At the edge of East Texas near Alto, about thirty miles west of Nacogdoches, a quiet yet powerful landscape holds generations of memory—Caddo Mounds State Historic Site, once the spiritual and political heart of the Hasinai Caddo people. The three ceremonial earthworks—majestic mounds over a thousand years old—stand as symbols of resilience and continuity. But not all that endures here is ancient.

Today on “The Sound of Texas with Tumbleweed Smith,” airing at 6:30am and 12:30pm on KNCT, Dr. Victor Galan of Nacogdoches reflects on the deeper significance of the site. Dr. Galan brings both professional insight and personal reverence to his discussion, highlighting the cultural gravity of the Mounds and the evolving efforts to tell their story through partnership with Caddo descendants.

This history took a tragic turn on April 13, 2019, when a tornado tore through the site during Caddo Culture Day—a celebration of ancestral song, dance, and togetherness. The storm destroyed modern structures, left 40 people injured, and claimed one life. The earthen mounds remained untouched, almost mystically preserved, while devastation struck around them. That moment—when walls literally collapsed in on elders, families, and visitors—prompted a reckoning not just with nature, but with heritage, stewardship, and survival.

Five years later, as the visitor center reopened on May 18, 2024 following a $2.5 million restoration, the return wasn’t just about rebuilding—it was about reclaiming. Caddo educators are now returning to the site to teach traditional and modern arts like pottery and basketry. Staff and volunteers speak openly about the emotional complexity of standing in a place where tragedy met ceremony, and where recovery now meets remembrance.

Tumbleweed Smith’s episode today adds to that conversation, amplifying voices like Galan’s who work to make sure the story of Caddo Mounds is told not just through archaeology, but through living memory.

“The Sound of Texas” airs weekdays at 6:30am and 12:30pm on KNCT—sharing voices from every corner of the Lone Star State, one story at a time.