The Caddo Hasinai People Were Here Long Before European Settlement

The Hasinai people lived in the East Texas Piney Woods long before Spanish explorers arrived. They were part of the Caddo confederacy — a large group of related peoples. Four Hasinai groups made their home in the Nacogdoches area: the Hasinai, Nacogdoche, Nasoni, and Nacao.

These groups built flat-topped earthen mounds. The mounds were used as temples and burial sites. The county and city of Nacogdoches both take their name from the Nacogdoche people.

The Caddoan Mounds State Historic Site is nearby in Cherokee County. It protects earthworks connected to the broader Caddo people. By 1859, the last indigenous people in this region had been forced to Indian Territory.

The Handbook of Texas, run by the Texas State Historical Association, has detailed entries on each of these groups. It is a good place to learn more.