Texas Indians
The Western Gulf Culture Area

Karankawa-hunters
and gatherers who lived
in the area of Galveston
to Corpus Christi. They
were nomads. They
used dug-out canoes to
fish, hunt sea turtles and
collect shells. They also
hunted deer and small
animals. They lived in
wigwams.
The Karankawa did not need
much clothing. Their clothes
were made out of deerskin or
grass. They painted themselves
with bright colors. To keep the
insects away they rubbed
alligator fat and dirt into their
skin. The Karankawa treated
their children with kindness.
They gave their children two
names, one of which only their
family knew.

Coahuiltecan-hunted and
gathered food in south
Texas. They were nomadic
and covered large distances
following buffalo, deer and
small animals. The
Coahuiltecan also fished
and hunted for wild plants.
Their diets included ants,
eggs, lizards, snakes, spiders
and worms. They did not
build permanent homes.
Both men and women wore
their hair long. They worked
hard but they like to gather
for feasting and dancing.
The Southeastern Culture Area

Caddo-moved into Eastern
Texas from Arkansas,
Louisiana and Oklahoma.
They built permanent villages
and became expert farmers.
They practiced crop rotation.
The Caddo grew beans,
corn, squash, sunflower seeds
and tobacco. They organized
their tribes into three
confederacies. The Caddo
built mounds and temples for
religious events. In addition
to a religious and political
structure the Caddo had
healers and craftspeople.
The Caddo was a
matrilineal society. This
means they traced their
families through their
mother’s side.
Their houses were beehive-shaped, two story
grass huts made with tree
trunks covered with grass.
Some may have plastered
the outside walls with
mud.
Caddo
The Caddo are
known for
making fine
pottery.
Both men and
women tattooed
and painted their
bodies.
The Wichita confederacy included four groups. They
settled along the Red River. They lived along creeks and
rivers. They grew beans, corn, melons and squash. The
Wichita used horses to hunt buffalo and deer. They
lived in permanent villages. Like the Caddo, the
Wichita tattooed their bodies. Theirs was more
extreme.

Atakapa-between the
Caddo and the Gulf of
Mexico lived the
Atakapa people. They
were farmers with corn
being their main crop.
Not only did they farm
but they hunted wild
game and alligator.
Little is known about
their houses but it is
thought they lived in
huts made from brush.
The Pueblo Culture Area

Jumano-made
permanent houses
made of adobe. The
Jumano lived along
the Rio Grande River.
They were able to
grow corn and other
crops because they
settled near the river.
They also hunted
buffalo and gathered
wild plants for food.
The Jumano lived
in large villages. They
used bows and arrows
and carried heavy
clubs into battles.
Jumano
traded with other tribes
dried corn and squash for
buffalo hides and meat that
they were unable to get.
The Jumano used hollowed
out gourds, a type of
squash, and hot stones to
boil their food. The gourd
acting like a pot was filled
with water. Stones that
were heated in fire were
lifted into the gourds with
sticks. The hot stones
made the water boil.
The Plains Culture Area

The Great Plains
stretches from Canada
into Southern Texas.
Many Native
American groups
lived along the edges
of the plains to farm
and entered the plains
to hunt buffalo. With
the arrival of the
Spanish came the
arrival of horses.
Many plains Indians
became excellent
horsemen. Most lived
in tepees.

Buffalo-some
weighed up to 1,600
pounds and were 6
feet tall at the
shoulder and 10 feet
long. Indians used a
variety of techniques
to hunt buffalo.
The Tonkawa

Lived on the north-central
plains and on the
southeastern edge of the
Edwards Plateau. They
depended on the buffalo
for food, clothing and
shelter. They were
considered huntersgatherers. The Tonkawa
were driven from their
hunting grounds by the
Apache.
The Apache

The Apache culture originated
in Canada but migrated to the
Great Plains . Two Apache
groups settled in Texas. These
are the Lipan and Mescalero.
Apaches were organized into
bands that traveled, hunted
and fought together. The
Apaches were skilled
horsemen and often teamed up
when hunting buffalo. Lipan
Apaches were also farmers
which was very unusual for
Apaches.

Most Lipan Apache men cut their hair very short on
the left side but allowed the hair on the right to hang
long. They tied feathers and other decorations to their
hair. The men had no facial hair and the women wore
earrings. Apaches were feared throughout Texas.

The Comanche originally
lived in the Western Part
of the United States. They
eventually moved into the
Great Plains once they
acquired horses. The
Comanche lived in bands
headed by a peace chief. If
you were the best fighter
and rider you were the war
chief. The Comanche
were skilled buffalo
hunters. Because of the
their skills they soon
controlled much of the
plains including west and
northern Texas.
Comanche
Kiowa

The Kiowa were the last
plains group to arrive in
Texas. They hunted
buffalo, and gathered
berries, fruits and nuts.
They traded with other
groups for what they did
not have. The hair of the
Kiowa men was long but
over the right ear it was
short. The Kiowa and the
Comanche were allies.