Plains People The horse was central to the way of life of the American Indians who lived on the Great Plains. However, it was not until Europeans arrived in the Americas that the indigenous peoples began using horses

Plains People

Plains Peoples The horse also enabled them to hunt buffalo over a larger area than before and to attack their enemies with greater speed and surprise. The ability to move quickly helped these peoples spread and migrate into new regions. This led to conflict among different American Indian groups as they competed for land and resources.

The Tonkawas Once in Texas, the Tonkawas lived on the Edwards Plateau, west of present- day Austin and San Antonio. What region is Austin and San Antonio? What region is Edwards Plateau the Tonkawas acquired the horse and quickly shifted to hunting buffalo for food and trade purposes. Their territory reached from the Texas Hill Country as far north as the Brazos River.

Tonkawas Tonkawas chose war chiefs to lead them. The promise of better buffalo hunting encouraged the Tonkawas to move onto the South Plains of Texas. The Comanches, however, prevented this. Eventually the Tonkawas were pushed east, where even fewer buffalo lived. There the Tonkawas became hunters and gatherers. Brush and grass replaced buffalo hides as covering for their tipis. The plant foods they gathered included roots, seeds, fruit, acorns, and pecans. Their meat came from rabbits, skunks, rats, rattlesnakes, and land turtles instead of buffalo. What did they eat? What region did they live in?

The Apaches Apache” comes from the Zuni word apachu, which means “enemy.” Despite what many people think, the Apaches are not a single tribe.

Apaches During spring and summer, they lived in small villages where the women planted and harvested crops of corn, beans, pumpkins, and watermelons. In the fall and winter they moved about following buffalo. What were the benefits of living in a tipi? What region did they live in? Where they nomads? What elses do you know about Apaches?

Apaches As the Lipans spread into new lands, they pushed out other peoples, such as the Jumanos and the Tonkawas. In the early 1700s, however, the Comanches invaded Lipan territory from the north. For 150 years the Lipans and the Comanches fought for dominance in Texas, with the Comanches usually having the upper hand. The Mescaleros were among the Apache tribes that settled in New Mexico. The Comanches also pushed them south into Texas and northern Mexico. Their lands in Texas stretched from present-day El Paso to the Pecos River Unlike the Lipans, the Mescaleros were a hunting and gathering people. They did not grow crops. They received their name from the mescal cactus on which they depended for food and drink

Comanches The Comanches first appeared in northern New Mexico and the Texas Panhandle just after 1700. Over time, at least 13 bands of Comanches roamed the plains. Armed with shields, lances, and bows and arrows, they emerged as the most effective hunters, traders, warriors, and diplomats in Texas. By the 1750s, it was understood that their were two main groups of Comanches: the eastern Comanches, primarily in Texas, and the western Comanches, primarily in the Texas Panhandle The Comanches’ entire way of life depended on the buffalo. The animals provided clothing, shelter, and most of their food. In small groups, the Comanche men hunted buffalo year-round. What they did not eat right away they dried, pounded into a paste, and mixed with fat and berries or nuts. They stored this food, called pemmican, These qualities made it a perfect food for nomads—people who wander from place to place in search of food.