Adai Caddo Indian Nation of Louisiana | |
| Named after | Adai people, Caddo people |
|---|---|
| Founded at | Robeline, Louisiana[1] |
| Type | state-recognized tribe, 501(c)(3) organization |
| Caddo Adais Indians, Inc.: EIN 76-0359749 | |
| Legal status | Active, State-Recognized Native American Tribe |
| Purpose | Community and economic development |
| Headquarters | Adai Caddo Indian Nation Cultural Center, 4460 LA-485, Robeline, LA 71469 |
| Location |
|
Membership (2018) | 1000+ |
Chief | John Mark Davis[2] |
| Debbie Garrett, Dee Niette Thompson, Charlene Conarroe, Boyd Ocon, Robert Brevelle | |
Staff | 9 |
| Website | https://adaination.com/ |
Formerly called | Natao, Hadeyes, Adais, Adayes, Aday, Adaes, Adae, Caddo, Cadeaux, Caddo Confederacy |
The Adai Caddo Indians of Louisiana (also known as Adai Caddo Indian Nation of Louisiana) is a state-recognized tribe in Louisiana,[1] member of the Caddo Confederacy, and federal 501(c)(3) organization in Robeline, Louisiana. The tribe is a member of the Louisiana Office of Indian Affairs Native American Commission, and the tribe's Vice Chief Deb Garrett serves as the Commission's Secretary.[3] Its members are descendants of the Adai people. The US Census Bureau established a State Designated Tribal Statistical Area for the Adai Caddo SDTSA, which includes Natchitoches Parish.[4]
The late Rufus Davis served as the organization's chief.[1] The current chief is John Mark Davis.[5][2]
Governor Edwin Edwards created the Louisiana Office of Indian Affairs in 1972 through an executive order.[6] In the 1990s, the office designated the Adai Caddo Indians of Louisiana as a state-recognized tribe.[1][7]
The state-recognized tribe is known by other names, including Caddo Adais Tribe [8] and the Adai Caddo Indian Nation.[5]
The Louisiana State Senate passed Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 16 in honor of the Caddo Adais Indians.[9]
The US Patent and Trademark Office issued the trademark Adai Caddo Indian Nation to the tribe.[10]
Caddo Adais Indians, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Robeline, Louisiana, established May 1991.[9]
The Adai Caddo Tribe sent a letter of intent to petition for federal recognition on September 13, 1993;[11] however, they never submitted a completed petition for federal recognition.[12]
This group is not federally recognized as a Native American tribe.
The tribe maintains a cultural center and museum in Robeline, Louisiana. [13] The center is about five miles north of Los Adaes State Historic Site,[14] an early 18th-century Spanish mission and ancestral village of the Adai indians.
The tribe hosts an annual powwow each October at its 80-acre ceremonial grounds in Robeline. Nearly 3,000 visitors attend the powwow making it the largest festival in Robeline and the surrounding area.[15][5]
Each Mother's Day, the tribe hosts a ceremony to honor their ancestors at St. Anne's Catholic Church and cemetery in Robeline. This tradition was taken from St. Augustine Parish (Isle Brevelle) Church, which hosts a similar ceremony on All Saints Day. Historically, St. Anne's Catholic Church was part of the St. Augustine Parish. On March 11, 1856, the mission of St. Augustine at Isle Brevelle was decreed by Bishop Auguste Martin to be a parish in its own right and assigned Fr. Francois Martin to be its first resident pastor. St. Augustine Church (also known as the Isle Brevelle Church) expanded to serve four other churches in the area, St. Charles at Bermuda, St. Joseph's at Bayou Derbonne, St. Anne's on Old River, and St. Anne's at Spanish Lake serving the Adai Caddo Indians.[16]