The Waco Indians
"The Waco Indians, the Waters, and New Mt. Carmel"
Very few people of Waco really know the original history here at new Mt. Carmel concerning the native Wacos Indians which lived upon these lands some 300 years ago. Like most Indian tribes the Wacos worshipped the feminine Spirit presence whom they called Woman with Power in the Waters (see TourTexas.com).
In 1964 Roger Conger wrote, A Pictorial History of Waco. On page 2 he writes, The archeology of Waco and its vicinity has revealed that it has supported an aboriginal population, time out of mind. The best known evidence of such a habitation is indicated by the multitude of arrowheads of flint, picked up to this day along the Brazos or Bosque Rivers.
The waterways of this country were always the preferred locations for the towns and villages of the Indians, and the location at Waco was ideal.
More important were the springs of crystal water gushing forth their refreshing fountain at the sight of the Waco Village. An early writer has said of the Waco Indians that they had "an almost superstitious veneration for the big spring on the Brazos, and had a legend that as long as they drank from its waters their tribe would flourish and never become extinct".
Archeologists have found that the prehistoric residents of the Waco site were rather high in the comparative scale of the Indian culture.
But the 1800's the white man was making great strides in his westward migrations. The Indians were experiencing new weapons in their trading with the white man. In time the Indians were used to kill other Indians so their lands and springs of water could be used exclusively by the white man for commerce and monetary gain.
Conger continues on page 4, Later in the 1820's the Wacos received an all but mortal blow from another body of their own kind, a large band of eastern Cherokees with some allies who moved into the Waco region ahead of the white frontier, bringing Negro slaves, considerable property, and a rather civilized form of agriculture. While they chose to pitch their settlement on the east bank of the Brazos, opposite the big spring, they set upon the Wacos fiercely, and within a few months succeeded in driving them entirely away into the west.
On page 13 Conger tells us more about Waco's unique water supply: Toward the close of the century another interesting title to grace Waco was "The Geyser City". This name was obtained by the discovery, beneath the town, an abundant stratum of mineral charged waters. In time Waco was in possession of "…… more overflowing artesian wells than any other city in the world" The pressure was such that the water burst forth from these wells in remarkable volume, and Waco was given extensive advertising as an ideal health resort. The principal source of Waco's water today is from a large artificial lake situated about five miles west of the city, and known as Lake Waco.
For many years now the waters of Lake Waco are pumped into the city by Mt. Carmel Water Supply. This is the same area where the original Mt Carmel church of 7th Day Adventists lived and farmed. Their many fruitful orchards sprawled bountifully overlooking the lake. Their leader was Victor Houteff who was also the founder and leader of the Davidian Seventh Day Adventist Movement here in Waco in the 1940's and 50's.
After Houteff's death his wife sold the old estate and bought land in the Elk area just northeast of Waco. Ben Roden and his wife Lois bought 77.8 acres and built what became later known as New Mt Carmel Center and later called Branch Davidian Compound by the media when it was made infamous by David Koresh and his followers.
Two years after the fire in 1993 Charles Pace and his family moved onto the site and maintained the property until the present time of 2007. Clive Doyle, a survivor of the fire also lived on the property until 2006 and is presently living in Waco and meeting with others who follow the teachings of Koresh.
3,000 feet directly under the present site of the New Mt Carmel church runs an underground river of mineral charged waters. The Branch Davidians under Ben, then Lois and finally under Koresh used this well as their main supply of water but in the government's desire to utterly destroy this church community and remove all criminal evidence, they also destroyed the well head and then stopped up the well.
Historically, two different massacres have taken place on these holy grounds and both had something to do with the water supply, one being the Waco Indians and the other, the Branch Davidians. Somehow we believe these same waters will again come forth from the ground and bless the land and its occupants. Already in the lower tank on the property are seen bubbles and rivulets of water coming forth at the bottom in various places. This spring of 2007 we have been blessed with many showers and all three tanks are full of water.
"As long as they drank of these waters their tribe would never become extinct".
As believers in the commonwealth of Israel the word 'tribe' has special value to us. We believe we are moving into the times of the restoration of all things that the prophets spoke in the Scriptures through the spirit of prophecy.
The prophet Isaiah wrote of this in the 49th chapter of his writings. He wrote that the tribes would be raised up again in the latter days, even as Jacob said they would in Genesis 49 as he gave his prophetic utterances for each son or each tribe.
At New Mt Carmel our first desire is to reestablish the beauty and power of the laws of God and the true testimony of our Messiah Yeshua as He and His ministry were a magnification of the laws given to Moses. We desire to reestablish true worship through the power and beauty of the Holy Spirit Who is promised to lead us into all truth. We also believe the Presence over the holy Ark of the Covenant was feminine and in the Jewish culture She is called 'Shekinah'. We believe mankind was created in the image of God, who said, Let US make man in OUR image, and in OUR likeness, male and female.
With these beliefs has come much persecution and even hatred.
With the memory of the siege and fire contempt still rules over the citizens of Waco. Waco needs healing.
With a love for the law comes a love for the land. The Israelites were to be married to their land. This is why it is called the 'land of promise'. As long as the people kept the law the land was secure but Biblical history has shown that failure to keep the law caused the tribes to be scattered into all the world. This was especially true of the Fourth Commandment, "Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy". Even the cattle and the land was set apart on the 7th Day and seventh year.
Native American Indian tribes, along with the sacred waters, felt the land was special, calling it 'mother earth'. They too somehow understood and respected the laws of the land. Could this be the reason they were so hated by the white man? Were they 'hopeless savages bent on killing' or have we believed lies about the red man?
The first man, the principal man, was a red man! Adam in Hebrew is aw-dawn. It means to have blood in the face, to be ruddy, to be red!
Wacos or Huaco means 'principal people', or a people from the beginning. Also, around Waco new sites are being found where mammoth creatures lived and died. So Mt Carmel and Waco have much history and we believe much more will be revealed as time passes.
We at New Mt Carmel desire to not only reveal but also preserve the history and heritage of our land and share this with the world. If healing is to take place, confession must be experienced by those responsible for the massacre of the Huaco Indians and the Branch Davidians and they must also be forgiven for their actions. Only this will bring healing and peace to the Waco area and be an example to the whole world. The Spirit of the Living Waters that was worshipped here by both the Huaco Indians and Branch Davidians will wash us all clean and make us whole once again as She heals our very land and our souls.