Native American Vocabulary

The Caddos The largest group of Native Americans in Texas Caddo is short for Kadohadacho, meaning real chiefs Lived along the Red River in the Piney Woods area of the Gulf Coastal Plains

maize corn

temple Building used for religious services

religion Set of beliefs about God or gods

ceremonies Services that were led by the village’s religious leader

confederation A group made up of smaller groups that join together to help one another

The Karankawas Located between what is now the cities of Galveston and Corpus Christi Were nomads

nomads People who move from place to place and have no permanent home Kiowa man and his wife. Kiowa Indians were nomads.

dugouts Long canoe hollowed out from a tree trunk

The Coahuiltecans Lived on the dry grasslands of the Gulf Coastal Plain Were made up of many different groups

shamans Native American religious leader and healer

The Tonkawas Lived on the Edwards Plateau near present day Austin Were nomads Group of Tonkawa Indians

hides The skin of an animal

The Lipan Apaches Were nomads Lived in small groups Located in the High Plains

specialize To work at only one kind of job

mustangs Wild horses

tepees Small, cone-shaped shelters

The Comanches Lived on the Great Plains which we know as the Texas Panhandle

council Small group of leaders who make decisions

adobe Mud mixed with a small amount of straw or grass and dried in the sun

irrigation The watering of crops by moving water from nearby rivers or streams

ancestors Family members from long ago

The Jumanos Lived in the Mountains and Basins region Some settled in one place while others were nomads

The Conchos Little is known Parents passed knowledge traditions, beliefs, and stories to their children through dances and ceremonies

oral history The story of an event or experience told aloud by a person who did not have written language or who did not write down what happened

allies People or groups who fight for the same beliefs or ideas as you

plot Piece of land