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.