Native Texans

The Ancient Texans

Chapter 3

Section 1

The First Texans Arrive

• Stories told since the beginning of time (mainly about the crops)

• Migrated about 35,000 years ago • Crossed Bering Strait between Siberia and

Alaska• Hunters followed the herds• Humans first reached Texas about 10,000

years ago

Why did these people migrate so far?

They probably had little to eat in cold regions, and following the animals

meant they always had food.

Artifacts are Historical Clues

• Archaeologist – scientists who study evidence of past human activity

• Artifact – man-made objects (tools, artwork) and human/animal bones

• Midland Minnie (see handout)

How are rock paintings and modern photographs similar?

Both show the kind of things believe are important enough to record.

Early People Hunt for Food• Arrived early Stone Age (10,000 years ago)

– Hunted large animals (mammoths, mastodon, and giant bison)

– Disadvantages – smaller and slower– Advantages – atlatl, flint-tipped spears and darts, and

“surround” strategy• Archaic Age (8,000 years ago)

– Climate warmer, large animals disappear– New tools – axes, picks, drills, choppers, scrapers,

mortars– Gathering food – berries, nuts, and roots

Why was it important for people to stay in groups?

They could hunt more successfully, especially large game such as

mastodons.

Hunters Become Farmers

• 100 A.D. – begin growing food in Mexico– Peanuts, corn, tomatoes, various beans,

pumpkins, squash, and cotton• Changed way of life

– More dependable source of food– Increase population– Led to more complex societies with craft

workers, warriors, farmers, politicians, and religious leaders

What was the effect of settling in one place and growing crops?

A more reliable source of food and a more complex society

Different Cultures Emerge• Culture – all the ways groups of people express

and conduct themselves– Language, customs, clothing, shelter, ways of

working and playing, beliefs• 4 distinct cultures

– Southeastern – Gulf – Pueblo– Plains

How did cultures differ, and why?

They probably ate different foods and had different clothing and shelter to adapt to various living conditions.

Native Texans

Southeastern and Gulf Cultures

Chapter 3 - Section 2

Early People

• Lived in small groups• Shared responsibility for decision making• Believed in spirits

– Rain, fire, change of seasons, existence of streams and rivers

• Some peaceful – some warlike• Some lived in communities – Some nomadic

How did Native Americans differ from one another?

They had different languages; some were peaceful, and other were warriors; some lived in communities, and others moved

around

Southeastern Farmers and Gatherers

• Caddos, Karankawas, Coahuiltecans• Some farmed, built permanent housing• Others nomadic fishing the coastal waters for food• Many joined Caddos and became farmers

Why did Native Americans groups change when new groups joined them? (Cultural diffusion)

They learned from the ideas and experiences of each group

The Caddos

• More than 24 groups in TX (mainly in East TX)

• All part of a confederacy• Each tribe had own government with 2

leaders– War and peace– Religious matters

• Men cleared fields; women planted/tended crops– Squash, beans, pumpkins, melons, corn, plums

• Excellent fishermen – trotline• Lived in domed shaped permanent housing• 1520-1690 – numbers went from 200,000 to

12,000 due to European diseases• Supported the French• 1859 – Sent to reservations in Oklahoma

Why did the Caddo population drop so drastically?

They warred with each other and with Europeans, who brought new, deadly

diseases.

The Coahuiltecans

• Nomadic in South Texas Plains• Hunted javelina, deer, and bison

with bows/arrows• Gathered cacti, mesquite, agaves

(ground into flour)• Sometimes ate lizards/worms• Equal status in tribe & shared the

food/water• Women – camp; Men – hunted• Shaman – took care of sick; led

religious ceremonies, made medicine

• Tribe disappeared from TX by 1846 – diseases; killed in battle; moved to Mexico

How did the Native Americans such as the Coahuiltecans spend most of their time?

Searching for food

Why did the Coahuiltecans not practice agriculture?

It was too hot and dry in the brushy land of the South Texas Plain for crops to grow.

The Karankawas

• Lived along Gulf Coast between Galveston and Corpus Christi

• Nomadic• Canoes most treasured possession• Used alligator and shark oil to fend off mosquitoes• Cannibalistic• All worked together to make necessary tools• 1850s – most were killed or moved to reservations

Why did the movement of settlers into the area result in

fighting?

The settlers wanted to settle in lands where the Karankawas gathered food. This meant that the Karankawa food

supply would be reduced.

Other Southeastern Cultures

• New technology – guns and horses• Many moving to escape warring tribes or easier

living area• Several tribes began trading with Spanish, French,

and other Native American tribes

The Wichitas

• Rolling Plains to Post Oak Belt along Red River• Villages resembled Caddos• Traded with French & fought with Spanish• Forced to trade with Spanish or die fighting• Women shared leadership and work with men• Forced to move to reservations in Oklahoma

In what way did the Wichitas have an equal society?

Women could be leaders, and they shared work with men.

More Native Americans Groups Arrive

• Atakapans – between Galveston and Sabine River• Cherokees – East Texas• Alabama/Coushattas – near Trinity River along

Lake Livingston (present-day reservation)

Native Texans

Pueblo and Plains Culture

Chapter 3

Section 3

The Jumanos and the Tiguas

Jumano• Hunted and traded bison and

deer• Middleman between Caddo and

Pueblo tribes• Excellent arrow makers• Distinctive face tattoos; men cut

hair short except for one long lock• Most were farmers

– Corn, squash, beans• Lived in adobe typed houses• Disappeared

Tigua• Moved to Ysleta (El Paso) in

1680• Descendants live there today• Recognized by Texas in 1967• Originally – matrilineal• Fiesta de San Antonio – June 13th

How did Jumanos function to bring new ideas and materials to other Native American peoples?

Many of them were traders who brought pigments, turquoise, bows and arrows, and other agricultural

products to North American peoples.

The Plains Cultures

• Horses reintroduced by Spanish (1500 A.D.)• Nomadic – outstanding hunters and fighters• Hunted Buffalo/Bison• Destruction of the buffalo by the white man led to

the end of Plains people’s way of life

How were horses useful to Native Americans of the plains?

Horses helped hunters kill buffalo and other game more easily, and they

provided an advantage in war.

The Tonkawas• Arrived in Texas around 1600s• Lived in Edwards Plateau (near present-

day Austin)• Depended on buffalo for food and shelter• Resented by Comanches and Apaches• Forced to hunt deer, rabbits, turtles, snakes• Lost many people due to constant conflict

with other Indians and European settlers

The Apaches

• Migrated from Canada along Rocky Mts.• 1700 – independent groups• Mescaleros – lived in mts. Between N.M.

and Tx; farmers; peaceful• Lipans – lived in Hill Country; fought

Comanches and Spanish; left and joined Mescalero

• Most Apaches live on reservations in N.M.

The Comanches• Lived on prairies, plateaus, and plains of

western Texas• Comancheria – territory covering Mex, Tex,

Kan, Okla, Col, and N.M.• Divided into groups with each group having

its own leaders of older men• Life centered on hunting and war• Fought fiercely to keep Comancheria – often

fought to take enemies horses• Destruction of the buffalo and loss of horses

forced Comanches to reservations in Oklahoma

The Kiowas

• Shared Plains with Comanches (allies)• Nomadic – whole camps moved in 30 min.• Treasures

Tepees – provided shelterHorse – provided freedom of movement and

speed for huntingBuffalo – provided everything for survival

• Painted important events on buffalo hides

How did Kiowas keep their traditions alive?

They told stories of their travels, painted on buffalo hides, performed seasonal

ceremonies, and held festivals.