Grass house

REBUILDING THE TRADITIONAL CADDO GRASS HOUSE

In the summer of 2016, Caddo elder Phil Cross and his apprentice Chad Earles led a group of volunteers to reconstruct a traditional Caddo grass house (koo hoot kiwat) at the Caddo Mounds State Historic Site. See a documentary of the house's construction (26 minutes). On April 13, 2019, the house was destroyed by a tornado that struck the site during the annual Caddo Culture Day celebration.

We are rebuilding! In July 2022, our tireless team of Caddo women and Friends Group volunteers collected, peeled and erected pine poles, constructed the central hoop, tied willow lathing and so much more. The house frame is complete!

The next big phase of the build will be thatching, to take place in November 2022. See a schedule of work days and events below. We are grateful to our sponsors, whose contributions have made this project possible: the Summerlee Foundation, Humanities Texas, and TC Energy.

Opportunities to get involved:

• November 5, 2022: Grass cutting in Overton, TX. 10 AM to 3 PM. Click here for details.

• November 19, 2022: Tightening the grass house frame at CMSHS. 10 AM to 2 PM. Click here for details.

• November 25, 2022: Grass house and snake mosaic prep: moving grass and rocks at CMSHS. 9 AM to 1 PM. Click here for details.

• November 27, 2022: Kick off thatching! At CMSHS. 9 AM to 4 PM. We'll come together for a fun day of work and fellowship to begin thatching the grass house and to build the mosaic in Snake Woman's garden. There will be a pottery demonstration by Chase Earles, weaving activities, atlatl throwing and more. Click here for more details.
  
  Thatching will continue until the house is complete, so there will be opportunities to help throughout the following week.

Be a part of it! There are plenty of ways to contribute on November 26 and throughout the following week:

1. Volunteer! You'll get to work with members of the Caddo Nation and dedicated volunteers from all around the regions. Make new friends and memories that will last a lifetime! There will be plenty of jobs of all kinds to do at the house, in the garden or in the museum. Please fill out this form to register as a volunteer for the November 27 - December 2 thatching and snake mosaic activities.

2. Donate to the Friends of Caddo Mounds to support the grass house build, including travel funds for our Caddo friends and purchase of food and supplies needed for long work days. If you have questions about donations or sponsorships, call 936.858.3221 or 936.858.3218.

3. Feed the volunteers! Donations of snacks and drinks are always welcome, as are meal sponsorships. Call 936.858.3221 or 936.858.3218 for additional information.

4. Come out and watch! There will be plenty of fun activities on site on November 27, and all are welcome. No need to register to attend as a spectator.

This information will be updated as needed. Make sure to check back frequently. You can also follow Caddo Mounds SHS Facebook page and join the Friends' Group on Facebook for updates. Call 936.858.3221 or 936.858.3218 for additional information.

SAFETY

EMT will be on site during all build activities. Please come prepared to be out in the sun. Shade areas, water, and frozen treats will be available.

LODGING

Campsites, hotels and Airbnbs are available near the site for those who wish to stay overnight!

All volunteers will be asked to sign a volunteer waiver: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YFnLHt8e3Sw_0r2NaJNIpNO1G8ReN9Df/view . We will also have copies available on site.