Last Updated: 11 years ago
The land we now know as Kansas has been home to a diverse array of Native American tribes, each with its own unique history, culture, and relationship to the landscape. Over time, at least ten distinct tribes have populated this region, leaving an indelible mark on its history. This article explores the stories of these tribes, examining their origins, lifestyles, and eventual displacement from the Kansas territory. We will delve into the narratives of the Cheyenne, Arapaho, Plains Apache, Comanche, Kiowa, Kiowa Apache, Wichita, Pawnee, Kansa, and Osage tribes, painting a picture of their lives and experiences in what was once their free and unbounded homeland. Understanding their stories is crucial to comprehending the complex history of Kansas and the lasting impact of westward expansion on Native American populations. The stories of these tribes are intricately woven into the fabric of Kansas history, offering valuable insights into the state’s cultural heritage.
Cheyenne Tribe
The Cheyenne, who refer to themselves as Dzitsi’stäs, meaning "Our People," are a tribe with a rich and complex history. Their language belongs to the Algonquian language family, hinting at their ancient origins in the eastern part of the continent. According to their oral traditions, the Cheyenne once lived in settled villages near the upper Mississippi River, in present-day Minnesota. Here, they were an agricultural people, cultivating crops and living a sedentary lifestyle.
However, pressure from neighboring tribes forced the Cheyenne to migrate southwestward. This migration marked a significant turning point in their history, as they gradually abandoned agriculture and adopted the nomadic lifestyle of the Plains Indians. They became skilled horsemen, renowned hunters, and formidable warriors. Their travels eventually led them to the northwestern regions of Kansas, which became a significant part of their hunting grounds.
As white settlers began to traverse the plains and establish communities in Kansas during the mid-19th century, the Cheyenne fiercely resisted the encroachment upon their territory. Their resistance manifested in intense raids along the Saline, Solomon, and Smoky Hill rivers, demonstrating their determination to protect their way of life.
The conflict culminated in the 1867 treaty at Medicine Lodge, Kansas, which officially confined the Cheyenne to a reservation in what is now western Oklahoma. This treaty marked the end of an era for the Cheyenne in Kansas, forcing them to relinquish their ancestral lands and adapt to a new reality.
Arapaho Tribe
Like the Cheyenne, the Arapaho also belong to the Algonquian language family. They call themselves Inunaina, also meaning "Our People," reflecting a shared sense of identity and belonging. Their earliest tribal memories recall a homeland in the Red River valley of northern Minnesota, where they, too, were a sedentary people.
At some point in their early history, the Arapaho formed a close alliance with the Cheyenne and migrated southwest along similar routes. This alliance proved to be crucial for their survival and success on the plains.
Around 1840, the Arapaho established peace with the Sioux, Kiowa, and Comanche tribes, but remained in a state of conflict with the Shoshoni, Ute, and Pawnee until the reservation era.
In Kansas, the Arapaho primarily hunted and camped in the northwestern part of the state, utilizing the abundant resources of the region.
Little Raven, a prominent Arapaho chief, played a significant role in the Medicine Lodge treaty negotiations, advocating for the interests of his people.
The Arapaho were known for their annual Sun Dances, a vital religious ceremony, and were also leaders in the Ghost Dance religion of the 1890s, a movement that sought to revitalize Native American culture and spirituality.
In 1892, their reservation was opened to white settlement, and the Arapaho were granted full United States citizenship, marking another significant shift in their relationship with the U.S. government.
Plains Apache Tribes
Before the 19th century, western Kansas was inhabited by Athapascan-speaking peoples commonly referred to as the Plains Apaches. The precise identity of these Apachean people remains somewhat unclear, due to the historical confusion surrounding early identifications of Apache groups. They were distinct from the Kiowa Apache and likely represented a group that had separated from the Apache tribes of Arizona or New Mexico.
Archaeological evidence suggests that the Plains Apaches were primarily buffalo hunters, relying on bows and arrows for sustenance. They lived in skin tipis and small, round lodge-type dwellings. Contact and trade with the Pueblo peoples further enriched their lives.
However, in the early 1800s, the Plains Apaches were pushed out of Kansas by the Kiowa, Comanche, and Kiowa Apache tribes, eventually migrating to New Mexico.
Comanche Tribe
The Comanche, who call themselves Numa, meaning "People," belong to the Shoshonean language family. Although they were the only Shoshonean tribe to fully embrace the Plains lifestyle, they are closely related to the Shoshoni people of Wyoming.
Their traditional territory spanned a vast area, ranging from 500 to 800 miles, encompassing the Arkansas and Platte rivers, as well as the Mexican state of Chihuahua.
The Comanches were highly mobile, living in tipis made from buffalo hides, hunting buffalo for food, and raiding for horses.
They were renowned as some of the finest horsemen on the Plains, mastering the art of horsemanship and utilizing it in hunting, warfare, and transportation.
The 1867 Medicine Lodge treaty stipulated that the Comanche relocate to a reservation along the Washita River in Oklahoma. However, it was only after the Red River War of 1874-1875 that they finally settled there.
The Comanches have been described as generally reserved yet direct, with a strong sense of honor, traits that they continue to embody today.
Kiowa Indians
The Kiowa, or Gai-gwu as they call themselves, trace their origins to the headwaters of the Yellowstone River in Montana. During the late 1700s and early 1800s, they migrated southward, eventually forming a confederation with the Comanche.
This alliance allowed the Kiowa to establish a base between the Red and Arkansas rivers.
The nomadic Kiowa lived in skin tipis and relied on buffalo hunting for food and materials for tools and clothing.
Like the Comanche, the Kiowa were renowned horsemen and expanded their herds through extensive horse raiding.
The annual Sun Dance was the central event in the Kiowa year, and many Sun Dances were held within what is now Kansas.
Kiowa warriors such as Satanta, Big Bow, Lone Wolf, and Satank were fierce fighters on the Plains and skilled orators in council.
Along with other tribes of the southern Plains, the Kiowa were compelled at Medicine Lodge to cede their claims to Kansas soil and accept a reservation in Oklahoma. In 1901, their lands were allotted in severalty, and the remainder was opened to white settlement.
Kiowa Apache Indians
The Kiowa Apache, who call themselves Nadiisha-dena, meaning "Our People," are now recognized as the Plains Apaches of Oklahoma. Although their language is Athapascan, distinct from Kiowa, they have been closely associated with the Kiowa tribe since their earliest traditions. This relationship was so strong that the Kiowa Apache had their own designated place in the Kiowa Sun Dance camp circle.
The Kiowa Apache were brave and skilled warriors. However, due to the Kiowa’s hostile attitude toward whites, the Kiowa Apache requested and were granted leave from the Kiowa by the Treaty of the Little Arkansas in 1865, and were attached to the Cheyenne and Arapaho.
At Medicine Lodge, the Kiowa Apache were officially reunited with the Kiowa to share a reservation in Oklahoma. Throughout the conflicts of 1874-1875, the Kiowa Apache remained peaceful on their reservation.
Wichita Tribe
The Wichita Indians, a Caddoan-speaking people, call themselves Kitikitish, the meaning of which is uncertain but likely refers to "principal people." Linguistically, they are related to the Pawnee.
Wichita tribal land once extended from the Brazos River in Texas to the Arkansas River in Kansas, following the territorial range of the Kiowa and Comanche.
Coronado encountered the Wichita near present-day Rice and McPherson counties, Kansas, in 1541. Following Coronado’s departure, Franciscan friar Juan de Padilla established a mission among the Wichita, the first mission among any of the Plains tribes. Unfortunately, Padilla was killed by the Wichita after three years of proselytizing.
In contrast to the strictly nomadic tribes, the Wichita lived a semi-sedentary lifestyle. The women cultivated corn, squash, beans, pumpkins, and tobacco, while the men hunted buffalo. They lived in distinctive grass houses, using skin tipis when hunting and away from home.
Many of their tribal neighbors identified the Wichita by their custom of extensive tattooing. Wichita culture was rich and vibrant, with a strong tradition of ceremonial dances.
Pawnee Tribe
Chahiksichahiks is the Pawnee name for themselves, meaning "men of men." They belong to the Caddoan language family.
"Pawnee" encompasses several confederated tribes organized into four leading villages. Large portions of north-central and northwestern Kansas were formerly included in the territory of the Pawnee.
While claiming extensive areas of Kansas, the valley of the Platte River in Nebraska was the heart of Pawnee land. Historically powerful in terms of numbers and ferocity, the Pawnee suffered greatly from diseases introduced by the growing white population. The cholera epidemic of 1849 was particularly devastating, reducing nearly all the Plains tribes, in some cases by two-thirds of their former size.
The Pawnee traditionally maintained tribal cohesion through intricate ceremonies and an influential tribal council.
They conducted tribally organized buffalo hunts and were also successful farmers of corn, pumpkins, and beans, with corn being their most sacred crop.
Pawnee arts included basketry, pottery, and weaving. Their homes were earth lodges constructed with painstaking care and deep religious significance.
Kansa Tribe
The Kansa, meaning "Wind People," are a Dhegian-Siouan tribe, sometimes identified as the Kaw. Linguistically, they are related to the Osage and Quapaw, from whom they separated during migrations along the Missouri River. Kansas is named after this tribe.
The Kansa continued their travels along the Kansas River, intermittently building and abandoning settlements, until finally settling at Council Grove, Kansas.
Their experiences in Kansas included fierce warfare with the Cheyenne, Pawnee, and Sauk, as well as with the Kiowa, Comanche, and others.
By treaty in 1846, they ceded two million acres of their reservation to the United States, and a new reservation was established for them at Council Grove, along the Neosho River. There, Methodist and Quaker missionaries attempted to convert them, with limited success. Of more immediate concern to the Kansa were the white settlers who were encroaching upon their reservation.
By 1873, conditions had deteriorated so greatly that the Kansa were removed to Indian Territory and located next to the Osage.
The Kansa were skilled buffalo hunters and cultivated small crops. They lived in earth lodges in their semi-sedentary villages and inhabited tipis and occasionally bark-covered lodges while on the move.
Osage Indians
The name Osage is a French corruption of Wazhazhe, the Osage name for themselves, referring to "true Osage" or "war people." Anthropologists believe they are from a Dhegian-Siouan-speaking group that lived in ancient times along the Ohio River.
In the 17th century, this group separated to become the Kansa, Quapaw, Ponca, and Osage. The Osage eventually rose to dominate a homeland covering most of Missouri and Oklahoma, as well as northwestern Arkansas.
Their Kansas territory was roughly bounded by a line from present-day Kansas City west to Great Bend, and then south to Caldwell, Kansas.
Osage life was a blend of eastern woodland and plains cultures. They lived in wooden-framed longhouses in villages, raised crops, and hunted bear, deer, buffalo, and antelope.
War was a constant occupation for the Osage, and they were feared rivals of the Pawnee, Wichita, Kiowa, and Caddo tribes. However, they maintained peace with the United States, often serving as valuable military scouts, seeking to preserve the trading connections they had established since the days of French and Spanish occupation.
The United States responded to Osage goodwill with forced land cessions in 1808, 1818, and 1825, significantly reducing the Osage land claim. Following outbreaks of smallpox, cholera, and other epidemic diseases, coupled with the strain of constant warfare, the Osage were compelled to relinquish their remaining villages along the Verdigris River and were placed onto a reservation. This marked the end of the Last Free Tribes in Kansas, as each tribe faced the loss of their ancestral lands and way of life. The legacy of these tribes continues to shape the identity of Kansas, serving as a reminder of the rich cultural heritage that was once present in the region. The story of the Last Free Tribes in Kansas is a complex narrative of adaptation, resilience, and cultural transformation.