Karankawa By Madison Farwell and Kaylah Taylor

I. Location and Government For centuries, from west Galveston Bay to Corpus Christi Bay you would find the Karankawas. The Karankawa islands were located on the East Texas Coast. The Karankawas lived by the Coastal Praire. The Karankawa people were made up of at least five groups or bands. Each band had a Chief and it was always a man. It was really difficult for a large nomadic group to feed themselves, so Karankawa never developed into a tribe.

II. Dress The Karankawa dressed in breechcloths made of lots of different animal skins. Women of Karankawa were considered very beautiful. All of their dresses were made of Spanish Moss and deerskins. Karankawa men and women painted and also tattooed their bodies. Tattooing was considered a symbol of important events in their lives. Karankawa people often covered themselves in alligator lard and dirt to always keep away mosquitoes.

III. How They Lived The Karankawa people were very strong Natives who could withstand hungriness, thirstiness, coldness, and harshness of the sun. There were many animals that lived in their area but not enough of any type for everyone to be fed. So the Karankawas were called nomadic hunter gatherers. Many nomadic people traveled in a pattern and always returned to the same areas to various types of food. The Karankawa people always hunted whatever they could find, which included, deer, buffalo, javelina, antelope, bear, and small animals. When food ran out they moved to another area.

IV. Transportation Karankawa people are famous because of their dugout canoes. Even La Salle the explorer tried to trade for some canoes. The canoes were made out of hollowed tree trunks Every canoe was big enough to carry a whole family and their stuff. The canoes were only used for very short trips because they were not that sturdy. Therefore Karankawa people were expert swimmers.

V. Homes When they were not moving, the Karankawa people lived in huts made of willow poles, woven mats, and animal skins. These materials were used to put together an oval shaped hut that was anywhere from 10 to 18 feet in diameter. Seven or eight people were able to fit inside. It had a fire in the center for heat and cooking. They had skins for sleeping and to sit on. The huts were easily taken apart and moved to their next area by the women.

VI. Tools Karankawa pottery goes from jars, globe shaped vessels, and bowls to possibly bottles. Karankawa pottery also included baskets. They were coated inside and out with asphaltum for waterproofing. They threw oysters into the fire or on coals until they opened, then they were raked out of the fire and eaten. The milling stones were used to crush seeds and nuts.

VII. Weapons Weapons of Karankawa were often used for fishing. The main weapon was the bow and arrow, the bows were made with cedar, also the arrows were made with cane. The strings were built of deer sinew. People of Karankawa kept lances, clubs, and tomahawks. Karankawa traveled until they reached the North Caddo Villages.

VIII. Family, Traditions and Beliefs The Karankawa loved their children. Each child had two names. One was a nickname to use in public, and the other was a secret name. When the children went from child to adult, a special ceremony was performed by the shamon. For a certain period of time, the husband gave the wifes father everything he hunted or fished. This was called bride service. Death was more serious than marriage. They were buried in shallow graves except for the shamon who were cremated. At the end of the year, there was a purification ceremony for the relatives to stop the mouring period. It is believed that the Karankawa people had two main gods called Pichini and Mel. Mitoes were celebrated in their honors to give thanks for a good hunt fishing trip.

IX. Summary With the Coahuiltecans the Gulf Coast was a challenging place to live in. The people of Karankawa tried their best to survive in their environment. All of the families, used every available resource to make each one or their lives the best they could, and passed the skills on to their kids.