferson Street Park (approx. one mile away); Colonial Gateway Corral (approx. one mile away); Isabella's Ghost (approx. 1.1 miles away); Old Normal Hill (approx. 1.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Natchitoches.
Photographed by Dave W, May 13, 2022
2. Sacred Ground Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on February 6, 2023. It was originally submitted on January 25, 2023, by Dave W of Co, Colorado. This page has been viewed 291 times since then and 29 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 25, 2023, by Dave W of Co, Colorado. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
