Colorado Indian Tribes

Apache

A number of the Apache bands extended their raids from time to time over the territory of what is now Colorado, but only one of them, the Jicarilla, may be said to have been permanent occupants of any part of the State within the historic period. This tribe is considered under the name Jicarilla below; for an account of the other Apache tribes except the Lipan, see New Mexico. The Lipan are treated under Texas.

Arapaho

The Arapaho hunted and warred over parts of eastern Colorado. (See Wyoming.)

Bannock

This tribe and the Shoshoni roamed over the extreme northwestern corner of the State. (See Idaho.)

Cheyenne

The same may be said of the Cheyenne as of the Arapaho. (See South Dakota.)

Comanche

Like the Arapaho and Cheyenne, this tribe hunted and warred in the eastern parts of the State. (See Texas.)

Jicarilla

A Mexican Spanish word, meaning "little basket," given to the tribe on account of the expertness of Jicarilla women in making baskets. See Jicarilla Location

Kiowa

Like the Arapaho, Cheyenne, and Comanche, the Kiowa formerly hunted and warred across parts of eastern Colorado. (See Oklahoma.)

Kiowa Apache

This tribe always accompanied the Kiowa. (See Oklahoma.)

Navaho

The Navaho lived just south of the Colorado boundary, entering that State only occasionally. (See New Mexico.)

Pueblos

Most of the Pueblo tribes trace their origin to some place in the north and there is no doubt that the ancestors of many of them lived in what are now the pueblo and cliff ruins of Colorado. In historic times the principal dealings of Colorado Indians with the Pueblos have been with the Pueblo of Taos, which was once a trading point of importance. Many of its people intermarried with the Ute. (See New Mexico.)

Shoshoni

Together with the Bannock, the Shoshoni roamed over the extreme northwestern part of Colorado. (See Idaho.)

Ute

The Ute formerly occupied the entire central and western portions of Colorado. (See Utah.)

Additional Resources

• Indians of the Pikes Peak Region

• Indian Tribes of North America, Introduction

• Colorado Indian War Dead, World War II

• Colorado Indians Wounded in Action, World War II

• Colorado Indian Reservations, 1908

• Navajo Springs, Colorado Ute Census, 1904-08

Notes About the Book:

Source: The Indian Tribes of North America, by John R. Swanton, 1953, Bureau of American Ethnology, Bulletin 145, US Government Printing Office, Washington DC.

Online Publication: The manuscript was scanned and then ocr'd. Minimal editing has been done, and readers can and should expect some errors in the textual output.

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