The Karankawa Tribe

Food

• We Karankawas ate things such as alligator, turtle, javelina, deer, turkey, fish, oyster, roots and other plants like blackberries

Region of Texas

• We lived on the coastal bend area of Texas
• We lived on San Antonio Bay, Corpus Christi, Galveston Island and other bordering areas of the gulf

Tools and Weapons

• Fishing arrows made of thin rock
• Many weapons made of flint rock
• Traps made to catch fish
• Bows and arrows
• Long bows were made of red cedar

Interactions

• Cabaza De Vaca lived with us for two years and helped us with our medicine

Conflicts

• We had conflicts with Texan settlers (1819)
• The battle of Three Trees

The Battle of Three Trees

• The Battle of Three Trees took place in 1819
• This battle happened because one of our women was kidnapped by settlers and we fought a battle to try and get her back
• We lost severly

Medicine/Health

• Cabaza de Vaca was very skilled in medicine
• He helped us get rid of our sicknesses

Clothing

• We used animal hide to make dresses and other clothes
• We also used plants and bones for piercings jewelry and other accessorys

Religion

• The Karankawa did not record any specific religion
• When someone died they would hold a ceremony and mourn for them
• The Karankawa spent lots of time with the Spanish and soon coverted to Catholisim

Housing

• We lived in wigwams
• It was made from willow pole and covered with animal skin
• The floor was made of rush mats
• The wigwam would hold 7 to 8 people

Tribal Roles and Government

• Each band had it's own cheif
• A band was a group of 30 to 40 people led by the chiefs

Art

• We painted on ourselves with crushed berries and charcoal
• We used bones and rocks as jewlery

Economics

• We didn't trade much but when we did we traded leftover supplies with Indian tribes north of us
• Conch shells and other seashells were traded for pigments like ocher, rugs, and buffalo robes

Communication

• We used smoke signals for family events but also for war
• Our language is called Karankawa only about one hundred words exist today

Traditions

• Our marriages were always arranged by our parents
• We had many tattoos and piercings

Thank You!

Questions?

Untitled Slide