My worldview is rooted in my relationship with my tribal community, the Caddo. From childhood, I found comfort in the presence of those who carried forward our traditions. Over time, I came to understand the meaning behind everyday practices-preparing food, caring for children, honoring births and deaths, sharing laughter, and guiding conduct within the community. These acts embodied the values that sustained us across generations.
I honor those who preserved our cultural ways despite displacement and the loss of our homelands in Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, and Oklahoma. Forced from fertile lands to the poor soil of western Oklahoma, the Caddo—once numbering in the thousands—were reduced to only a few hundred survivors who escaped massacre. Yet through these hardships, our people retained their traditions, ensuring the endurance of Caddo identity and resilience.
This history motivates my art, when I began reviving the Caddo ceramic tradition through study and research in museums. My pottery practice is both a personal commitment and a cultural responsibility: to continue these practices for future generations and to affirm the creativity and spirit of the Caddo people.
My artistic vision extends to the songs, dances, communal practices defining Caddo identity. These traditions-Turkey, Bear, Duck, Alligator, Drum, Morning, Calumet dances carry our history and memory.
Through pottery, performance, and community gatherings, my practice seeks to honor the resilience of the Caddo and ensure that our traditions remain vibrant, resilient, and alive for generations to come.
Jeri Redcorn 