The turkey dance (

Caddo The Caddo people comprise the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma, a federally recognized tribe headquartered in Binger, Oklahoma. They speak the Caddo language. The Caddo Confederacy was a network of Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands, who ...

: Núh Kaʔáwshan) is one of the most important traditional dances among

people."Caddo Heritage & Culture."
''Caddo Nation''. 2007 (retrieved 27 Dec 2010) Women dance the turkey dance, while men drum and sing the songs, which describe events in Caddo history. The dance takes place in the afternoon and is finished by sunset, when turkeys return to their roosts. Caddos traditionally founded their villages and camps near turkey roosts, because the turkeys served as sentinels — creating noises when people approached.

History

The turkey dances are ancient, and several stories of their origin exist. One explanation is that a Caddo man, hunting in the forest, heard singing. The source was a rafter of turkey hens dancing in a circle around a tom turkey. The hunter carefully observed and memorized the dance to share it with his tribe."Caddo Nation Today."
''Texas Beyond History.'' (retrieved 27 Dec 2010) 18th-century Spanish missionaries wrote descriptions of

Hasinai The Hasinai Confederacy (Caddo: ) was a large confederation of Caddo-speaking Native Americans who occupied territory between the Sabine and Trinity rivers in eastern Texas. Today, their descendants are enrolled in the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma an ...

women dancing the turkey dance when warriors returned to their village. In the 21st century, Caddo women still dance with a ceremonial cane presented to the tribe by the Spanish before 1809. The Caddo have continuously maintained the turkey dance, but it particularly enjoyed a revival after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Dance

In a day of Caddo dances, the turkey dance is the first one performed. The dance has several phases. In the past, women danced around a pole.Parsons, Elsie Clews
"Notes on the Caddo." ''Memories of the American Anthropological Association.'' 1921
on ''Access Genealogy.'' (retrieved 27 Dec 2010) During the third phase the women cluster around the men drumming in the center of the dance area. During the final phase, the women dancers get to choose male dance partners. The dance is concluded with a flag song and the lowering of the US flag in honor of Caddo veterans. The dance movements of the women may have been inspired by turkey movements. Today turkey dances are usually held at the Caddo National Tribal Complex dance grounds in

Binger, Oklahoma Binger is a town in Caddo County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 672 at the 2010 census. It is the headquarters of the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma, who were settled in the area during the 1870s.

. The Hasinay Society and Caddo Cultural Club both perform turkey dances.

Regalia

Caddo women's dance regalia include handmade dresses, broadcloth blankets, beadwork, and

dush-toh A dush-toh, also spelled dush-too, dush-tooh, or dush-tuh, is a customary Caddo hair ornament worn by girls and women during dances, particularly the Turkey Dance.

s, which are plaques adorned with brass or mirrors and flowing ribbons. Dresses are ankle-length with ribbons sewn around the skirt. Blouses match the skirts in color and have flared yokes. Over their skirts, women wear full-length aprons.

Songs

52 Caddo turkey dance songs are still sung today. They recount Caddo historical events in the many dialects that comprise the

Caddo language Caddo (endonym: , ) is a Caddoan language indigenous to the Southern United States and the traditional language of the Caddo, Caddo Nation. It is critically endangered, with no exclusively Caddo-speaking community and as of 2023 only two speaker ...

. Many recount military exploits, but they begin with oral history of the creation of the Caddo people. One song tells about the overnight creation of

Caddo Lake Caddo Lake () is a lake and bayou (wetland) on the border between Texas and Louisiana, in northern Harrison County and southern Marion County in Texas and western Caddo Parish in Louisiana. The lake is named after the Caddoans or Caddo, ...

. As Cecile Elkins Carter writes, "The dances celebrate Caddo survival."Carter 355

Notes

References

*Carter, Cecile Elkins
''Caddo Indians: Where We Came From.''
Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2001. .

External links

Downloadable Caddo turkey dance songs
on CaddoPottery.com {{Native American Dances Caddo Indigenous culture of the Southeastern Woodlands Indigenous culture of the Great Plains Native American ritual dances Religion in Oklahoma