CHAPTER 2 LESSON 2

Historic Tribes of Kansas

Today, we have no ​written records of how early Key Ideas

American Indians on the plains lived. They relied on storytelling
and recording symbols to preserve their history. The first written ● After the arrival of Europeans,
records we have come from the expedition of a Spanish explorer historians refer to American Indian
named Francisco Vazquez de Coronado. After the arrival of groups as “historic tribes.”
Europeans, historians refer to the American Indians as “historic
tribes.” ● The Wichita and Pawnee tribes
These historic tribes are really part of the same cultures that were related, though they lived in
were in Kansas for a very long time before Europeans entered the different regions of the state.
region. The term “historic” in this case only means that the
evidence we have of their lives includes written documents. ● The Kansa and Osage shared
similarities in language, though
their culture and housing were
Historic Tribes different.
The historic tribes of Kansas include the Wichita, Kansa, Osage,
Pawnee and Plaines Apache. These tribes descended from the ● The Cheyenne, Arapaho, Kiowa,
American Indians who lived in Kansas before them. These tribes Kiowa-Apache, and Comanche
often did not speak the same language or share the same customs, tribes practiced a nomadic lifestyle.
though some did. They wore varying styles of clothing, ate different
foods, and created art specific to their cultures. Some time later the Key Terms
Comanche, Kiowa, and Kiowa-Apache came to the region.
Eventually, Arapaho, and Cheyenne also came. adorn
celestial
nomads
parfleche
travois

Francisco Vazquez de Coronado’s

exploration of the plains yielded the
first written records of the Wichita.
How might these records be
biased? What perspective should
historians keep in mind when
analyzing these records?

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 ​These early tribes, although different, shared Is It a Buffalo or a Bison?
thing in common. They all lived in what came to be
called The Great Plains, giving them the distinction of
​Bison is the scientific name for buffalo. The true
being Plains Indian tribes. Each tribe controlled a
buffalo is found in
certain area of land, but the boundaries were fluid and
Africa and Asia.
changed over time. They also lived in large family
English settler,
units.
using a variation
Unlike people today, they did not think of
of the French
themselves as landowners. They did not exchange
word ​les boeufs,​
money for the use of land. But the people did have
name the
land they considered their own. They depended on it
American
for hunting and living.
“buffalo.” The
buffalo is the
Horses and Buffalo largest land
Scholars believe Spanish explorers brought the mammal in North
first horses to the Americas sometime in the 1500s. America, weighing about as much as a small car.
After the arrival of the hose, many Plains Indians An estimated 40 million buffalo once roamed North
came to rely on this animal. Using horses was an America. The buffalo was very important to the Plains
easy adaptation from using dogs as pack animals. Indians. The considered the animal to be the giver of
Horses could carry bigger and heavier loads. Some life and to have great spiritual power. The buffalo
tribes called horses “big dogs.” However, horses need provided food, sheler, and clothing for the Plains
much more food than dogs. Tribes that adapted to Indians. The people made use of all parts of the
using horses had to move around frequently so that buffalo.
the horses could feed on wild grasses. ● Meat and marrow were eaten
Horses also made it easier for the Plains tribes to ● Skins were made into blankets, tipi covers,
hunt buffalo. The buffalo was an extremely valuable parfleches​ (bags), drums, shields, saddles,
resource for all the people living on the plains. clothing, and game balls.
Although many of the tribes lived in permanent homes, ● Hair was used to weave ropes and to provide
they left those homes twice a year to hunt buffalo. stuffing for game balls, saddle pads, and
The tipi, whether used as a primary dwelling or a pillows.
home away from home, is another thing the Plains ● Horns were used for spoons, bowls, and cups.
Indians had in common. ● Bones were made into tools, knives, flutes, and
needles.
● Tendons and sinew were used as thread.
● Fat was made into soap.
● Buffalo dung could be burned as fuel.

Paintings on buffalo hides

depicted important events.
What event do you think
this hide is showing?

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 Not All American Indians Are Plains Indians 
​When early explorers came to North America, there were hundreds of Indian groups living here. Each group had
different cultures with different languages, customs, and beliefs that changed over time. Each culture adapted to its
specific environment. American Indians in other parts of the United States lived in different ways that were unique to their
culture and environment.

American Indians living on the  On the Great Plains, American  In the Great lakes region, 
Northwest Coast carved totem  Indian tribes used parts of the  American Indians used birch 
poles from tall tree trunks.  buffalo to make clothing and  bark from 
These totem poles were carved  shelter. Quill and bead designs  the 
to look like animals, birds, and  were mostly geometric.  numerous 
sometimes    trees to 
humans.  make canoes, 
boxes, 
baskets, and 
even to 
cover the 
frames of their houses. 
Porcupine quill designs were 
of flowers and leaves.  

American Indians living in the  In the southwest, American  Zigzag and 

Great Basin and California  Indians built houses of stone  geometric 
made tightly woven baskets  and adobe,  patterns were 
out of grasses that grew in  known as  common in goods 
the region. Shells and bird  pueblos.  made by American 
feathers  Painted  Indians living in 
were  pottery was  the Southeast. These patterns 
often  made from  appear in baskets woven from 
attached  local clays.  cypress and cane. Zigzags were 
to the    also created in cloth as 
baskets.  designs for clothing.   

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Wichita and Pawnee
​ ichita oral tradition tells us that the Wichita and the
W
Pawnee were related. They migrated from Arkansas
and Louisiana to the Platte River in Nebraska where
they split into two groups. The Pawnee stated further
north, in what is now Nebraska and northern Kansas,
and the Wichita moved south to central Kansas.

Different Homes
The Wichita built beehive-shaped grass lodges as
permanent homes. Willows and cottonwood trees grew
in central Kansas, and grasses were abundant. Each
family would work together to gather needed materials,
but the women and children actually constructed the
lodge. The Wichita entered their homes through very The Wichita constructed grass lodges using frames of
low doorways on the east and west sides. Light entered wood covered with bundles of grass​.
the lodge through these doors, as well as through an
with neighbors helping neighbors. The Pawnee
opening in the roof. These doors allowed for the
entered their earth lodges through east-facing,
maximum use of light from the sun, which rises in the
tunnel-like, openings that were wide enough to let
east and sets in the west.
horses in to protect them during an attack.
The Pawnee made their homes in a different
Both the Wichita and the Pawnee used the tipi
environment than the Wichita. They built round homes
as temporary housing when they hunted buffalo.
covered with earth. The Pawnee placed grasses on top
The men of both tribes hunted year round, but
of a wooden structure. Then they covered the exterior
they went on extended buffalo hunts twice a year.
with packed soil. Before the earth was applied, a
This is because the buffalo migrated, making it
Pawnee earth lodge looked similar to a Wichita grass
necessary to follow the herds.
lodge. Building an earth lodge was a communal effort,

The door of a Pawnee earth lodge faced east toward the rising Morning Star. ​How does the earth lodge of the Pawnee compare to
the grass lodge of the Wichita? Why do you think they developed different kinds of house?

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Shar-I-Tar-Ish was a Pawnee chief. He is wearing a
traditional warriors roach. A roach is a headpiece made from
deer hair and turkey beard.
LINKING THE PAST  sky. Pawnee life was influenced by the stars.
TO THE PRESENT  Charting the movement of the stars allowed the
 
In 1949, archaeologists began excavating a site in
Republic County that they believed was once a major
village of the Kitehahki, or Republican Pawnee. With
further investigation, the remains of 22 earth lodge
depressions and evidence of more than 40 storage pits
have been found. Eighth of the lodges have been
investigated. Since then, the Pawnee Indian Museum
State Historic Site was built over the remains of one earth
lodge. Archaeological investigations continue to unearth
more of the story.
Crops, Clothing, and Traditions
Corn was an important crop cultivated by
both the Wichita and the Pawnee. They also
grew squash and pumpkins. To preserve them,
they cut vegetables into strips and dried them.
Then, they pounded theses strips flate and
wove them into mats for storage. Later, they
would tear off pieces of the mats to use in
stews and soups. The Wichita traded pumpkin
and squash mats to the Kiowa and Comanche
who did not grow crops. The Wichita received
additional buffalo meat in exchange.
Wichita and Pawnee women made clothing
from tanned animal skins. They wore
moccasins, leggins, and skirts to protect their
skin from the tall grasses.
Wichita men ​adorned​ ​(decorated)
themselves by piercing their ears. Both women
and men tattooed their bodies. Young Wichita
boys received their first tattoo on their hand
when they had successfully learned to hunt.
Pawnee men wore their hair in a distinctive
style, removing all but a narrow strip on top.
The Pawnee were considered to be good
warriors. War drums were decorated with
symbols of ​celestial​ bodies, such as the moon
and the stars.
The Pawnee believed there was a deep
connection between people, the earth, and the
creation of the calendar. The sky was the focus
of Pawnee rituals and stories.
Kansa and Osage
The Kansa and the Osage shared
similarities in language. Their relationship is
similar to that of cousins. Oral tradition tells us
they may have lived as one tribe with the
Quapaw, Omaha, and Ponca.
Bark Homes
The Kansa and the Osage came to Kansas
from the forested Southeast, bringing with them
their knowledge of bark construction. Even in
Kansas, the Kansa lived in permanent
longhouses covered with bark. The Osage
lived in long wood-framed lodges covered by
cattail stems, bark, hides, or woven grass mats.
Two related families lived in a lodge, one at
each end of the structure.
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What’s in a name? 
​From the historic period forward, we refer to American Indians by their tribal names. Where did these
names came from? Most American Indian cultures referred to themselves in their own language as “The
People.”
When Europeans came to Kansas, they often struggled with the languages of the American Indians. When
recording the names of the Indians, they wrote down what they thought they heard. This is why some American
Indians have been referred to by a variety of naes.
In the 1670s, French explorer and priest Jacques Marquette traveled south down the Mississippi River to
see where it met the sea. Along the way, he met with native people living near the river. After his journey, he
created a map of the Mississippi and the American Indian tribes nearby. On this map, he noted several tribes,
including the Kansa people. It is likely that Marquette never met the Kansa himself; instead, he likely was told
by other tribes that the Kansa lived in that region. Louis Jolliet, another French explorer, created a map that
also placed the Kansa in this region, though slightly farther south.
From then on, the Kansa people were referred to by that name. Over time, the pronunciation and spelling
has changed. There are more than 125 recorded variations of the name. Today, the people refer to
themselves as the Kaw.

Jacques Marquette's map of the Mississippi River 

This illustration was published in

London in 1857. It depicts a
conference between the Kansa and
the US Commissioner of Indian
Affairs. ​Why do you think people
in London would be interested in
this meeting?

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This photo of three Osage chiefs was taken in a
formal studio.
Crops, Clothing, and Traditions
​ oth th Kansa and the Osage cultivated corn,
B Society of Little Old Men. The council had executive
beans, and squash. They also relied on the buffalo,
and they traveled to hunt the large animals. The
Osage, however, did not take tipis on the hunt. They
followed the Black Dog Trail, named after the chief
who established it. Along the trail there was a series
of framed structures built on on day’s travel apart from
each other. As the people moved, they carried hide
coverings from structure to structure.
The Kansa brought their skills in working with bark from the Southeast and then used these skills to construct their homes
in Kansas. ​Using your knowledge of Kansas geography, what difficulties might the Kansas have faced in trying to
construct these homes?
Kansa men plucked hair from their eyebrows,
chins, arms, and heads. Osage men shaved their
heads except for a narrow band of hair running from
the forehead to the back of the neck. Like the Kansa
men, they wore ornaments in their pierced ears.
Kansa warriors wore bear claws around their necks.
Osage men adorned themselves with bracelets and
tattooed their bodies for certain ceremonies. The
women wore less elaborate clothing, but they did
tattoo their bodies with colorful patterns.
When the Kansa feared their traditions were in
jeopardy of being lost, they taught the Osage one
special dance so that it would be preserved. For over
100 years, the Osage have danced the “​I lon shka”​
with a drum given to them by the Kansa. Interestingly,
in recent times, the Osage returned the drum to the
Kansa.
Political Structure
The Osage functioned as one large political unit.
The Osage were run by the Ne ke a Shin ka or the
and judicial powers. They established diplomatic ties
with other nations or groups. The responsibility for
maintaining the tribe’s history and religious
ceremonies were also the responsibility of the Ne ke a
Shin ka. Men were admitted to the council through
their achievements. When one of the men died, his
wife would take his place.
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 painted their hair, scenting it with seeds and herbs. They
Nomadic Tribes made fringed and embroidered bags to carry face paint and
porcupine-tail-brushes.
​Historic tribes of western Kansas were mostly
nomads,​ people who moved from place to place
in search of large game. These tribes included Moving Around for Food
the Cheyenne, Arapaho, Kiowa, Kiowa-Apache, The nomadic nature of their existence and the limited
and Comanche. The ​scarcity​ (small supply) of access to water meant that these tribes did not cultivate
resources like water and fertile soil in arid crops. Instead, they hunted and gathered wild plants for
western Kansas forced the tribes to move often. food. The buffalo was more important to the nomadic tribes
Horses made it easier to travel long distances, than it was to other Plains Indians because the nomadic
but also required a vast amount of grasses to eat. tribes used buffalo as a trade item as well. When they
needed crops like corn to eat, they would trade buffalo
meat to get it.
Tipi Homes
The Cheyenne, Arapaho, Kiowa,
Kiowa-Apache, and Comanche relied on the tipi Telling Stories and Keeping Record
for their homes all year long. Tall poles tied The Cheyenne used animal skins as canvases to paint
together at the top and covered with hides stories. Bold colors depicted horses during the heat of
created a structure that could be put ip or taken battle or during a hunt. Some hides were decorated with
down quickly. A tipi was lightweight, but at the abstract designs. The Kiowa kept a graphic account of the
same time could withstand the winds of western history of their tribe. Called winter and summer counts, the
Kansas. The outside of the tipi was often highly depicted important events. Painted on buffalo hide, they
decorated. Arapaho tipis were decorated with served as historical calendars for the tribe.
porcupine quills in symbols that protected the
well-being of the occupants. Kiowa men painted
their tipis to tell the story of a hunt or a battle.
American Indians never developed the
technology of wheels or carts, so everything had
to be carried by humans or animals. The
nomadic tribes transported their tipis on a frame
called a ​travois​. The frame was then hung
between trailing poles and pulled by a dog or
horse. This served them very well.

Clothing
Like other Plains tribes, the American Indians
of western Kansas used hides to make clothing.
The Kiowa decorated their clothing with elk teeth,
bones, shells, and porcupine quills. The nomadic
peoples also adorned their bodies in a variety of
ways. Comanche women painted the insides of
their ears red. They also enhanced their beauty
by painting orange and red circles on their
cheeks and red and yellow lines around their
eyes. Arapaho women This photograph shows Eagle Shirt (on horseback) and Black
Horse of the Cheyenne. ​How did nomadic tribes like the
Cheyenne utilize horses?

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 go around, and tribes began to fight for these
Interaction and Trade resources. The Pawnee traded less with their
neighbors because they considered many of them
The horse made travel over long distances much
enemies. The Pawnee engage in long-standing
easier. Because of this, a great deal of trading took
conflicts with the Osage and the Kansa. The
place among the tribes. The tribes in the West offered
Cheyenne and the Arapaho forced the Kiowa and the
dried meat, hides, deerskin clothing, and decorative
Kiowa-Apache south. The Kiowa and the Comanche
objects for trade. The tribes in the East grew crops of
banded together for raids into Mexico.
nuts, corn, squash, and pumpkins.
When Europeans and Americans eventually
In the earliest of times, there is no real evidence of
entered Kansas, relationships became more
serious hostilities among the tribes. Then, conflict
complicated between tribes. Life for the Plains Indians
increased as the populations grew in Kansas. More
changed dramatically.
people in the region meant fewer natural resources to

Nomadic tribes traveled long distances to hunt buffalo. ​What is the object behind the horse in this picture? What
problem was this technology meant to solve?

LESSON 2 REVIEW
Check Your Understanding
Know
1. Name at least five ways the
Plains Indians used the buffalo.
2. What did the Osage use instead
of tipis during their buffalo hunt?
3. What does the term “nomads”
mean? Explain how the term
describes some of the Plains
Indians.
4. What is a travois? What
purpose does it serve?
Analyze
5. ​What advantages did the horse
bring to the Plains Indians?
What disadvantages did
horses bring?
6. ​Compare and contrast two
tribes and explain why they
have differences and
similarities in the way they live.
7. ​Why did some tribes continue
to live as nomads? How did
the environment play a role in
this?
Synthesize
​ hy did hostilities increase
8. W
among American Indian tribes as
the population grew?
​ reate a T-Chart. Compare the
9. C
ways historic American Indians
lived off the land with our use of
natural resources today. Then,
circle the sides of the lifestyle
that appeals most to you. Below
the chart, explain your decision.
Historic People
Tribes Today