Louisiana Historical Society to publish books on the Adai Caddo Indians

The Louisiana Genealogical and Historical Society (LGHS) signed a 3-book publishing deal on the history of the Adai Caddo Indians. The deal is endorsed by the Adai Caddo Indian Nation, which will provide access to its records and other historical artifacts. Authors Dee Niette Thompson and Robert Brevelle are members of the Native American tribe.

"The Adai Caddo Indian Nation endorsed the book deal at its August tribal council meeting," said Chief John Mark Davis. "We Adai are the first peoples of this land. We are an indigenous tribe of Louisiana, and we look forward to working with the LGHS to share our history and culture."

The tribe has a long, distinguished history of military tradition. The first book will be based on members who served in the militaries of the tribe, the French and Spanish colonial governments, and in the modern era, the United States of America. The subsequent books will be a complete history of the Adai starting with initial European contact in the 1500s thru to the present day.

"This project has been my passion for over a decade," said author Dee Thompson. "While there are many historical books, maps and records documenting our tribe over the past 500 years, this will be the first literary work based solely on our tribe and members. We are fortunate to have extensive archives from Natchitoches Parish, state of Louisiana, US Government, France, Spain, and the Roman Catholic Church."

Dee is a certified genealogist. She is the archivist and historian for the Adai Caddo Indian Nation. She also serves as a Tribal Councilwoman and publishes the tribe's newsletter since retiring from Avaya Communications. Dee previously served as President of the Southern Hills Homeowners Association and volunteered at the Northwest Family Justice Center, St. Mary of the Pines, and Sacred Heart Catholic Church. She currently volunteers for the Baldwin County Humane Society. Dee studied Computer Science at Louisiana Tech and Louisiana State University.

"Our people have an interesting and rich history," said co-author Robert Brevelle. "From the time of the first European explorers, our people's contributions to Louisiana, Texas and to the US have been well documented. From rescuing and healing explorer Benard de la Harpe to our integral role in the establishment of Fort St. Jean Baptiste des Natchitoches, El Camino Real, and Presidio Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Los Adaes (the capital of Texas from 1729-1772), our people have served and led with honor and distinction."

Robert is a certified genealogist. He studied heraldry, genealogy and history at Roman Catholic universities and at the Vatican. He serves as Tribal Councilman At-Large for the Adai Caddo Indian Nation. Robert holds a bachelors and masters degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology, and an MBA from the University of Texas where he was also a doctoral candidate. He completed postgraduate work and professional executive courses at SMU. Robert is a credentialed PMP from the Project Management Institute and a graduate of the Executive Leadership Program at Cornell University. He served as a lecturer and adjunct professor and published several works in journals and international conference proceedings.

Louisiana Genealogical and Historical Society
Attn: Melissa Collins
P.O. Box 82060
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70844

The Louisiana Genealogical and Historical Society was founded in 1953 to collect, preserve, and publish genealogical and historical materials for the State of Louisiana and its people. The Society works closely with genealogy and ancestry libraries, historical societies, state agencies, research facilities and universities. The Society is headquartered in Baton Rouge and sponsors a spring and fall seminar each year at the Louisiana State Archives building. The Society maintains the official registry of the First Families of Louisiana - recognizing families who settled within the present boundaries of the state prior to the Louisiana Purchase. For over 70 years, the Society has published The Louisiana Genealogical Register - an eclectic collection of Louisiana records as well as historical and genealogical articles. Over 100 libraries subscribe to this journal. Other publications include historical books such as Louisiana Soldiers in the War of 1812, Federal Census of 1810 for Territory of Orleans, A guide to Printed Sources for Genealogical and Historical Research in the Louisiana Parishes, Be it Known and Remembered: Bible Records (Volumes 1-5), and Early Louisiana Families.

This release was published on openPR.