By Blake Bagley

Location Karankawa Indians lived along the Gulf coast of Texas between Galveston and Corpus Christi. They were nomads, always on the move.

Appearance The Karankawa were large people over 6 feet tall and muscular. They didn’t wear very much. The Karankawa tattooed their bodies. The men pierced their noses, bottom lips and nipples with pieces of cane.

Food The Karankawa mostly fished for food. They ate a lot of seafood and edible plants that they gathered. The Karankawa were hunter- gatherers, and hunted deer and bison too. They gathered shellfish, crabs, oysters, mussels and edible plants.

Shelter Their houses were called "ba-ak". They were 10 to 12 feet in diameter huts, covered with hides and mats. The huts were made of poles that they twisted together and put in the dugout canoes to travel.

Daily Activities The men made dugout canoes and very fine longbows. They also made fishhooks from shells. The women gathered plants, shellfish, crabs oyster and mussels. They also made pottery and jewelry from shells.

Traditions & Celebrations Their rituals were organized around their dances. They were like fun social events where they visited and traded goods. The Karankawa were famous for wrestling. They also enjoyed playing ball games.

Beliefs The Karankawa had a “fandango” or religious ceremony when the moon was full or to celebrate a successful hunt or fishing trip. They drank a drink made from yapon leaves. One of their religious acts was to blow tobacco smoke from their nose first to the north then the east, then west and then south. They worshiped Pichini and Mel. The Karankawa had powerful Shaman.

Karankawas Are Known For The Karankawa were known for being large and muscular. They were famous for wrestling. One of their practices made them known for being cannibals. After killing an enemy they would eat pieces of their flesh. They believed this would give them their enemy’s courage and strength.

Their Contributions to Texas The Karankawa sided with the United States of America in the Texas War of Independence. In that war, the Karankawa chief, Jose Maria, and most of his 20 warriors were killed.

Changes as the Settlers Arrived The Spanish captured the Karankawa and sold them as slaves. They also built missions and converted the Indians to Catholics. The Europeans brought diseases like smallpox, measles, whooping cough and cholera that killed a lot of Indians. There are no Known Karankawa alive today.

Sources Websites Books The Karankawa Indians, the coast people of Texas By Albert Samuel Gatschet, Charles Adrian Hammond, Mrs. Alice Williams Bridges Oliver Social Studies Texas Edition by Scott Foresman Pictures