The Wichita Tribe

Region of Texas

• The Wichita tribe lived in the Southern Plains
• Our villages were like landmarks on the Southern Plains
• Our villages were seen by the grass lodges we used, and the fields nearby

Acquisition of Food

• In our villages, we had corn, tobacco, and melons
• We went on annual hunts in groups

Religion

• We had no specific ritualism
• We were impressed by the forces around us

Communication

• 'Aah' means hello
• We speak English today
• The Wichita language is endangered

Interactions

• We traded with the Comanche and Louisiana merchants
• We were allies with the Comanche
• We befriended some of the tribes in the Southern Plains such as Caddo and Comanche

Conflicts

• We attacked the Spanish Santa Cruz de San Saba mission in 1758

Art

• The main three different types of artwork were...
• 1- Pottery
• 2- Bead Work
• 3- Hide Paintings
• Men and women both made artwork

Clothing

• We wore tattoos around our eyes that looked like raccoon eyes ... remember that !
• Our women wore wrap around skirts and poncho tops
• We all wore earings
• We all wore buffalo robes in cold weather
• We had elaborate tattoos

Traditions

• Our warriors were men and women
• We were friendly toward strangers
• We avoided confrontation unless provoked
• We were noted for our hospatality

Tools and Weapons

• We used...
• Bows and arrows
• Clubs
• Shields
• Tomahawks
• Axes

Housing

• We lived in large, beehive like houses
• Our houses were made of grass
• We also lived in teepees
• Now days, we live in regular houses and/or apartment buildings
• We always had grass lodges in nearby fields

Tribal Roles and Government

• We had...
• Laws
• Police
• Services
• Chief elections
• Only men were voted for chief

Economics

• We had...
• No currency
• We made our own food

Medicine and Health

• Yarrow cures open wounds by stopping external bleeding
• Buck Brush is used to treat mouth and throat conditions along with burns

Medicine and Health con.

• Sage cures colds, the flu, and cramps as well as bruises
• Lavender cures insect bites and headaches
• Both men and women were Shaman

Extra Facts

• A river, waterfall, city, and county, are all called Wichita
• Wichita Kansas owes it's name to early tribe presence in that area
• We collected agricultural goods on the ground near rivers

Extra Facts con.

• An agent of Nachitoches identified one red river village as Wichita in 1805
• We called ourselves 'raccoon eyes' ... did you remember

Extra Facts con. con.

• We were sometimes called Towaich
• We had a slightly darker skin tone than other Indians
• Men and women both participated in story time

Why we're done

• Because we are
• Because we have no more slides to show
• Well...
• We have ONE more slide
• Then we're done

The End

P.S.