Texas Indians

The Western Gulf Culture Area Karankawa-hunters and gatherers who lived in the area of Galveston to Corpus Christi. They were nomads. They used dug-out canoes to fish, hunt sea turtles and collect shells. They also hunted deer and small animals. They lived in wigwams.

The Karankawa did not need much clothing The Karankawa did not need much clothing. Their clothes were made out of deerskin or grass. They painted themselves with bright colors. To keep the insects away they rubbed alligator fat and dirt into their skin. The Karankawa treated their children with kindness. They gave their children two names, one of which only their family knew.

Coahuiltecan-hunted and gathered food in south Texas Coahuiltecan-hunted and gathered food in south Texas. They were nomadic and covered large distances following buffalo, deer and small animals. The Coahuiltecan also fished and hunted for wild plants. Their diets included ants, eggs, lizards, snakes, spiders and worms. They did not build permanent homes. Both men and women wore their hair long. They worked hard but they like to gather for feasting and dancing.

The Southeastern Culture Area Caddo-moved into Eastern Texas from Arkansas, Louisiana and Oklahoma. They built permanent villages and became expert farmers. They practiced crop rotation. The Caddo grew beans, corn, squash, sunflower seeds and tobacco. They organized their tribes into three confederacies. The Caddo built mounds and temples for religious events. In addition to a religious and political structure the Caddo had healers and craftspeople.

The Caddo was a matrilineal society The Caddo was a matrilineal society. This means they traced their families through their mother’s side. Their houses were bee-hive-shaped, two story grass huts made with tree trunks covered with grass. Some may have plastered the outside walls with mud.

Caddo The Caddo are known for making fine pottery. Both men and women tattooed and painted their bodies.

The Wichita confederacy included four groups The Wichita confederacy included four groups. They settled along the Red River. They lived along creeks and rivers. They grew beans, corn, melons and squash. The Wichita used horses to hunt buffalo and deer. They lived in permanent villages. Like the Caddo, the Wichita tattooed their bodies. Theirs was more extreme.

Atakapa-between the Caddo and the Gulf of Mexico lived the Atakapa people. They were farmers with corn being their main crop. Not only did they farm but they hunted wild game and alligator. Little is known about their houses but it is thought they lived in huts made from brush.

The Pueblo Culture Area Jumano-made permanent houses made of adobe. The Jumano lived along the Rio Grande River. They were able to grow corn and other crops because they settled near the river. They also hunted buffalo and gathered wild plants for food. The Jumano lived in large villages. They used bows and arrows and carried heavy clubs into battles.

Jumano traded with other tribes dried corn and squash for buffalo hides and meat that they were unable to get. The Jumano used hollowed out gourds, a type of squash, and hot stones to boil their food. The gourd acting like a pot was filled with water. Stones that were heated in fire were lifted into the gourds with sticks. The hot stones made the water boil.

The Plains Culture Area The Great Plains stretches from Canada into Southern Texas. Many Native American groups lived along the edges of the plains to farm and entered the plains to hunt buffalo. With the arrival of the Spanish came the arrival of horses. Many plains Indians became excellent horsemen. Most lived in tepees.

Buffalo-some weighed up to 1,600 pounds and were 6 feet tall at the shoulder and 10 feet long. Indians used a variety of techniques to hunt buffalo.

The Tonkawa Lived on the north-central plains and on the southeastern edge of the Edwards Plateau. They depended on the buffalo for food, clothing and shelter. They were considered hunters-gatherers. The Tonkawa were driven from their hunting grounds by the Apache.

The Apache The Apache culture originated in Canada but migrated to the Great Plains . Two Apache groups settled in Texas. These are the Lipan and Mescalero. Apaches were organized into bands that traveled, hunted and fought together. The Apaches were skilled horsemen and often teamed up when hunting buffalo. Lipan Apaches were also farmers which was very unusual for Apaches.

Most Lipan Apache men cut their hair very short on the left side but allowed the hair on the right to hang long. They tied feathers and other decorations to their hair. The men had no facial hair and the women wore earrings. Apaches were feared throughout Texas.

Comanche The Comanche originally lived in the Western Part of the United States. They eventually moved into the Great Plains once they acquired horses. The Comanche lived in bands headed by a peace chief. If you were the best fighter and rider you were the war chief. The Comanche were skilled buffalo hunters. Because of the their skills they soon controlled much of the plains including west and northern Texas.

Kiowa The Kiowa were the last plains group to arrive in Texas. They hunted buffalo, and gathered berries, fruits and nuts. They traded with other groups for what they did not have. The hair of the Kiowa men was long but over the right ear it was short. The Kiowa and the Comanche were allies.