By Emma Stone
As part of the Lincoln 150 Sesquicentennial series that celebrates 150 years of Lincoln Parish, the Lincoln Parish Museum welcomed Allen Tuten, a local historian to speak recently.
Tuten described finding his first arrowhead at 8 years old and, from there, sparked a lifelong passion for history and Native American artifacts.
“It was such a thrill that ever since then, I’ve always had my nose looking down,” said Tuten.
Around Tuten were multiple displays of shadowboxes filled with arrowheads and other artifacts he picked up throughout his collecting.
He, even, brought a few tools he had made himself from wood and pieces of clay, one such tool that worked to drill a hole using physics.
The goal for Tuten’s speech was to help others learn to appreciate what the ancient people did to survive.
“They did not have the local Walmart to go to for a tool,” said Tuten. “If they wanted a tool, they had to figure out how to make it and how to use it.”
The earliest Native Americans to settle in North Louisiana was 11000 B.C. and Tuten broke down many misconceptions about the location of tribes.
“When we think of the early inhabitants, most often they are related to stories or movies that we’ve seen on the big screen,” said Tuten. “Tribes existed from the east coast to the west coast.”
Throughout the various periods of time, the Native Americans proved to be resourceful as survival depended on hunting and gathering food.
“They had their own pharmacy and it was out in the woods,” said Tuten.
Tuten finds that the best time to look for pottery shards, flint chips or arrowheads is after a plow or a hard rain.
While collecting artifacts, sifting is a popular method for those like Tuten to find Native American pieces.
“I could probably fill two dump trucks of sifting, shovel by shovel,” said Tuten.
One Native American mound or “home” that is closest to Lincoln Parish is Poverty Point.
The mound was a ceremonial center, trading hub and was unmatched by any other North Louisiana location at the time.
“Those that lived there left no written records but did leave millions of artifacts behind,” said Tuten. “Those artifacts provide clues about the people that lived their daily lives there, but many details remain a mystery.”
Camryn Tucker, participant and young genealogist, commented on the importance of preserving original artifacts and documents.
“They say you die twice, once when your heart stops beating and second when someone says your name for the last time,” said Tucker. “Holding on to artifacts my ancestors cherished makes me feel connected, because they are my own flesh and blood.”
Tuten works to continue his love for Native American artifacts and collect more along the way.
