While we know our northern friends may not feel it, in the South, Spring is
here. So we thought we'd share a few of our gardening sites appropriate
for this time of the year. Along with gardening, there's grilling, and getting
ready to diet so that you can fit back into that bathing suit this summer!
Allebome, given by Lewis and Clark as the French name.
Bald Heads, so called by Long (1823).
Bo'dalk' ifiago, Kiowa name, meaning "reptile people," "snake men."
Ca'-tha,
Arapaho name, meaning "having many horses."
Cintu-aluka, Teton Dakota name.
D8ts~-a°, Kiowa Apache name (Gatschet, MS, BAE).
Gyai'-ko, Kiowa name, meaning "enemies."
Idahi, Kiowa Apache name (Mooney, 1896).
Inds, Jicarilla name.
La Plais, French traders' name, perhaps corrupted from T6te Pelee.
La'-ri'hta,
Pawnee name.
Los Mecos, Mexican name.
Mahan, Isleta name. Malaria, Taos name
Na"lani, Navaho name, meaning "many aliens," or "many enemies" (collective
for Plains tribes).
Na'nita, Kichai name. Nar-a-tah, Waco name.
Na'taa, Wichita name, meaning "snakes," i. e., "enemies."
Ne'me n6, or Nimenim, own name, or Nilma, meaning "people."
Padouca, common early name, evidently from the name of the Penateka
band.
Sanko, obsolete Kiowa name.
Sau'hto, Caddo name.
Selakamp6m, Comecrudo name for all warlike tribes but especially for
the
Comanche.
Shlshln6wiltz-hita'neo, Cheyenne name meaning "snake people."
Snake
Indians, common name.
T@te Pelee, French traders' name, identification somewhat doubtful.
Yampah
or Ya'mpaini, Shoshoni name, meaning "Yampa people," or
"Yampa eaters."
Connections. The Comanche belonged to the Shoshonean linguistic family, a
branch of Uto-Aztecan, its tongue being almost identical with that of the
Shoshoni.
The following are the names of Comanche bands so far as these are known:
Detsanayuka or Nokoni
Ditsakana, Widyu, Yapa or Yamparika
Kewatsana
Kotsai
Kotsoteka, Kwahari or Kwahadi
Motsai
Pagatsu
Penateka or Penande
Pohoi (adopted Shoshoni)
Tanima, Tenawa or Tenahwit
Waaih
Various writers also mention the following:
Guage-johe
Ketahto
Kwashi
Muvinabore
Nauniem
Parkeenaum
History. Although differing today in physical type, on account of their
close linguistic relationship it is supposed that the original Comanche
must have separated from the Shoshoni in the neighborhood of eastern
Wyoming. The North Platte was known as Padouca Fork as late as 1805. In
1719, however, the Comanche are placed by early writers in southwestern
Kansas. For a long time the Arkansas River was their southern boundary,
but finally they moved below it attracted by opportunities to obtain
horses from the Mexicans and pushed on by other peoples. The Apache, who
were in the country invaded, attacked them but were defeated. In this
movement the Penateka Comanche were in advance and from the name of this
band comes Padouca, one of the old terms applied to the entire people. For
a long time the Comanche were at war with the Spaniards and the Apache, and later with the Americans. Texas suffered
so much from their depredations that the famous Texas Rangers were
organized as a protection against them and proved extremely effective. In
1854, by permission of the State of Texas, the Federal Government
established two reservations upon Brazos River and some of the Comanche
and Kiowa were placed upon the upper reserve. Friction with the settlers,
however, continued and compelled the abandonment of these reserves in 1859
and the removal of the Indians to the territory embraced in the present
State of Oklahoma. By a treaty concluded October 18, 1865, a reservation
was set apart for the Comanche and Kiowa consisting of the Panhandle of
Texas and all of Oklahoma west of Cimarron River and the 98th meridian of
west longitude. By a treaty concluded October 21, 1867, they surrendered
all of this except a tract of land in southwestern Oklahoma between the
98th meridian, Red River, the North Fork of Red River, and Washita River.
They did not settle finally upon this land, however, until after the last
outbreak of the southern prairie tribes in 1874–75. Their descendants
continue to live in the same territory.
Population. Mooney (1928) estimated that there must have been 7,000
Comanche about 1690. The census of 1904 gives 1,400; the census of 1910,
1,171; and the United States Indian Office Report for 1923 shows a total
of 1,697. The census of 1930 returned 1,423. In 1937 the figure given is
2,213.
Connection in which they have become noted. The Comanche were one of the
most famous tribes of the Plains, particularly the southern Plains. They
were remarkable
(1) for their numbers, horsemanship, and warlike
character;
(2) for the frequent clashes between them and the White
expeditions or bodies of emigrants;
(3) as largely instrumental in
introducing horses to the Indians of the northern Plains. They gave place
names to counties in Kansas and Texas; a mountain in Texas; and places in
Yellowstone County, Mont.; Comanche County, Tex.; and Stephens County,
Okla. There is a Comanche River in Colorado.
