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"Karankawa Indians" - Free Books & Children's Stories Online | StoryJumper

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Karankawa Tribe Tribe Map Artifacts A rare piece of pottery found at Oso bay. Partially reconstructed Karankawa pottery. Wigwams Wigwams are houses mad...

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The Native American Story | Texas State History Museum

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Thousands of native people lived in Texas for at least 11,000 years before the first Europeans arrived. There were hundreds of groups, their lives shaped by the distinct landscapes and climates in which they lived.

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American Indian languages Native American Indian cultures Native American art
Native American Facts For Kids was written for young people learning about the Apache Indian tribe for school or home-schooling projects. We encourage students and teachers to visit ourApache language andculture pages for in-depth information about the tribe, but here are our answers to the questions we are most often asked by children, with Apache pictures and links we believe are suitable for all ages.

Sponsored Links What are Apache arts and crafts like?
Apache artists are famous for their fine

Apache Tribe

Apache is pronounced "uh-PAH-chee." It means "enemy" in the language of theirZuni neighbors. The Apaches' own name for themselves was traditionallyNde or Ndee (meaning "the people"), but today most Apache people use the word "Apache" themselves, even when they are speaking their own language.

The Apache are natives of the Southwest deserts (particularly inArizona,New Mexico, andTexas). Some Apache people were also located across the border in northern Mexico. One Apache band, the Na'ishan or Plains Apache, lived far away from the other Apaches, in what is nowOklahoma. Their customs were different from other Apaches, more similar to theirKiowa allies. For that reason, the Americans often called the Na'ishan "Kiowa-Apaches." Here are somemaps of the different Apache communities today.

The Plains Apaches are still living in Oklahoma today. Some Apaches from other bands were captured and sent to live in Oklahoma by the Americans in the 1800's, while other Apaches resisted being moved and remain in Arizona and New Mexico today. The total Apache Indian population today is around 30,000.

There are thirteen different Apache tribes in the United States today: five in Arizona, five in New Mexico, and three in Oklahoma. Each Arizona and New Mexico Apache tribe lives on its ownreservation. Reservations are lands that belong to Indian tribes and are under their control. The Oklahoma Apaches live on trust land. Each Apache tribe has its own government, laws, police, and services, just like a small country. However, the Apaches are also US citizens and must obey American law.

In the past, each Apache band was led by its own chief, who was chosen by a tribal council. Most important decisions were made by the council, and all the Apache councilmembers had to agree before an action could be taken. An Apache chief was more like a tribal chairman than a president. Most of his job was mediating between other Apaches. Most Apache tribes still use tribal councils for their government today.

Almost all Apache people speak English today, but many Apaches also speak their nativeApache language, which is closely related to Navajo. Apache is a complex language with tones and many different vowel sounds. Most English speakers find it very difficult to pronounce. If you'd like to know a few easy Apache words, "ash" (rhymes with 'gosh') means "friend" in Western Apache, and "ahéhe'e" (pronunciation ah-heh-heh-eh) means "thank you." You can read a Apache picture dictionaryhere.

Here are the homepages of theJicarilla Apache Nation andWhite Mountain Apache Tribe. On their sites you can find information about the Apache people from ancient times until today. You can also visit this site about theApache Jii Festival, which has information and photographs about San Carlos Apache culture for kids.

They do the same things all children do--play with each other, go to school and help around the house. Many Apache children like to go hunting with their fathers. In the past, Indian kids had more chores and less time to play in their daily lives, just like colonial children. But they did havedolls, toys, and games to play. Apache children liked to run footraces and play archery games. Once the Apaches acquired horses, girls and boys as young as five years old learned how to ride. An Apache mother traditionally carried her baby in acradleboard on her back. Here is a website with Apache cradleboard images.

Apache women were in charge of the home. Besides cooking and taking care of children, Apache women built new houses for their families every time the tribe moved their location. Though it was rare for an Apache woman to become a warrior, girls learned to ride and shoot just like the boys did, and women often helped to defend Apache villages when they were attacked. Apache men were hunters, warriors, and political leaders. Only men were chiefs in the Apache tribe. Both genders took part in story-telling, artwork and music, and traditional medicine.

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Most Apache people lived inwickiups, which are simple wooden frames covered by a matting of brush and sometimes a buffalo-hide tarp. Wickiups were small dwellings, often the size of a modern camp tent, and an Apache woman could build a new wickiup in two hours if there was enough brush available. Here are somepictures of Indian brush houses. The Plains Apaches and some Lipan Apaches used buffalo-hidetipis as housing instead, which are more spacious and easier to heat than wickiups.

Apache people today do not normally use old-fashioned houses like a teepee or wickiup for shelter, any more than you live in a log cabin. Most Apaches live in modern houses and apartment buildings, just like you. However, some followers of the traditional Apache religion do live in modified larger wickiups, because their beliefs require them to burn down and rebuild their houses whenever there is a death in the family, which can't be done in an apartment.

Originally Apache women wore buckskin dresses and the men wore leather war shirts andbreechcloths. In the 1800's, many Apache men started to wear white cotton tunics and pants, which they adopted from the Mexicans, and many Apache women wore calico skirts and dresses. The Apaches woremoccasins or high moccasin boots on their feet, and rabbit-skin cloaks in cooler weather. An Apache lady's dress or warrior's shirt was often fringed and decorated with beaded designs. Here is a site about the symbolism ofPlains Indian war shirts, and some photos and links aboutIndian costume in general.

The Apaches did not traditionally wearfeather warbonnets, but the Plains Apaches adopted these headdresses from their friends the Kiowas. Other Apache people wore leather or cloth headbands instead. For ceremonies Apache people sometimes wore special wooden headdresses and masks, likethese Apache Crown Dancers. Women usually wore their hair long and loose or gathered into a bun. Many young Apache women fastened their buns with hourglass-shaped hair ornaments callednah-leens. We haven't yet found a good photo of a nah-leen to share with you, but here is a photograph of someCaddo women wearing the same type of hair fastener. Apache men often cut their hair to shoulder length (except in the Plains Apache tribe.) Here is a website with pictures of theseIndian hair styles. Both sexes liked to wear shell jewelry, especially choker-style necklaces. The Apaches also painted their faces for special occasions. They used different patterns for war paint, religious ceremonies, and festive decoration.

Today, some Apache people still have moccasins or a buckskin dress, but they wear modern clothes like jeans instead of breechcloths... and they only wear traditional regalia on special occasions like a wedding or a dance.

No--the Apache Indians weren't coastal people, and rarely traveled by river. Originally they just walked. There were no horses in North America until colonists brought them over from Europe, so the Apaches used dogs pullingtravois (a kind of drag sled) to help them carry their belongings. Once Europeans brought the horse to America, the Apaches quickly became expert riders and could travel much more quickly than before.

What was Apache food like in the days before supermarkets?
The Apaches were not farming people like their cousins the Navajos. Primarily they were hunters. Apache men hunted buffalo, deer, antelope, and small game, while women gathered nuts, seeds, and fruit from the environment around them. Most traditional Apache people do not go fishing, since eating fish is prohibited in their religion. However, some Plains Apache people did pick up the custom of eating fish from their Kiowa neighbors. Although most Apache people were not farmers, the Apaches still used to eat corn frequently. They got it by trading with the Pueblo tribes and the Spanish, or by capturing it during raids. Favorite Apache recipes included cornbread, sunflower cakes, and acorn stew. Here is a website with more information aboutSouthwest Indian food.

Apache hunters used bows and arrows. In war, Apache men fired their bows or fought with long spears and buffalo-hide shields. Here is a website with pictures and more information aboutApache Indian weapons.

What other Native Americans did the Apache tribe interact with?

The Apaches traded regularly with other tribes of the Southwest. They particularly liked to trade for corn from agricultural tribes like theNavajo andWhat is Apache Indian music like?
Pueblo tribes. More often, though, the Apaches were known forraiding neighboring tribes and stealing horses, corn, and other goods. The Apaches had different ideas about war than Europeans did. The Europeans considered a direct attack honorable but thought sneaking in and stealing things was cowardly. But to the Apaches, stealthily raiding another tribe's camp was a brave deed because it meant risking their own lives, but attacking the camp openly would be shameful, because children and old people were likely to be hurt. Apache warriors usually only fought real wars over matters of revenge or defending their territory from invaders, like when they fought against the Mexicans and Americans. At other times, Apache men went on raids primarily to prove their courage.

beadwork andbasketry. Eastern Apache people sometimes madeSouthwestern pottery like the Pueblo Indians. Here is a webWhat kinds of stories do the Apaches tell?
There are lots of Apache legends and oral traditions. Storytelling is very important to the Apache Indian culture. Here is a Jicarilla Apache myth about site with many pictures ofApache baskets, and one about the history ofApache pottery.

What about Apache religion?
Spirituality and religion were important parts of Apache life, and many people continue to practice traditional beliefs today. It is respectful to avoid imitating religious rituals for school projects since some Apache people care about them deeply. You can read and learn about them, however. You can visit this site to learn more about Music is very important to Apache Indian culture. There are different types of traditional Apache songs for ceremonial, social, and entertainment purposes. Singing together in the Apache language is the most import ant part of Apache music, but musical instruments such asdrums,Can you recommend a good book for me to read?
You may enjoy this book offlutes, and rattles are also used. Drums and rattles are especially used during dances, while flutes are particularly associated with love songs. Some Apache groups also played a sort of fiddle made out of agave stalks. Here is a website with someexamples of traditional Apache Indian songs you can listen to, and aYouTube video of Apache singers and dancers performing at Fort Sill.

how fire came to the Apaches, and here are some funny Western Apache folktales aboutthe trickster Coyote swindling people. Here's a page where you can read more aboutApache mythology.How do I cite your website in my project's bibliography?
You will need to ask your teacher for the report format he or she wants you to use. The authors' names are Laura Redish and Orrin Lewis and the title of our site is Native Languages of the Americas. We are a nonprofit educational organization working to preserve and protect Native American languages and culture. You can learn more about our organization

Mescalero Apache spiritual beliefs or this site aboutNative American belief in general.

Chiricahua Apache legends, or the charming illustrated legendThe Flute Player for a younger child. Or you may enjoy reading this interesting biography ofGeronimo, the famous warrior and holy man of the Chiricahuas. If you want to know more about Apache culture and history, two good books for children areThe Apache Indians andApache Children and Elders Talk Together. For older kids, we recommendCulture and Customs of the Apache Indians, a much more in-depth book on Apache culture and family life. You can also browse through our reading list of recommendedNative American books in general. Disclaimer: we are an Amazon affiliate and our website earns a commission if you buy a book through one of these links. Most of them can also be found in a public library, though!

here. Our website was first created in 1998 and last updated in 2020.

Thanks for your interest in the Apache Indian people and their language!

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Apache Indian Tribe
An overview of the Apache people, their language and history.

Apache Language Resources
Apache language samples, articles, and indexed links.

Apache Culture and History Directory
Related links about the Apache tribe past and present.

Apache Words

Apache Indian vocabulary lists.

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Facts for Kids: Apache Indians (Ndee, Dine'e. Apaches)

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Information about the Apache Indians for students and teachers. Covers food, homes, arts and crafts, weapons, culture, and daily life of the Apaches.

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caddo indians -- history -- 19th century.

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people - ethnic groups - american indians - caddos

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Documents detailing some relations with the Caddo Indians. The first document is a certified copy stating that Jose Maria is Chief of the Anadacos and attests to his good conduct, signed by Jesse Stern, March 27, 1852. The second document certifies that the foregoing page is a true copy and translation.

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The author of this volume has no desire to put on a wise look or to ape the manner of erudite scholars. He prefers, rather, to come to grips at once with the subject that interests him-the Apache Indians. The fact is, no scholar has been able to trace satisfactorily the exact origins of this spectacular people or to say just when they made their appearance in the Southwest as a distinct nation. Concerning one simple fact all ethnologists agree: the Apache belongs to the Athapascan family, the most widely scattered of all North American Indian linguistic families. In remote times it covered the greater part of the continent. Its various tribes inhabited the Arctic and the Pacific coasts and extended as far south as northern New Mexico and as far east as the Rio Grande.

Apache Bibliography

The following items were used as reference material for this manuscript:

1. Annual Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, 1874.

2. Annual Reports of the United States War Department, 1868, 1869, 1870, 1871.

3. Arizona Daily Star, April, May, October, 1882.

4. Arizona Daily Star, June 19, 1910.

5. Bancroft, Hubert H. A History of Arizona and New Mexico. San Francisco, 1989.

6. Bancroft, Hubert H. History of Arizona and New Mexico. San Francisco, 1889.

7. Bandelier, A. F. Final Report on Investigations in the Southwest. Papers of the Archaeological Institute of America, American Series III, 1890.

8. Bartlett, John R. Personal Narrative, Vol I. New York, Appleton, 1854.

9. Bartlett, John R. Personal Narrative, Vol. I. New York, Appleton, 1854.

10. Benavides, Fray Alonso De, The Memorial of, tr. by Mrs. Emma Burbank Ayer .

11. Bolton, Herbert E. Kino's Historical Memoirs of Primaria Alta. Cleveland, Arthur H. Clark, 1919.

12. Bourke, John G. "Apache Mythology." In Journal of American Folklore, Vol. III, p. 209.

13. Bourke, John G. "General Crook in the Indian Country." In The Century Magazine, March, 1891.

14. Bourke, John G. An Apache Campaign in the Sierra Madre. New York, 1886.

15. Bourke, John G. Medicine Men of the Apache. Bureau of Ethnology Report.

16. Bourke, John G. Ninth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology, 1887-1888.

17. Bourke, John G. On the Border with Crook. New York, Scribner, 1896.

18. Bourke, John G. The Medicine Men of the Apaches. Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology, 1887-1888.

19. Calhoun, James S. The Official Correspondence of James S. Calhoun. Collected and edited by Annie Heloïse Abel. Washington, Government Printing Office, 1915.

20. Carter, William H. The Life of Lieutenant General Chaffee. Chicago, 1917.

21. Castañeda, De Nagera Pedro. The Journey of Coronado, tr. by George Parker Winship . Chicago, Laidlaw.

22. Chapman, C. E. The Founding of Spanish California. New York, Macmillan, 1916.

23. Chronological List of Actions with Indians in Arizona and New Mexico, Jan. 1866 to Jan. 1891. A.G.O., War Department. Old Records Section.

24. Clum, Woodworth. Apache Agent. Boston, Houghton Mifflin, 1936.

25. Connell, Charles T. "The Apache Past and Present." In Tucson Citizen, May 29, 1921.

26. Coues, Elliott. The Expeditions of Zebulon Montgomery Pike. New York, F. P. Harper, 1895.

27. Cremony, John C. Life among the Apaches. San Francisco, 1868.

28. Crook, George. Résumé of Operations against Apache Indians from 1892 to 1996. Washington, 1886.

29. Cruse, Thomas. Unpublished Autobiography.

30. Curtis, E. S. "Vanishing Indian Types-The Tribes of the Southwest." In Scribner's Magazine, May, 1906.

31. Curtis, E. S. North American Indian, Vol. I. 1907.

32. Davis, Britton. The Truth about Geronimo. New Haven, Yale University Press, 1929.

33. DeLong, S. R. The History of Arizona. 1905.

34. Dellenbaugh, F. S. The North Americans of Yesterday. New York, Putnam, 1901.

35. Dunn, J. P. Massacre of the Mountains, A History of the Indian Wars of the Far West. New York, Harper, 1886.

36. Elliott. Arizona History.

37. Emory, W. H. Notes of a Military Reconnaissance. Executive Document No. 41. Washington, 1848.

38. Farish, Thomas Edwin. History of Arizona, Vols. II, V and VIII. Phoenix, 1915.

39. Gatewood, Charles B. The Surrender of Geronimo. Ed. by General Brigadier Edward S. Godfrey . 1929.

40. Gay, Dorothy Frances. Apache Art. Master's Thesis. University of Arizona Library.

41. Goddard, P. E. Indians of the Southwest. American Museum of Natural History Handbook, Series No. 2. New York, 1921.

42. Goddard, P. E. Various Apache Texts (including Creation Myths, etc.). American Museum of Natural History, Anthropological Papers, Vol. VII and Vol. XXIV, Parts 1-4.

43. Goddard, Pliny Earle. Indians of the Southwest. New York, 1921.

44. Goddard, Pliny Earle. Myths and Tales from the San Carlos Apache. Anthropological Papers of the American Museum of Natural History, Vol. XXIV, Part I.

45. Goddard, Pliny Earle. Myths and Tales from the White Mountain Apache. Anthropological Papers of the American Museum of Natural History, Vol. XXIV, Part II.

46. Goodwin, Grenville. "Clans of the Western Apaches." In New Mexico Historical Review, July, 1933.

47. Gregg, Josiah. Commerce of the Prairies. New York, Langley, 1845.

48. Hagedorn, Hermann. Leonard Wood, A Biography, Vol. I. New York, Harper, 1931.

49. Hammond, George P. After the Civil War, Wanted-A Policy. Unpublished ms. supplied by Charles Morgan Wood.

50. Hammond, George P. General Stoneman in Charge. Unpublished ms. supplied by Charles Morgan Wood.

51. Hayes, Benjamin. Diary of a Journey Overland from Socorro to Warner's Ranch. Unpublished manuscript. Berkeley, Bancroft Library, 1849.

52. Hodge, F. W. "The Early Navajo and Apache." In American Anthropologist, old series, July, 1895. Washington.

53. Hodge, F. W. Handbook of the American Indian, Vol. I, p. 63.

54. House of Representatives, Executive Documents, 42d Congress, 2d Session.

55. House of Representatives, Executive Documents, I, Part 2, 41st Congress, 2d Session.

56. House of Representatives, Miscellaneous Documents. Nos. 18 and 19, 38th Congress, 2d Session.

57. Howard, O. O. "Account of His Mission to the Apaches and Navajos." In Washington Daily Morning Chronicle, November 10, 1872.

58. Howard, O. O. My Life and Experiences among Our Hostile Indians. A. D. Worthington and Company, Hartford. 1907.

59. Hrdlicka, Ales. "Notes on the San Carlos Apache." In American Anthropologist, new series, 1905.

60. Hrdlicka, Ales. Notes on the San Carlos Apaches, September, 1905, p. 480.

61. Pacific Railroad Reports, Explorations, and Surveys, Vol. III. Washington, 1856. Whipple, etc., on Apaches.

62. Hughes, John T. Reprint of Doniphan's Expedition. Topeka, William E. Connelly, 1907.

63. Hughes, Samuel. Scrapbook. Tucson, Pioneers Historical Society.

64. Indian Affairs Report. House of Representatives, Executive Document No. 2, 35th Congress, 1st Session, Washington, 1857.

65. Irwin, B. J. D. "The Apache Pass Fight." In The Military Surgeon, October, 1933, Washington, D.C.

66. Journals of the Fifth Legislative Assembly, Territory of Arizona. Tucson, 1869.

67. Journals of the First Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Arizona. Prescott, 1865.

68. Journals of the Third Legislative Assembly, Territory of Arizona. Prescott, 1867.

69. Lockwood, Frank C. Pioneer Days in Arizona. New York, Macmillan, 1932.

70. Lockwood, Frank C. With Padre Kino on the Trail. University of Arizona Bulletin, Tucson.

71. Lummis, Charles F. The Land of Poco Tiempo. New York, Scribner, 1897.

72. Manje, Juan Mateo. Lux de Tierra Incognita.

73. Miles, Nelson A. Porsonal Recollection. Chicago, Werner, 1896.

74. Miscellaneous Documents of the House of Representatives, 38th Congress, 2d Session. Washington, 1865.

75. Opler, M. E. "A Summary of Jicarilla Apache Culture." In American Anthropologist, new series, Vol. XXVIII, No. 2.

76. Opler, M. E. "An Interpretation of Ambivalence of Two American Indian Tribes." In The Journal of Social Psychology, Vol. VII, No. 1.

77. Opler, M. E. "The Concept of Supernatural Power among the Chiricahua and Mescalero Apaches." In American Anthropologist. Vol. XXXVII, No. 1.

78. Opler, M. E. An Analysis of Mescalero and Chiricahua Apache Social Organization in the Light of their Systems of Relationships. University of Chicago Library.

79. Pattie, James O. The Personal Narrative of. Cincinnati, Timothy Flint, 1831.

80. Pumpelly, Raphael. Across America and Asia. New York, Leypoldt and Holt, 1870.

81. Reports, of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, 1883-1886.

82. Reports, of the War Department, 1883-1886.

83. Roberts, Helen H. Basketry of the San Carlos. Anthropological Papers of The American Museum of Natural History, Vol. XXXI, Part II.

84. Russell, Don. One Hundred and Three Fight and Scrimmages, The Story of General Reuben F. Bernard. Washington, 1936.

85. Russell, Don. One Hundred and Three Fights and Scrimmages. Washington, United States Cavalry Association, 1936.

86. Schmeckebier, Laurence F. The Office of Indian Affairs. Baltimore, Johns Hopkins Press, 1927.

87. Senate Executive Document No. 117, 49th Congress, 2d Session.

88. Senate Executive Document No. 2, 36th Congress, 1st Session.

89. Senate Executive Document No. 83, 51st Congress, 1st Session.

90. Smart, Charles. Notes on the Tonto Apaches. Smithsonian Report for 1867.

91. Smith, Dama Margaret. Indian Tribes of the Southwest. Stanford University Press, 1933.

92. The Overland Monthly. San Francisco, 1870.

93. Thomas, Alfred B. Forgotten Frontiers. Norman, University of Oklahoma Press, 1932.

94. Twitchell, Ralph E. The Leading Facts of New Mexican History, Vol. II.

95. War Department Reports, 1886-1887.

96. War of the Rebellion. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Prepared under the direction of the Secretary of War, by Bvt. LieutenantColonel Robert N. Scott. Washington, 1880. Series I: Vols. I, IV, IX, XV, XXVI. Part 1, XXVI; Part 2, XXX; Part 1, XXXIV; Part 3, XLI, L; Part 1, L; Part 2.

97. Wellman, Paul I. Death in the Desert. New York, Macmillan, 1935.

98. White, Dr. John B., Surgeon in the U. S. Army and Physician to the Apache Indians under the Department of the Interior. A Complete Vocabulary of the Apache and the Tonto Indian Dialect of Arizona Territory. Bureau of American Ethnology. Manuscript Vault. (From photostat copy secured by Charles Morgan Wood, 1926.)

99. Williamson, Al. Williamson interviewed by the author, June 10, 1934.

100. Wilson, Benjamin D. Observations on Early Days in California and New Mexico. Unpublished Manuscript. Berkeley, Bancroft Library.

101. Wood, Charles Morgan. Extracts from Records in the War Department. November, 1856, to February, 1861.

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The author of this volume has no desire to put on a wise look or to ape the manner of erudite scholars. He prefers, rather, to come to grips at once with the subject that interests him-the Apache Indians. The fact is, no scholar has been able to trace satisfactorily the exact origins of this ...

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Karankawa shelter

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These small, round houses were made of thin, flexible pieces of green wood bent to create a dome. Small branches were wrapped around the dome to make a grid. In cool weather, animal hide or thatch was used to cover the frame, sometimes only on one side to block the north wind.

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Native American Art- Apache Indian Clothing

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Apache Indian clothing was made from buffalo hides and decorated with beautiful beaded designs. They decorated dresses for women, and war headdresses and shirts for Apache men.

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This website has been created with technology from Avanquest Software.

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The Origin of the Dreamcatcher

Dreamcatchers are believed to have originated in the Ojibwa Nation. A dreamcatcher is a handmade object based on a willow hoop, on which is woven a loose net or web. It is then decorated with personal and sacred items such as feathers and beads.

Dreamcatchers have come to be seen by some as a symbol of unity among various Indian Nations, as well as a general symbol of identification with Native American or First Nations cultures.

Read on to learn about the legend of the dreamcatcher, as well as its principle player, Iktomi the Spider.

Legend of the Native American Dreamcatcher

Long ago when the world was young, an old Lakota spiritual leader was on a high mountain and had a vision. In his vision, Iktomi, the great trickster and teacher of wisdom, appeared in the form of a spider. Iktomi spoke to him in a sacred language. As he spoke, Iktomi the spider picked up the elder's willow hoop which had feathers, horsehair, beads, and offerings on it, and began to spin a web.

He spoke to the elder about the cycles of life; how we begin our lives as infants, move on through childhood and on to adulthood. Finally we go to old age where we must be taken care of as infants, completing the cycle. "But", Iktomi said as he continued to spin his web, "in each time of life there are many forces; some good and some bad. If you listen to the good forces, they will steer you in the right direction. But, if you listen to the bad forces, they'll steer you in the wrong direction and may hurt you. So these forces can help, or can interfere with the harmony of Nature." While the spider spoke, he continued to weave his web.

When Iktomi finished speaking, he gave the elder the web and said, "The web is a perfect circle with a hole in the center. Use the web to help your people reach their goals, making good use of their ideas, dreams, and visions. If you believe in the Great Spirit, the web will catch your good ideas and the bad ones will go through the hole." The elder passed on his vision to the people and now many Indian people hang a dream catcher above their bed to sift their dreams and visions. The good is captured in the web of life and carried with the people, but the evil in their dreams drops through the hole in the center of the web and is no longer a part of their lives. It is said that the dream catcher holds the destiny of the future.

Iktomi the Spider

In Lakota mythology, Iktomi is a spider-trickster spirit, and a culture-hero for the Lakota people. He is the son of Inyan, a creator god similar in form to other male creator gods. Iktomi has a younger brother, called Iya, who is a destructive and powerful spirit.

In the old days, Iktomi was Ksa, or wisdom, but he was stripped of this title and became Iktomi because of his mischievousness. He began playing malicious tricks because people would jeer at his strange or funny looks. Most of his schemes end with him falling into ruin when his intricate plans backfire. These tales are usually told as a way to teach lessons to Lakota youth. Because it is Iktomi, a respected deity playing the part of the fool, and the story is told as entertainment, the listener is allowed to reflect on misdeeds without feeling like they are being confronted. In other tales, Iktomi is depicted with dignity and seriousness, such as in the popularized myth of the dreamcatcher.

His appearance is that of a spider, but he can take any shape, including that of a human. When he is a human he is said to wear red, yellow and white paint, with black rings around his eyes.

There is a prophecy that stated Iktomi would spread his web over the land. Today, this has been interpreted by some contemporary Native Americans to mean the telephone network and the world wide web. Iktomi has been considered by the Lakota from time immemorial to be the patron of new technology, from his invention of language he gave to the people to today's modern inventions, such as the computer or robots.

Oh, What a Tangled Web We Weave!

A monstrous web appeared in a State park in Dallas that spans over 200 yards. Check out the full story here:
Monstrous spider web

Medicine Wheel

This dreamcatcher mandala is constructed in the traditional way out of grapevine and found feathers, with a small turquoise bear fetish attached for added protection.

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LEGEND OF THE NATIVE AMERICAN DREAMCATCHER

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Dreamcatchers are believed to have originated in the Ojibwa Nation. A dreamcatcher is a handmade object based on a willow hoop, on which is woven a loose net or web. It is then decorated with personal and sacred items such as feathers and beads. ...

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Native American History for Kids - Fun Facts to Learn

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Native American History Native Americans lived in the United States for a very long time before Christopher Columbus discovered America. You can read about their amazing culture and learn about the things they love like music, Art and different types of homes. They have many different tribes and we give you a quick overview of ...

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"Apache Indians" - Free Books & Children's Stories Online | StoryJumper

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indians indians indians indians indians indians indians Map and Time Period The Native American Boundaries The Apaches were thought to have come to exi...

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The Lubbock Lake Landmark is an archaeological preserve containing evidence of peoples on the Southern High Plains for almost 12,000 years. Due to its nearly complete record of human activity within well-stratified and well-dated geological deposits, the Lubbock Lake Landmark is one of the most important archaeological sites in North America.

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In prayers to the Creator for all that has past, all that is, and all that will be are four Eagle feathers. The ties that unite the Feathers to the Sacred Hoop of Life are red for the blood of the People and are wrapped in sinew four times, as the number four is a metaphor that names the Lipan Apache.

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We've been reading Charlotte and David Yue's The Wigwam and the Longhouse this week, and it's been spawning quite a bit of creative play - fire pits...

...and Indian camps in the backyard, and that sort of thing.

The Yue's, while leaning pretty heavily in the direction of the "noble savage" in their depiction of the eastern Native American tribes, do a fantastic job presenting the details of their daily life gone by in a way that makes it seem very real, and appealing. We will definitely be looking for some of the authors' other titles, dealing with the history of native cultures from across North America.

The easy to read text flows along almost poetically, accompanied by engaging black and white illustrations of the objects or scenes described, drawing the children in. My girls, in fact, were very excited to learn that wigwams and longhouses were once the property of the women who made them, or more specifically of the matriarch, or oldest woman of the families living in them.

In fact, they were very keen to build a wigwam of their own to use as a fort in the backyard. But, when I refused to give them an ax for cutting down the saplings on the green space, they opted for a smaller, pipe cleaner version, for their Polly Pockets, instead.

Following the Yue's instructions, they traced out the footprint of their wigwam in the dirt (or in their case, on the cardboard).

Then, since they could not push the spiked ends of their "saplings" into the dirt, they secured them in place with bits of air-drying clay...

...overlapping, wrapping and...

...lashing them together with string...

...until they had a wigwamish sort of frame, with an opening left in the front for a door.

They covered the frame with strips of felt - light brown to represent the reed mats women might have once used, and dark brown for mats of tree bark...

...being careful to leave an opening for smoke from the fire pit to escape through, at the top.

They briefly considered sewing the felt to the pipe cleaner frame with a few stitches at the top of each strip, but it sounded like a lot of work, and the afternoon weather outside had turned unseasonably warm, so they secured the mats with an external pipe cleaner frame, to keep everything in place...

...and headed out, I can only assume, to play Pilgrims and Indians.

It's great to be a homeschooler.

Linked with :

The Geography and History Meme at All Things Beautiful

And, the stART (story + ART) link-up hosted by A Mommy's Adventures.

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We've been reading Charlotte and David Yue's The Wigwam and the Longhouse this week, and it's been spawning quite a bit of creative play - fire pits... ...and Indian camps in the backyard, and that sort of thing.

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The Karankawa Indians lived along the coastal bend of Texas, which includes the Gulf of Mexico and what is modern day Corpus Christi and Galveston bays. Now extinct, the Karankawa Indians, made up of several bands sharing a common language and culture, were nomadic and traveled between the islands and mainland in this area according to the seasons and availability of food. Thus, the Karankawa Indians relied on temporary and portable shelters for their homes.

Portable and Temporary

Karakawan homes were called ba-ak. A primary characteristic of a Karankawa home was that it was temporary, portable or both. That's because Karankawa Indian bands didn't stay in one place for longer than a few weeks, notes the Texas State Historical Association. Portable or temporary homes made life easier for the tribes, because they moved around so they were always living in an area where food and resources were plentiful. For example, the bands lived near water during the fall and winter months because they could fish, according to Robert A. Calvert, author of The History of Texas.

What the Houses Looked Like

Karakawan Indian homes were constructed using willow pole frames. They put one end of the tree limbs or saplings into the ground, making a circle, then bent them into the middle and tied them together. The result was a dome shape that resembled a classic wigwam. The willow pole frames were covered with animal skins or rush mats. Grasses, palm fronds and other leafed branches were also used to cover the frame, the Calhoun County Museum website notes, and grass mats covered the floor. Other shelters were little more than "improvised windbreaks," notes Calvert.

Characteristics Separate From Appearance

The Karakawan Indians typically built their homes to hold between seven and eight people. That doesn't mean, however, that the homes were large, but instead only encompassed enough room to sleep since the people didn't spend time in their homes eating, resting and pursuing hobbies the way more settled peoples do. Smaller homes were more convenient, among other reasons, because the Karakawans didn't need to make room for cooking, since that was done outside.

Benefits of the Housing Design

The simple construction allowed the Karakawans to easily tear down the houses and transport them in their dugout canoes when they abandoned their camp. They rarely stayed in the same area for more than a few weeks. The simple design also allowed the Karakawan people to easily set the homes back up when they chose a new camp, Robert A. Ricklis notes in his book The Karankawa Indians of Texas.

About the Author

Sara Ipatenco has taught writing, health and nutrition. She started writing in 2007 and has been published in Teaching Tolerance magazine. Ipatenco holds a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in education, both from the University of Denver.

Photo Credits

goralikus/iStock/Getty Images

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In What Kinds of Houses Did the Karankawas Live? | Synonym

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The Karankawa Indians lived along the coastal bend of Texas, which includes the Gulf of Mexico and what is modern day Corpus Christi and Galveston bays. Now extinct, the Karankawa Indians, made up of several bands sharing a common language and culture, were nomadic and traveled between the islands and mainland in this area according to the seasons and availability of food.

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JUMANO TRIBE By: Rylee Moseley. - ppt download

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Where did they live in texas? Central Texas. Near La Junta, in far west Texas south of present-day El Paso. Also New Mexico and Rio Grande.

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The Karankawa Indians lived in southern Texas along the Gulf of Mexico and have been extinct as a group since the mid-1800s. Information is somewhat sparse on the Karankawa, but we do know many things about their way of life.

History

The Karankawa were nomadic bands of people who migrated between the coastal areas in winter and inland during warmer weather. It is unclear whether they formed villages large enough to require a more complicated tribal system. They obtained food by hunting, gathering, and fishing. They did not farm or raise gardens.

Geography

Fishing was good in the winter, when large schools of redfish and drum fish moved into the bays and lagoons, which were shallow enough for people to wade in and catch fish, using long arrows shot by bows. They also used dugout canoes to travel between the barrier islands. Oysters, clams, scallops and mollusks were plentiful year-round, but were assumed to be safe only during cool weather. The Karankawa caught turtle and alligator for food as well. They built shelters in the winter and stayed in large camps for several months, and became more nomadic in warmer weather and moved inland, migrating from place to place as food supplies grew scarcer. Inland, they were able to hunt deer, bear, rabbits, turkeys, ducks and other wild game. Berries, seeds and nuts grew here as well. The area abounds with water including rivers, creeks and swamps.

Identification

The Karankawa are described in notes by explorers as being very large and typically standing over six feet tall; having elaborate tattoos and pierced lips, noses, ears and nipples and routinely smearing their bodies with alligator grease and dirt to ward off mosquitoes. All this gave them a fierce appearance, not to mention an off-putting smell, and so along with reports of cannibalism by the Karankawa, European explorers arriving in the 1500s and 1600s saw them as a people to be feared. The Karankawa are sometimes referred to by these explorers as "savages" and "giants." The Karankawa did very little trading with other tribes, and their main association with different groups of people was to do battle when their territory was invaded.

Misconceptions

The Karankawa people sometimes practiced cannibalism, eating captured enemy warriors and leaders after a battle. This was to obtain the magic power of these warriors, and not for food. This type of cannibalism was common among other coastal tribes in Texas and Louisiana as well. The ritual was performed while the victim was still alive, and thus was torturous and gruesome.

Effects

Disease, colonization, the Spanish slave trade, battles with the French and outright genocide by European settlers contributed to the demise of the Karankawa. By the 1850s, the people as a tribe no longer existed.

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The Karankawa Indians lived in southern Texas along the Gulf of Mexico and have been extinct as a group since the mid-1800s. Information is somewhat sparse on the Karankawa, but we do know many things about their way of life. The Karankawa were nomadic bands of people who migrated between the coastal areas in winter and inland during warmer weather.

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Book

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"The Jumano Indians" - Free Books & Children's Stories Online | StoryJumper

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the Jumano Indians of Texas. This book includes their daily life, how their houses looked and how they were built, what happened to them and when they lived.

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Primary Source

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"Caddo Native Americans" - Free Books & Children's Stories Online | StoryJumper

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Caddo native americans Artifacts Map of the Caddo Housing The Caddo usually built two houses per family group. For the summer, houses had no walls and ...

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"Relatively unchanged by European contact?" Yes, compared to only a few years later when the invaders' epidemics, guns, and horses brought about swift and often terrible changes in Caddo life.

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Their environment, physical and social. ( What is around them. )

Physical: The Karankawa lived along the "coastal bend" of Texas. Look at this map first. The coastal bend starts at the west end of Galveston Island and extends southwest down to Corpus Christi. It has several large, shallow bays that reach miles inland and long narrow barrier islands that protect lagoons between the islands and the mainland. (You better look up what a barrier island is and what a lagoon is if you don't know. Or, ask your teacher. That will make your teacher glad that you asked such a good question ;-) The Karankawa lived around these bays and along the lagoons, mostly in the winter. These bays and lagoons supported a rich variety of wildlife. There were many kinds of fish and oysters in the salt water and brackish water. Most of these bays have large rivers that empty into them, such as the Colorado and the Guadalupe. There are also many large creeks in the coastal bend along with swamps and bayous and wetlands. There are many kinds of ducks and waterfowl in this environment. Alligators and large turtles are also found in wetlands and swamps and are good to eat. Just inland there are deer and turkey along with rabbits. In the spring and early summer there are blackberries and many other kinds of plants and roots to eat.

This is a semi tropical environment. It is hot and humid in the summer and warm too cool in winter. It rarely freezes in the coastal bend. Cold fronts come through in the winter and it gets cold for a few days or a week and then it warms up again.

Social: We do not know very much about how the Karankawa related to the other Indian cultures around them. The newest theories suggest that the Karankawa would share camps with and trade with the Coahuiltecans at the west end of their territory. Cabeza de Vaca, who lived with the Karankawa tells us that the Karankawa traded regularly with inland tribes to the north of them, probably the Caddo and Tonkawa. They traded conch shells and other sea shell for pigments like ocher and for buffalo robes.

Social Organization:

We are learning more about the Karankawa social organization. While Cabeza de Vaca seems to describe bands or maybe even just groups, the new evidence from archeological excavations seems to indicate large villages. Large villages usually require a tribe level of organization. If you do not know what the heck I am talking about with all this band, tribe, group stuff you should read the Read Me First part of this site. These are the groups, or tribes, recorded in the histories.

Houses: We got pictures now, 10-20-99

The houses were small huts made of long sapling tree trunks or limbs bent over and tied together. They would stick one end of the tree limb or saplings into the ground in a big circle. Then they would bend them over towards the middle and tie them together making a framework. They would cover this framework with woven grass mats, palm leaves or with animal skins. They would cover the floor with woven grass mats. Now I am describing a NICE Karankawa house -- probably one made for the winter camp. Many times, especially in the summer when they were moving around a lot, they would just lean some deadwood limbs together and throw a few mats or some grass or palm leaves on the limbs. This is a lean-to shelter.

Transportation:

They got around mostly by canoe and by foot. They knew where and how to wade across the bays and lagoons. With all the water around them they used hollowed out logs for canoes. They used these canoes a lot to get around. Some of these canoes were pretty big.

Clothing:

Living in a hot humid climate that does not get very cold very often they did not wear very much. Men wore simple breach cloths and women wore grass skirts. Often the men simply went naked. The kids always went naked in warm weather. Because their environment has lots and lots and lots of insects that bite, they would smear animal fat and grease all over their bodies. Sometimes they would smear mud all over their bodies too. This would protect them from bug bites. They also liked tattoos. Men and women would tattoo themselves from head to foot with bold designs.

Weapons:

The Karankawa's favorite weapon, the weapon they are famous for, is the long bow. The Karankawa used powerful bows that were as long as the bow user was tall. Remember, the Karankawa men were often over 6 feet tall. The arrows they used were long lengths of slender cane. These arrows were often 3 feet or more long. Long arrows like these are better than short ones when shooting at fish, alligators, and things under shallow water. The end of the arrow would stick up above the water surface and show where the animal was. It made these arrows easier to retrieve. Short arrows would go under the surface and get lost.

Containers:

They made and used very simple pottery. There was little, if any, decoration on these pots. These pots were often so badly made they would not even hold water very well. So, the Karankawa would use tar like stuff called asphaltum and smear it all over the insides of the pots. Asphaltum washes up on Texas beaches naturally and come from all the offshore oil. Those of you who have been to the beach here in Texas and stepped on a sticky yucky "tar ball" know what I am talking about. Being nomadic they did not make a lot of pottery. They also made and used baskets for many things. Those of you who took the time to read "Read me first" know what I am talking about here. See the nomadic section of Read me first to find out.

Tools:

They made and used a lot of tools. Some of these tools were made of stone. Many other tools were made from wood, bone, sea shells, and cane. They had knives, scrapers, and, of course, arrow and spear points made of flint and chert stone. They also had baskets.

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Their environment, physical and social. ( What is around them. ) Physical: The Karankawa lived along the "coastal bend" of Texas. Look at this map first. The coastal bend starts at the west end of Galveston Island and extends southwest down to Corpus Christi.

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Make our own Caddo pottery

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This exhibit describes the Caddo pottery tradition, illustrates many examples, and explains why Caddo pottery is so important for understanding early Caddo history. Simply put, without Caddo pottery there would be almost no way to trace Caddo history prior to the arrival of Europeans.

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Interactive website

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You need to upgrade your Flash Player This is replaced by the Flash content. Place your alternate content here and users without the Flash plugin or with Javascript turned off will see this. Content here allows you to leave outnoscript tags. Include a link tobypass the detection if you wish.

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The Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas Community Page

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Site dedicated to the preservation of the Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas with current events and historical and enrollment information.

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Paper Bag Tepees 1st Grade Native American Art For more information please follow me on Instagram @youngschoolartwithmr.g...