The Nadaco, also commonly known as the Anadarko, are a Native American tribe from eastern

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

. Their name, Nadá-kuh, means "bumblebee place."Sturtevant, 630

History

The Nadaco were part of the trive branch of the

Caddo Confederacy 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, wh ...

and occupied territory in present-day east Texas.Sturtevant, 616 Spanish explorers encountered the tribe in 1542 in east Texas. Around 1700, the tribe joined the Hasinai but kept their distinct identity and culture.May, Jon D
Anadarko.
''Oklahoma Historical Society's Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture.'' (retrieved 6 Sept 2009) In 1716, Spanish monks founded the San José Mission to serve the Nadaco and the

Nasoni The Nasoni are a Native American tribe from eastern Texas and southwestern Arkansas. History The Nasoni were divided into two bands. The Upper Nasoni, who lived along the Red River in the southwestern corner of Arkansas.Panola County, Texas Panola County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 22,491. The county seat is Carthage. Located in East Texas and originally developed for cotton plantations, the county's name is derived fro ...

.The Nadaco.
''

Access Genealogy Access Genalogy is a genealogy website. One specific specialty it has is "the 1835 Cherokee census, listing Cherokees who lived east of the Mississippi during that year." One reviewer's one-sentence summary is: "This has a lot to offer for a fr ...

''. (retrieved 6 Sept 2009) By Texas Independence in 1836, the tribe had moved to the forks of the Trinity River. During the winter of 1838-39 the Texans forced the Nadaco from their ancestral homelands into

Indian Territory The Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the Federal government of the United States, United States Government for the relocation of Native Americans in the United St ...

. Disliking the harsh conditions in Indian Territory, the tribe returned to Texas in 1843, settling along the

Brazos River The Brazos River ( , ), called the ''Río de los Brazos de Dios'' (translated as "The River of the Arms of God") by early Spanish explorers, is the 11th-longest river in the United States at from its headwater source at the head of Blackwater Dr ...

. After Texas became a state, the United States federal government signed a treaty with the Nadaco and neighboring tribes; however, their lands were soon overrun by European-American settlers. In 1859, the Nadaco were again removed to Indian Territory to lands near the Wichita Agency. Their principal leader Lesh was killed in 1862, and many of the tribe fled to Kansas to avoid

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

hostilities. Several Indian tribes allied with Confederate forces in Indian Territory, and there were skirmishes with Union troops. The Nadaco returned to the Territory in 1867. In 1862 the Wichita-Caddo Reservation was established, and the Nadaco joined the greater Caddo Nation there. In 1950, an estimated 449 Nadaco lived in

Caddo County, Oklahoma Caddo County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2010 census, the population was 29,600. Its county seat is Anadarko. Created in 1901 as part of Oklahoma Territory, the county is named for the Caddo tribe who were s ...

. Today, Nadaco people are enrolled as members in the federally recognized

Caddo Nation of Oklahoma 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 ...

, headquartered 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.

Synonymy

Beside Nadaco and Anadarko, the tribe is also known as the Nadacoco, Nadan, Nadargoe, Nondacao, Nondaco, and Nadarko.

Namesakes

Anadarko, Oklahoma Anadarko is a city in Caddo County, Oklahoma, United States. The city is fifty miles southwest of Oklahoma City. The population was 5,745 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Caddo County. History Anadarko got its name when its post off ...

is named for the tribe.Riffel, Carolyn and Betty Bell
Anadarko.
''Oklahoma Historical Society's Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture.'' (retrieved 6 Sept 2009) A joke that might have some historical veracity is when the town was founded, residents suggested that it would be appropriate to name the town after "a Nadarko." Another possibly is that the additional "A" was simply a clerical error. Anadarko Creek, an upper branch of the

Angelina River The Angelina River is formed by the junction of Barnhardt and Shawnee creeks northwest of Laneville in southwest central Rusk County, Texas. The river flows southeast for and forms the boundaries between Cherokee and Nacogdoches, Angelina and ...

in Texas is also named for the tribe.Bolton, 51

Notes

References

* Bolton, Herbet E
''The Hasinais: Southern Caddoans As Seen by the Earliest Europeans.''
Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2002. . * Sturtevant, William C., general editor and Raymond D. Fogelson, volume editor. ''Handbook of North American Indians: Southeast''. Volume 14. Washington DC: Smithsonian Institution, 2004. .

External links

Oklahoma Historical Society

from Access Genealogy {{authority control Caddoan peoples Native American history of Texas Native American tribes in Oklahoma Native American tribes in Texas