Native American Tribes in Texas
Tribe
Region
Location
Shelter
Food
Nomadic
Other Facts
Temporary
mesquite beans,
nomads
Women gathered all the food
the Rio Grande
dwellings made
nuts, berries,
Men could run all day without
North to San Antonio
out of mud,
cacti, insects, deer,
tiring, they were tough and
Coahuiltecans Coastal Plains South Gulf Coast past
animal skins, and rabbits, sometimes
brush
had great endurance
buffalo, and the
"second harvest"
Karankawas
Coastal Plains Between Corpus
Small huts made
fish, mollusks,
nomads
Used dugout canoes pushed by
Christi Bay and
of long sapling
clams, oysters,
poles; cane traps and bow and
Galveston Bay
trees bent over
small game, and
arrows for hunting; coated bodies
and tied together people
with alligator or shark grease to
then covered
ward off mospuitoes; women did
with grass mats
all the hard work and tattooed/
or animal skins
painted their bodies; gentle with
their children and love dogs;
practiced canabalism
Caddoes
Coastal Plains Piney woods along
the Angelina and
Grass lodges up
Deer, bears, buffalo,
to 50 feet high
pumpkin, beans,
major chief, or caddi, who was
and corn
assisted by sub-chiefs; oldest
Neches Rivers
Permanent Lived in large villages; ruled by a
woman in each family ruled that
family; built huge temples and
burial grounds; created rugs,
baskets, and pottery which they
traded
Atakapans
Coastal Plains Southeastern Texas &
Huts
Small animals, deer,
Southwestern
fish, roots, berries,
Louisiana
and shell fish
nomads
used dugout canoes to fish
Tribe
Region
Alabama-
Coastal Plains Trinity and Neches
Coushhattas
Mescalero
Great Plains
Location
Shelter
Food
Nomadic
Other Facts
Cabins
Deer, other game,
Permanent Came from Alabama; were two
rivers, and the Big
fish, berries
separate groups; skilled in
Thicket
vegetables, and
making baskets and other
fruit
crafts
West Texas
Apache
Te-pees made
Buffalo
nomads
Raided other groups; wore high
from long poles
boots of soft leather to protect
and buffalo hides
their legs; wore headbands to
absorb the sweat
Lipan Apache Great Plains
Southwest Texas and
Te-pees and
Buffalo, deer,
Permanent Hunted and farmed; wore high
Northern Mexico
hogans
maize (corn), beans,
boots of soft leather to protect
pumpkins, squash
their legs; wore headbands to
absorb the sweat
Comanche
Great Plains
Llano Estacado
Te-pees
Buffalo, elk, deer,
Nomads
plants, roots, berries
Women wore decorated buckskin
dresses; skilled riders; lords of
the plains; skilled traders;
depended on horses; raiders;
fierce warriors
Kiowas
Great Plains
Texas Panhandle
Te-pees
Buffalo, elk, deer,
plants, roots, berries
nomads
Allied with the Comanche; painted
pictures of important events on
their te-pees; among most feared
on the plains; skilled horsemen;
developed a calendar; made
beaded crafts
Tonkawas
Coastal Plains Around present day
grass houses
Austin
Wichitas
Buffalo, deer, fish,
Permanent Traded hides; helped European
crawfish, clams
settlers fight Comanche
North Central Around present day
Sturdy grass
Buffalo, corn,
Plains
houses
squash, pumpkins,
1000 people; held women in high
melons, and beans
regard; skilled artisans making clay
Waco, Dallas, and
Corsicana
Permanent Lived in large villages of up to
pots & jars, leather bags; chiefs
enforced local rules
Jumanos
Mountains &
El Paso to the Big Bend Adobe Houses
Basins
Small game, corn,
Permanent Houses were bright with color;
beans, squash
lived in farming villages; made
pottery; grew cotton to weave into
clothes and blankets
Tribe
Region
Location
Shelter
Food
Tigua
Mountains &
El Paso
Adobe houses
Fish, corn, tomatoes, Permanent Founded community called
Basins
Nomadic
Other Facts
squash, beans,
Ysleta del Sur near present day
grapes, small game
El Paso; grew cotton to weave into
cloth for clothes, made pottery,
cooked in round adobe ovens
Kickapoos
Cherokees
Coastal plains Rio Grand River
Coastal Plains Sabine, Neches, and
Angelina Rivers
Wikiup covered
fish, deer, bear,
by woven mats
small game, fruits,
crafted fine beadwork, grew crops,
vegetables, and nuts
came from Great Lakes region
Log Cabins
Corn, beans,
Permanent Made baskets, buckskin clothes,
Permanent Used metal tools; owned large
pumpkins, and
farms and plantations; some
squash, small game,
owned slaves
occasional buffalo