Come and Take It

Though the Comanche may have had the most impact on Texas History and the Caddo likely had the longest contact with European settlers, there are many other Native American tribes who made their mark. These tribes run the gamut from settled, farming groups to the horse-culture plains dwellers. From the Jumano and Apache of the far west to the Wichita and Kiowa of the plains, to the Cherokee who arrived just before the Revolution, all of these native peoples have a lasting legacy in Texas.

Before we begin… What’s your favorite Texas flag?

• An account of the last wars the Texas Plains Indians had with the US and Texas, including the Warren Wagon Train Raid, which nearly cost Commander in Chief of the Army William T. Sherman his life.

• The official website of the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma, once one of the great horse cultures of the Texas Plains.

• A nice page about the Jumano people who lived and traded throughout far west Texas and New Mexico. Many of the other tribes we talk about in this episode also have profiles on texasindians.com.

• The official website of the Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas. There’s a really nice online museum about the Apache in Texas on this site.

• The official website of the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes, which include the Wichita, Tawakoni, Kichai, Waco, and Taovaya people who all lived in north-central Texas.

• The official website of the Tonkwawa Tribe, who farmed and hunted on the edge of the Plains in central Texas. Tonkawa were traditional enemies of the Comanche, and many fought alongside the Texas Rangers and US Army until the 1880s.

• An article about the history of the Cherokee in Texas, on the official Cherokee Nation website.