Wichita – Roaming the Southern Plains
The story of the Wichita people is woven into the very fabric of the Southern Plains, a narrative of resilience, adaptation, and cultural richness spanning centuries. This article delves into their history, traditions, and the challenges they faced while navigating a changing world. The Wichita‘s journey is a testament to their enduring spirit.
Originating from the Caddoan linguistic stock, the Wichita once traversed a vast territory stretching from the central reaches of the Arkansas River in Kansas southward to the Brazos River in Texas. Their self-designated name, Kitikiti’sh (or Kirikirish), carries a weight of meaning, interpreted as "preeminent men," a reflection of their perceived status within their society. Neighboring tribes, however, knew them by different names, often highlighting a distinctive physical characteristic. The Sioux referred to them as the "Black Pawnee," while French traders dubbed them the "Tattooed Pawnee," a moniker echoed by the Kiowa and Comanche, who called them "Tattooed Faces."
The Wichita Confederacy was composed of several distinct tribes, each contributing to the collective identity. These included the Tawehash, Tawakoni, Waco, Yscani, Akwesh, Asidahetsh, Kishkat, and Korishkitsu, each likely speaking a unique dialect of the overarching Wichita language. This language bore a close resemblance to Pawnee, suggesting a long-standing amicable relationship between the two groups.
Unlike some of their more nomadic neighbors, the Wichita were primarily a sedentary and agricultural people. They cultivated the land, nurturing crops that sustained their communities. However, their proximity to the vast buffalo plains meant that hunting played a significant role in their lives, supplementing their agricultural produce with vital resources.
A defining feature of Wichita settlements was their distinctive architecture. They constructed permanent communal dwellings, conical in shape and substantial in size, ranging from 30 to 50 feet in diameter. These structures were built upon a framework of sturdy poles, meticulously overlaid with layers of grass thatch, creating a distinctive "haystack" appearance.
The interior of these grass houses was carefully organized. Beds were arranged on elevated platforms around the perimeter, while a fire pit was strategically placed in the center for cooking and warmth. Doorways faced east and west, capturing the rising and setting sun. A smoke hole, positioned on one side of the roof just below the apex, allowed for ventilation. Drying platforms and arbors, similarly thatched with grass, provided additional spaces for processing and storing food. While these permanent structures were the norm, the Wichita also utilized skin tipis when traveling or hunting away from their settlements.
Agriculture was at the heart of Wichita life. They were prolific corn farmers, producing surplus quantities that they traded with neighboring hunting tribes. In addition to corn, they also cultivated pumpkins and tobacco, further diversifying their agricultural base. Corn was ground using stone metates or wooden mortars, reflecting their ingenuity in utilizing available resources. Wichita women possessed skills in pottery, crafting vessels for various purposes, though their production was somewhat limited.
In their natural state, the Wichita attire was minimal, reflecting the climate and their cultural preferences. Men typically wore only a breechcloth, while women donned short skirts. However, it was their extensive tattooing that set them apart, earning them the designation as the "tattooed people" in sign language. Both men and women generally wore their hair long and flowing freely, a symbol of their cultural identity. Their burial practices involved interring the dead in the ground, with a small framework erected over the burial mound as a marker of respect.
The Wichita social structure lacked a clan system, setting them apart from some other Native American tribes. Instead, their society revolved around communal living and shared traditions. They were known for their elaborate ceremonial dances, particularly the "Horn Dance," which bore resemblance to the Green Corn Dance of the Eastern tribes. These dances served as a means of social cohesion and spiritual expression. Ceremonial races, in which the entire tribe participated, were also a significant part of their cultural practices. Later in their history, they adopted the Ghost Dance and Peyote rite, reflecting their adaptability and openness to new spiritual influences. Overall, the Wichita were characterized as industrious, reliable, and possessing a friendly disposition, qualities that contributed to their interactions with other groups.
The Wichita‘s first encounter with European explorers occurred in 1541 when Francisco Vazquez de Coronado, guided by indigenous individuals from New Mexico, ventured into the territory known as Quivira. The Wichita were encamped near the great bend of the Arkansas River in central Kansas. Coronado and his men remained in the area for approximately a month before departing. However, their visit had a lasting impact, as they left behind Franciscan Father Juan de Padilla and several companions to Christianize the tribe. This marked the earliest missionary effort among the Plains Indians. Sadly, after more than three years of work among the Wichita, Padilla was killed, driven by jealousy related to his spiritual endeavors for another tribe.
In 1719, the French commander La Harpe visited a large encampment of the confederated Wichita tribes along the South Canadian River in eastern Oklahoma. He received a warm welcome and estimated the gathering, including other indigenous groups, at around 6,000 people. At the time, the Wichita were engaged in conflict with another tribe and had taken prisoners whom they intended to consume, having already eaten others.
The Wichita experienced gradual displacement westward and southward due to pressure from the Osage and Chickasaw Indians, eventually settling on the upper Red and Brazos Rivers. It was here that they became known to American settlers. In 1758, the Spanish mission and Presidio of San Sabá were attacked on a tributary of the upper Colorado River in Texas by a combined force of Comanche, Tawakoni, Tawehash, Kichai, and others.
In response, the Spanish commander Ortiz Parilla launched a retaliatory expedition against the main Wichita camp at the junction of the Wichita and Red Rivers in 1759. However, he was forced to retreat in disarray after encountering a superior force of well-fortified Indians armed with guns and lances, flying the French flag.
Seeking peace in 1760, the confederated Wichita tribes requested the establishment of a mission. However, when this request was denied, they renewed their attacks in the San Antonio, Texas, area. In 1765, they captured and held a Spaniard named Tremiño, who provided valuable insights into his experiences at the main Tawehash town on the Red River.
In 1772, Commander Athanase de Mézières visited the Wichita and neighboring tribes to negotiate peace. His descriptions indicate that the Tawakoni, residing in two camps on the Brazos and Trinity Rivers, had approximately 220 warriors, the Waco had 60, and the Wichita and Taovayas had 600, totaling approximately 3,500 people, excluding the Kichai. An epidemic, likely smallpox, swept through Texas in 1777-78, decimating some tribes by half. However, the Wichita were less affected on this occasion. In the spring of 1778, Mézières revisited them, finding the Tawakoni and Waco in two camps on the Brazos River with over 300 men, and the leading tribe of the Wichita in two other camps on opposite sides of the Red River, estimating over 800 men and as many as 3,200 people in total. The entire population likely exceeded 4,000.
Smallpox ravaged the Texas tribes again in 1801, this time severely impacting the Wichita. By 1805, their population was estimated to have dwindled to around 2,600.
An estimate in 1824 placed their numbers at approximately 2,800, primarily residing near present-day Waco, Texas, and on the east side of the Brazos River above the San Antonio Road. With the arrival of the Austin colony and the annexation of Texas by the United States, their numbers steadily declined due to conflicts with American settlers and raids by the Osage from the north.
In 1835, the primary Wichita band and the Comanche entered into their first treaty with the U.S. Government, agreeing to maintain peace with the United States, the Osage, and the tribes recently relocated to Indian Territory. A similar treaty was negotiated in 1837 with the Tawakoni, Kiowa, and Kiowa Apache. At this time, the Wichita‘s main village was located behind the Wichita Mountains on the North Fork of the Red River in Oklahoma. They later moved eastward, settling near the present-day site of Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and further east to Rush Springs in 1850. The Tawakoni and Waco, meanwhile, ranged about the Brazos and Trinity Rivers in Texas.
Following the annexation of Texas in 1846, a general peace treaty was established at Council Springs on the Brazos River with the main Wichita tribe, the Tawakoni, and Waco, along with the Comanche, Lipan, Caddo, and Kichai, all acknowledging the jurisdiction of the United States. In 1855, most of the Tawakoni and Waco, along with a portion of the Caddo and Tonkawa, were gathered on a reservation on the Brazos River west of present-day Weatherford, Texas. However, due to hostility from Texans, the reservation was abandoned in 1859, and the Indians were relocated to a temporary site on the Washita River in Oklahoma. Before the relocation, the Tawakoni and Waco were officially reported to number 204 and 171, respectively. The Wichita, meanwhile, had fled their village at Rush Springs, seeking refuge at Fort Arbuckle to escape the wrath of the Comanche, who blamed them for an attack by U.S. troops under Major Van Dorn in 1858.
The Civil War brought further hardship, with most of the refugee Texas tribes, including the Wichita, seeking refuge in Kansas until its end. They returned in 1867, having suffered significant losses due to disease and hardship, and were eventually assigned a reservation on the north side of the Washita River within present-day Caddo County, Oklahoma. Their official population was reported at 572, along with 123 Kichai, the following year. In 1902, they received allotments, and the reservation was opened for settlement.
By 1906, the Wichita tribe numbered only about 310, along with approximately 30 of the confederated Kichai remnant, a mere fraction of their original numbers.
Today, the tribe is officially recognized as the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes, encompassing the Wichita, Keechi, Waco, and Tawakoni Indians. Based in Anadarko, Oklahoma, the tribe has a membership of approximately 2,400.
The legacy of the Wichita people is one of enduring strength and cultural pride, despite facing historical challenges and adversity. Their story serves as a reminder of the resilience of Native American cultures and their vital contributions to the history of the Southern Plains.