Another member of a Native American tribe who was a “vital knowledge bearer” of their old language has passed away, and the community is in grief at the loss of this valued member.
Edmond Johnson, who was 95 years old, passed away, according to a post that was made on Facebook by the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma on Monday, July 14. Among the members of the tribe, Johnson was regarded as the last person who could speak the Caddo language correctly.
“Mr. Johnson was not only an important knowledge bearer of our language but also a respectable elder,” said the speaker. Their words were accompanied by a photograph of Johnson. “His passing is an irreplaceable loss to our heritage, and we extend our deepest condolences to his family and all those who mourn with us,” they said.
The Caddo Nation said in the post that they would be shutting their Tribal Administration Office on Tuesday, July 15, in order to observe the burial services that were being held for Johnson.
“This closure is a moment for reflection, mourning and gratitude for the knowledge and spirit he carried on behalf of our ancestors and future generations,” according to their statement. “We ask that each of you take this time to honor him in your own way — through prayer, remembrance, or by simply speaking his name.”
Bobby Gonzalez, the chairman of the Caddo Nation, said to the local ABC station KOCO News 5 that the ancient language is “what makes us Caddo” as he discussed the ways in which it is closely connected to the identity of the tribe.
Gonzalez said that Johnson “meant a lot to our people” and that Johnson had been working with Alaina Tahlate, the director of language preservation for the tribe, over the course of the previous several years in order to maintain the Caddo language.
According to Tahlate, who spoke with KOCO News 5, “He was really good at explaining things, and he was an awesome storyteller.” Our language is the glue that holds all of our cultural traditions together. You should make use of your language, regardless of how much or how little you know about it.
With the assistance of a fund that they want to create, the tribe intends to continue its efforts to preserve the language in order to pay tribute to Johnson and their extensive traditional legacy.
“We are doing everything we can to preserve what we can with the people that we know who can still understand it,” Gonzalez said in an interview with the site.
The Caddo people are said to be the ancestors of agriculturalists whose ancient homelands were located in the areas that are now the states of Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma, as stated on their website. The discovery of old artifacts by archaeologists provides evidence that the tribe existed as early as the year 900 AD.
The prosperous settlements of the Caddo people spread over the Brazos, Trinity, Neches, Sabine, Red, and Ouachita rivers when the expedition led by the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto invaded the area in the year 1542.
Following what are known as “multiple forced removals,” the Caddo finally migrated to the area that is now known as Caddo County in Tennessee.
“Twentieth-century efforts to revitalize economic, social, political and religious institutions have enabled Caddo people to maintain a distinctive identity today and continue building toward a hopeful and prosperous future,” the tribe said on its official online platform.