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!
Kichai (from K'itsäsh,
their own name). A Caddoan tribe whose language is more closely
allied to the Pawnee than to the other Caddoan groups. In 1701
they were met by the French on the upper waters of the Red river
of Louisiana and had spread southward to upper Trinity river in
Texas. In 1712 a portion of them were at war with the Hainai,
who dwelt lower down the Trinity. They were already in
possession of horses, as all the Kichai warriors were mounted.
They seem to have been allies of the northern and western tribes
of the Caddoan confederacy and to have intermarried with the
Kadohadacho. In 1719 La Harpe met some of the Kichai on Canadian
river, in company with other Caddoan tribes, on their way toward
New Mexico to wage war against the
Apache. At that time they
pledged friendship to the French
to whom they seem to have remained faithful. In common with all
the other tribes they suffered from the introduction of new
diseases and from the conflicts incident to the contention of
the Spaniards, French, and English for control of the country,
and became greatly reduced in numbers. In 1772 the main Kichai
village was south of Trinity river, not far front Palestine,
perhaps a little north east. At that time it was composed of 30
houses, occupied by 80 warriors, "for the most part young." In
1778 there was another village, "separated from the main body of
the tribe," farther south and in nearly a direct line from San
Pedro to the Tawakoni villages, probably on the site of the
present Salt city. The junta de guerra held in the same rear
estimated the strength of the Kichai at 100 fighting men
(Bolton, inf'n, 1906). With several other
small Texas tribes they were assigned by the United States
Government to a reservation on
Brazos river in 1855, but on the dispersal of the Indians by the
Texans three years later they fled north and joined the Wichita,
with whom they have since been associated, and whom they
resemble in their agriculture, house-building, and general
customs. About 50 souls still keep the tribal name and language.
