American Indians

In early Arkansas
For use in grades 1-5 classrooms

Arkansasheritage.c
om

Arkansas frameworks related to American Indians

in Arkansas

The following frameworks are addressed in the following Power

Point, grades K-5
H.6.K.9: Understand the name of Arkansas originated from the
Quapaw Indians
H.6.2.11: Recognize American Indian tribes of Arkansas:
Osage, Quapaw and Caddo
H.6.3.14: Identify and describe the Arkansas Indian tribes:
Osage, Quapaw, and Caddo
H.6.4.15: Identify the reasons for the decline of the native
populations of Arkansas (e.g. influenza, small pox, competition
for land)
H.6.5.29: Locate and describe the three main Indian cultures
in Arkansas during the exploration period: Quapaw, Caddo and
Osage Indians

Who are American Indians?

American Indians were the first people to live in

the Americas. They were here before the
Europeans came and settled in the area we call
the United States.

This map shows you where

American Indians live today

There were three main American Indian

tribes

in early Arkansas
Caddo
Osage
Quapaw

Lets find out about the Caddo

Nation!
The

original name of the Caddo was

Cadohadacho
When the Europeans came to North
America, the Caddo lived in the
present states of Louisiana,
Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.
Today, most of the Caddo live in the
state of Oklahoma.

The Caddo looked like this

Osage Nation
The

Osage Indians also lived in

Arkansas
They originally lived in present day
Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas and
Arkansas.
Today, most of the people of the Osage
Nation live in Oklahoma.

The Quapaw Tribe

The

name Quapaw (Ugakhpa or Ogah-pah) is translated as people

who live downstream.
Our state is named for this
American Indian tribe!

The Quapaw looked like this

Other early American Indians in Arkansas:

Tunica-Biloxi Tribe and Chickasaw Nation

The

Tunica-Biloxi Tribe mainly lived in

Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas.

Today

the Tunica-Biloxi people are

referred to as the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe
of Louisiana and live in Louisiana.

The people of the Chickasaw Nation lived in

the northeast corner of the state.
The

Chickasaw primarily lived in the

states of Mississippi, Alabama,
Tennessee, Kentucky and Missouri.

Today

most of the Chickasaw live in

the state of Oklahoma.

Culture of the Caddo, Osage

and Quapaw
Culture

is how a people live. It

includes such things as the following:
their language, clothing, hair styles,
transportation, food, homes, how
children are raised, music, arts, and
folklore. Lets look at the culture
of the these three tribes : the
Caddo, Osage and Quapaw.

First, the Caddo!

Language

Most

Caddo
speak English
today but many
also speak the
Caddo language.

Example:
Kuaat(pronounced
Koo-ah-aht) is a
friendly greeting.

Caddo mens clothing

Caddo men wore

breechcloths

and sometimes
leather leggings.

Caddo women

Caddo women wore

wraparound skirts and
poncho tops made of
deerskin. They
usually braided their
hair or tied it back
with ribbons.

Both men and women

wore earrings and
moccasins.

Hair styles!

Men wore their hair in

a scalplock. (One
long lock of hair on
top of their head
usually braided).

Sometimes the men

wore a roach or
headpiece made of
red-dyed deer hair
and turkey beards.
turkey roach

Women and hair styles

Caddo women usually
wore their long hair in
a bun.
For special occasions
they would add
ornaments or ribbons
to their bun.

Caddo transportation

The Caddo preferred

to travel by land but
also made dugout
canoes out of logs
for travel by water.

What kind of food did the

Caddo eat?

The Caddo Indians were farmers and

hunters.
They grew corn, beans, pumpkins and
sunflowers.
They hunted deer, buffalo and small game
and fished.

Tools used by the Caddo

To hunt they used

bows and arrows
They also made
axes with a heavy
stone head to chop
wood.
When they fought
other people, they
used their bows
and arrows and
their tomahawk.

Caddo ax

Caddo homes

Caddo homes were

tall, dome-shaped
grass houses.
Sometimes they were
so large, 30 people
could live in them!

How were Caddo children

raised?
Caddo

children were busy doing chores

for the family. They did not have much
play time.
They did play with dolls and toys. A game
they played was trying to throw a dart
through a moving hoop. (hoop dart anyone?)

Caddo art

The Caddo people

were famous for
their pottery.

Caddo music
The favorite Caddo
musical instrument
is the drum. As
drums are played,
other Caddo dance
and sing.

Caddo Indian legends and

folklore

One story is called, Village Boy and

Wild Boy. It is about mythical twins
whose mother was killed by a
monster.

Another story is called Coyote. It is

about a tricky figure who gets
involved in different forms of mischief!

Next is the Osage!

What was their

language?

As with the Caddo

Indians, the Osage
speak English
today, but there is
a renewed interest
in learning the
Osage language
which is part of the
Dhegihan language
group.

Osage clothing

Osage women wore

trade cloth dresses
and leggings.

Both men and women

wore moccasins and
long buffalo hide
robes in cold weather.
As with the Caddo,
they wore tattoos.

Osage women wore clothes similar to this.

Osage men

Osage men wore

breechcloths and
leggings just like
the Caddo men did.

Hairstyles and headdresses

Osage men either

wore their hair long
or in a scalplock
fashion.
If they had a scalp
lock they would
sometimes wear a
roach.

Osage Women

Osage women wore

their hair braided
or tied back with
ribbons.

Osage transportation
The Osage used dogs
to carry heavy
loads when they
traveled.
It would look
something like this!

Osage food

The Osage were big

game hunters. They
liked to hunt buffalo.
Before they had
horses, the men
would drive the
buffalo off a cliff to
kill them.
Osage women raised
corn, beans, squash
and pumpkins.

Osage tools and weapons

The Osage used

bows and arrows
and were known
for their excellent
long bows.
In battles they also
fought with clubs
and spears!

Osage homes

The Osage lived in

settled villages and
their homes were
called lodges. Lodges
were made of elm
bark.

Music of the Osage

As with the Caddo, the

Osage played drums
and a flute-like
instrument.

Osage folklore
A

popular story among the Osage is

The Spider and the People. This
story is about how the spider became
the symbol for the Osage.

And now, the Quapaw!

The Quapaw
language

Like the Caddo and

Osage Indians, the
Quapaw speak
English but many
also speak their
Quapaw language.

What did the Quapaw men

wear?

Similarly to other Native Americans,

the men wore breechcloths with
leather leggings and buckskin shirts.

Men and women both wore moccasins

and long buffalo robes in cold weather.
In warm weather, the Quapaw wore
less clothing, just like us!

Quapaw women

Quapaw women wore long deerskin dresses

and wore their hair loose or braided.

Quapaw mens hairstyles and

head coverings!

Quapaw men often

adorned their heads
with a scalplock and
wore a roach like
Caddo and Osage
men.

Quapaw Leaders
sometimes wore a
headdress.

Tribal tattoos

Native Americans
had special tattoos
depending on their
tribe and their
deeds.

These tattoos had

religious
significance.
tattoo
s

Transportation
The

Quapaw knew how to make

dugout canoes from cypress trees,
but they usually traveled by land.
They used dogs to pull a travois (like
a sled) when they traveled by land.
(The Osage did this also.)

What did the Quapaw eat?

The

Quapaw ate basically the same

things as the Caddo and Osage. The
were farmers and ate corn, beans
and squash.

The

men provided meat through the

hunting of small game and organized
buffalo hunts.

Tools and weapons

The Quapaw used

bows and arrows to
hunt and to fight.
They also used war
clubs and spears.

War clubs could take

many different forms.

Quapaw homes

Quapaw homes
took time to build.
They were made of
river cane, wood
and vines and
coated with plaster.
The roof was
usually made of
grass or tree bark.

Quapaw children

Quapaw children did the

same thing that Caddo
and Osage children did.
They did chores and
sometimes got to play
with dolls or play
games.

As with other Native

Americans, Quapaw
mothers carried a young
child in a cradleboard
on her back.

Image is courtesy of the

Wisconsin Historical Society,
www.wisconishistory.org

Art by the Quapaw

This is Quapaw
artwork.

Here is an example
of Quapaw
beadwork.

Music and the Quapaw

Like

the Caddo and Osage, the

Quapaw enjoyed music and dancing.

Quapaw stories and legends

Storytelling

was very important to

the Quapaw. One of their stories is
about a monster or ogre.

What were the roles of men

and women among these three
Indian tribes?

Primarily the women were farmers,

child- care givers and cooks.

The men were the hunters and

sometimes warriors if necessary.
Chiefs were usually men.
Both men and women participated in
artwork, music, storytelling and
medicine.

What type of government did

they have?
Most

Indian tribes/nations elected

chiefs based on their character,
family descent and ability.
Chiefs were usually men but could be
women.

tribal council actually governed the

tribe or nation.

Where are the American Indians of Arkansas today?

There are no federally recognized Indian tribes in

Arkansas today. What are the reasons?
Disease
American Indians did not have immunities
from European introduced diseases such as
influenza, small pox, measles, mumps, etc.
Fifty to eighty percent of American Indians
died in the first century of European contact.

Decline of American Indian population, continued

Warfare

Battles between American Indian tribes

caused a decline
The introduction of firearms (guns)
made battle more deadly

Decline of population (3)

Enslavement

Some American Indians were kidnapped

and forced to be slaves in rich
agricultural lands to the east

Decline of population (4)

Desire

for Indian land

After the purchase of the Louisiana

territory by the U.S. government in
1803, many European settlers moved to
the area.
Treaties were signed that essentially took
the land away from the American Indians.
The land was a rich agricultural region
desired by the new immigrants to the area

Lets do
a
Review!
First the Caddo American
Indians

America
n Indian
tribe

Language
Clothing

Cadd Originally they Men wore

spoke the
breechcloths
o
Caddo
language.

and leather
leggings.

Today they
speak English
and many of
them also
speak the
Caddo
language.

Women wore
skirts and tops
made of animal
skins.
Both wore
moccasins and
earrings.

Hair & hair

styles
Men wore their
hair long or in a
style called a
scalplock
They
sometimes
wore a
roach.
Women wore
long hair in a
bun.

American
Indian
Tribe

Caddo

Food
Transportation
The Caddo liked to
travel by land, but
also made dugout
canoes for travel
by water.

They grew and

ate corn, beans,
pumpkins, and
sunflowers.
Also, they hunted
deer, buffalo,
small game and
fished.

Native
Tribe

Tools and
weapons

Caddo

Bows and arrows

were used to hunt.
Axes were used to
chop wood.
In battle they used
bows and arrows
and tomahawks.

Homes

They were tall,

dome-shaped
grass houses.

American
Indian tribe

Caddo

Children
They helped with
chores. When they
had time they played
with dolls and toys and
played games!

Art
The Caddo
were famous
for their very
nice pottery.

American
Music
Indian tribe

Legends
and folklore

Caddo

The Caddo had

legends and
stories they
passed down
through their
children.

The Caddo
loved the drum.
They also
loved to dance
and sing.

Time to review the

Osage!

America
n Indian
tribe

Language

Osag
e

The Osage
spoke their
own language,
but now speak
English. Many
speak their
native
language also.

Clothing
Osage men
wore
breechcloths
and leggings.
Women wore
deerskin
dresses and
leggings.
Both wore
moccasins
and tattoos.

Hair styles
Men wore
their hair
long or wore
a scalp- lock.
Sometimes
they added a
roach.
Women wore
their long
hair loose or
braided.

American Transportatio Food

Indian
n
Tribe
The Osage
Osage people
Osage
preferred to
travel by land.
They would use
dog sleds to
carry heavy loads
when they
traveled. This is
called a travois.

liked to hunt
big game such
as buffalo. The
women raised
corn, beans,
squash and
pumpkins.

America Tools and

Homes
n Indian weapons
tribe
The Osage used Osage homes were
Osage
bows and
arrows and
longbows.

They also used

clubs and
spears in battle.

called a lodge. They

were made of elm
bark.

American
Indian
Tribe
Osage

Children

Art

Osage
children
performed
chores and
had some
time to play.
When they
played, they
used dolls,
toys and

Pottery and
beadwork
were crafts at
which the
Osage
excelled.

American Music
Indian
Tribe
They
Osage

played the
drums and
a flute- like
instrument
.

Folklore and
legends
Both men and
women told stories
to pass on
information to the
children. One
special story was
about how the
spider became the
symbol for the
Osage.

And now, its the ????

Quapaw!

America Language Clothing

n
Indian
Tribe

Quapa
w

Like other
native tribes,
the Quapaw
had their own
language.
Today they
speak English
and many
speak their
native
language also

The men wore

breechcloths
with leggings
and buckskin
shirts.
Women wore
long deerskin
dresses.
Both wore
moccasins
and tattoos.

Hair and
hair
styles
Quapaw men
shaved their
heads except
for a scalplock. They
also wore a
roach.
Women wore
their long
hair loose or
braided.

American Transportation Food

Indian
tribe
They ate
Quapaw The Quapaw
made and
traveled by
dugout canoes.

They also used

dogs to pull a
travois or sled
when traveling
with heavy loads

corn, beans
and squash.
The men
hunted small
game and
buffalo.

America Tools and

n Indian weapons
Tribe

Homes

Quapaw

Their homes were

permanent and
took time to build.
They were made
of wood, vine,
river cane and
had a roof of
grass or tree bark.

The Quapaw
people used
bows and
arrows and
clubs and
spears.

American Children
Indian
tribe
Quapaw Quapaw

Art

The Quapaw
children, like
were very
other children, good at
helped with the making
family chores
pottery and
and sometimes doing
got to play with beadwork.
toys or play
games.

America Music
n Indian
Tribe

Legends and
folktales

Quapaw

Storytelling was
important to the
Quapaw as it was
with the Caddo and
Osage.
One of their stories
was about a
monster!

The Quapaw
also liked to
play musical
instruments
and to
dance!

Review: Why did American Indian population

decline in Arkansas?
Which are the correct answers?

-attacks by savage animals

-disease
-storms
-floods
-desire for their land by European settlers
-warfare
-earthquakes
-enslavement

That ends the Power Point on

American Indians of Arkansas

Caddo
Osage
Quapaw

The information
information in
in this
this power
power point
point was
was made
made possible
possible
The
through the
the many
many great
great sources
sources on
on the
the internet
internet and
and in
in
through
books available.
available. There
There are
are many
many internet
internet sites
sites and
and
books
books on
on the
the Native
Native Americans
Americans of
of Arkansas
Arkansas available
available
books
from those
those who
who have
have worked
worked hard
hard to
to preserve
preserve Native
Native
from
American history.
history. Each
Each tribe
tribe has
has its
its own
own website
website to
to
American
preserve its
its history
history and
and its
its culture..
culture.. A
A list
list of
of internet
internet
preserve
sites follows
follows on
on the
the next
next two
two slides.
slides. II would
would like
like to
to
sites
thank Dr.
Dr. Trey
Trey Berry,
Berry, author
author of
of The
The Arkansas
Arkansas Journey,
Journey,
thank
for his
his advice
advice and
and guidance
guidance and
and the
the many
many people
people who
who
for
have preserved
preserved information
information on
on the
the rich
rich heritage
heritage of
of
have
American Indians.
Indians.
American

This power point was produced by Michele

Wasson, Education Coordinator, Department
of Arkansas Heritage.

Matt Reed, Curator of American Indian

Collections, Oklahoma Historical
Society, edited and approved this
Power Point for use in the elementary
classroom.

Internet sources used

http://www.google.com/images?q=Osage+women&rls=com
.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&oe=&um=1&ie=UTF-8&so
urce=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi&biw=1259&bih=823
http://www.osagetribe.com/
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/themes/nat
ive-americans/
http://www.bigorrin.org/osage_kids.htm
http://www.bigorrin.org/caddo_kids.htm
http://www.bigorrin.org/chickasaw_kids.htm
http://www.google.com/images?
hl=en&biw=1276&bih=809&gbv=2&tbs=isch
%3A1&sa=1&q=Tunica+indians&btnG=Search&aq=f&aqi=
g1&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=
http://www.southshore.com//louisianapurchase.htm

Sources, continued

http://www.arkansasarcheology.org
http://www.google.com/images?
hl=en&source=imghp&biw=1276&bih=809&q=quapaw+indians&gbv=2&aq=
f&aqi=g2&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=
http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&biw=1276&bih=809&gbv=2&tbs=isch
%3A1&sa=1&q=Caddo+Indians&aq=f&aqi=g10&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=
http://www.chickasaw.net/index
http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&biw=1276&bih=809&gbv=2&tbs=isch
%3A1&sa=1&q=Tunica+indians&btnG=Search&aq=f&aqi=g1&aql=&oq=&gs_
rfai=
http://www.native-languages.org/arkansas.htm
http://www.osagetribe.com/
http://www.native-languages.org/osage.htm
http://nmai.si.edu/subpage.cfm?subpage=visitor
http://www.ehow.com/about_4569448_quapaw-indian-tribe.html
http://www.accessgenealogy.com/native/tribes/quapaw/quapawhist.htm
http://www.bigorrin.org/quapaw_kids.htm
http://wisconsinhistory.org