Information Sheet Tribe: Caddoes
Region: Coastal Plains ; Subregion: Piney Woods
Geography: The Caddoes lived in the northern portion of the coastal plains region.
This area was known for fertile soil, plenty of rainfall, abundant forests, and some
wild game.
Social: This Native American group cleared the forests to create farms where they
grew pumpkins, beans, corn and squash. To supplement their diet they hunted deer,
bear, occasional buffalo, and they fished. They lived in large villages and dome
shaped structures of permanent housing made from timber they cut down to clear
for farmland. Some lived in sturdy grass huts as tall as fifty feet high.
The women of the Caddo tribes played an important role in the social structure. The
oldest woman in the family controlled the family, even if the men were chiefs or
warriors. This is called a matriarchal society.
The Caddo religion was led by the head priest who resided over the huge temple and
the burial mounds.
Economy: As well as being successful farmers, the Caddo were also successful
craftsmen. Their crafts included rugs, baskets, and pottery. Their village became a
trading center in North America.
Politics:The Caddo tribe was led by a chief called the Caddi who was assisted by
other chiefs appointed to their positions. Two of the Caddi’s many responsibilities were
the task of making important political decisions and leading the war council.
Groups of Caddo were known to join together to form confederations such as the
Hasinai confederation.*A confederation is a league of friendships in which people or
groups of people agree to work together.
Example: The first government in the United States was called the Articles of
Confederation. This was an agreement between the original 13 states whereby they
agreed to work together. Consequently, the government did not have any power to
force the states to do anything.
A federation is a group where people vote on rules or laws and the laws must be
followed by everyone in the group.
Sources: Celebrating Texas (McDougal Little Publishing Exploring Texas (Steck- Vaughn
Company Doni King
Information Sheet Tribe: Karankawas
Region: Coastal Plains
Subregion: Gulf Coastal Plains
Geography: The geography of the Southern Coastal Plains includes hot humid
weather and frequent flooding. This area has scrub brush, mesquite trees,
and oak trees. There is plenty of grass and mosquitoes are present all year
round. This region is located near the Gulf of Mexico.
The Karankawas were the tallest of all the Native American tribes. The average
height of a male Karankawa was six feet tall. Their growth is attributed to a diet
of shellfish. Shells contain calcium and calcium makes bones stronger.
Shellfish was accessible to them because they lived on the coast.
The tribe was somewhat nomadic because living on the gulf coast left them
vulnerable to flooding and hurricanes.
Social: The Karankawas had a tight family structure in that both men and
women raised the children. Their clothes were made from deerskin and moss
and wealth and power within the tribe were determined by the amount of
tattoos on a person’s body.
This group was also said to have practiced ceremonial cannibalism. They
believed eating the heart of the warrior they had defeated would help a
Karankawa warrior gain his enemy’s power. Since they lived near marshy areas,
they coated their body with alligator or shark grease to ward off mosquitoes.
Economy: The Karankaws used dug out canoes and cane traps to acquire food.
(A dug out canoe is made from the trunk of an oak tree. The tribe would burn a
small portion of the tree and then dig out the burned part to create a canoe.)
Karankawas also fished with bows and arrows, created pottery and made
woven mats.
Politics:
Karankawas were said to be warriors that made alliances with different bands
of Indians
Sources: Celebrating Texas (McDougal Little Publishing Exploring Texas (Steck- Vaughn
Company Doni King
Information Sheet
Tribe: Comanche
Region: Great Plains/North Central Plains
Geography: The North Central Plains provided a sea of grass which was the food
supply for the buffalo. For this reason the Comanche tribe was a nomadic tribe that
based their lives on the buffalo. Spring and fall were the hunting seasons and the
tribe would follow the buffalo as far north as the Great Lakes.
Society: Because the tribe’s life was based on the buffalo, the Comanche had to be
able to move quickly. For this reason their homes were Tipis that could be easy to take
apart and light enough to carry on long journeys. The Comanche would often use
sleds pulled by domesticated dogs to carry their belongings.
The Comanche family was the center of the societal organization. Groups of families
would ban together under a chief and were independent and self sufficient. If one
band of Comanche signed a treaty with another Comanche tribe, that treaty was not
valid with any other Comanche tribes.
The Comanche tribe had a shaman (a medicine man) to administer spiritual and
physical medicine. He would use nature to foretell fortunes. The Comanche, like most
other Native Americans, worshipped nature. They would pray to various gods
including that of the wind, sky, water, and their beloved mother earth.
The men of the Comanche tribe controlled the food. Therefore women were
completely dependent on the men. A woman could not survive in the tribe without a
man to take care of her. The men’s status was determined by counting coup. The more
coup they had the better warriors they proved to be. Since the Comanche’s life
depended on the buffalo the men were always trying to become better warriors.
Government: Democratic principle was strongly implanted in Comanche political
organization. Each tribal division had both civil or peace chiefs and war chiefs, but
traditionally the head civil chief was most influential. Leaders gained their positions
through special abilities or prowess, and retained their power only so long as they
maintained the confidence of band members, who chose their leaders by common
consent. Tribal decisions were made by a council of chiefs presided over by the
head civil chief, but individuals were not bound to accept council decisions. Comanche
society permitted great individual freedom
Sources: Celebrating Texas (McDougal Little Publishing Exploring Texas (Steck- Vaughn
Company Doni King
Information Sheet Tribe: Jumano and Tiguas
Region: Mountains/ Basins
Geography: This region is composed of tall mountains separated by
large basins. This area received enough rainfall to grow forests in the
mountains. The lower elevations of the basins are composed of deserts
that consist of cactus, shrubs, short grass and things that can live with
very little water. Consequently natives in this region lived along the Rio
Grande River.
Society: Jumanos lived in farming villages where they farmed
communally (the entire village worked on one large farm and shared the
food that was grown). The native group also developed an irrigation
system to benefit the entire village.
Because of the hot desert like conditions of the Mountains and Basins,
the Tiguas and the Jumanos lived in one room baked adobe houses with
square flat roofs and their homes were brightly pained. (Adobe is brick
or other building materials made of baked mud and straw)
Economy: While the Jumanos were involved in farming they also
supplied corn, dried squash, beans and other produce to other villages
in exchange for pelts, meats, and other buffalo products. The tribe also
traded textiles, turquoise, exotic feathers, mineral pigments and
shells. The Tiguas made pottery, grew cotton and wove it into cloth.
Information Sheet
Tribe: Lipan Apache
Region: Great Plains
Geography: The Great Plains are made up of many rivers, trees and plains. These
conditions were perfect for grazing buffalo. There was plenty of grass for the
animals to eat and water to drink. Abundant pecan trees in this area provided another
source of food and trade goods.
To fend off the sharp spikes of cactus where they lived, the Lipan Apache created
footwear that included a legging which extended up the shin from the foot. This was
their most distinctive clothing item. Their moccasins were not only functional; they
were works of art.
Society: Because they were hunters and gatherers of plants, the Lipan did not live in
the same dwelling all year long. Their life style required them to move on a seasonal
cycle. They made camps near certain hunting grounds in the summer and near other
locations during the colder winter months. Depending on what was available at the
time of year, they lived in shelters of animal hides or in simple structures of sticks.
The Lipan people were deeply spiritual and regarded the natural world with great
respect. All aspects of life were respected as gifts from the Creator, Yusn (Great
Mystery). Plants, animals, earth mother, and water were honored in rituals or prayer.
Husbands moved in with his wife's family and hunted and worked with his in-laws.
If the wife should die, the husband was required to stay with her family, who would
usually supply him with a new bride.
Economy: The Lipan Apache often traded with other tribes. They offered hides,
robes, honey and pecans. They would also trade any captured Native Americans
for axes and knives.
Political: Lipan Apaches had tribal chiefs who handed down the ruling power to
their sons who were considered princes. The strongest brave and best hunter
passed on the skills to the other male members. These were part of the qualifications
to be the next chief. The chief had a tribal council to settle internal matters and
marriages. The Lipans had no formal organization larger than the band. This loose
organization caused problems in relations with Europeans who did not understand their
politics. One Apache band, for instance, might make peace with its enemies, while
another would remain at war. Likewise, when the Apaches made peace with one enemy
Indian settlement, it did not mean that they made peace with other affiliated
settlements. Band leaders were always males, but females held a central place within
the tribe.
Sources: Celebrating Texas (McDougal Little Publishing Exploring Texas (Steck- Vaughn
Company Doni King