Changing moons: A history of Caddo religion

From their homeland mound the intersection of modern Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana, Caddos had a great impact throughout the heartland of Native North America. This impact, developed over a thousand years as the westernmost Mississippians, can best be considered from a broad comparative perspective, extending over space-from the Southwest to the Plains and Southeast-and over time-from the fires of temple mounds to the fireplaces in tipis during peyote meetings of the Native American Church, spread along the Caddo diplomatic network. As with famous examples from the Northwest Coast, Caddos once had complex class rankings. The history of Caddo religion, from ancient priests to the recent prophets known as yoko, recapitulates the collapse and rebirth of the great nations of North America, except that Caddos have had the sure guidance of Moon (neesh) and his changing representations.