Carrizo Indians. The Coahuiltecan Indians between Camargo and Matamoras and along the Gulf coast in North East Tamaulipas, Mexico, including the remnants of the Comecrudo, Pinto or Pakawa, Tejon, Cotonam, and Casas Chiquitas tribes or bands, gathered about Charco Escondido; so called comprehensively by the white Mexicans in later years. Previous to 1886, according to Gatschet, who visited the region in that year, they used the Comecrudo and Mexican-Spanish languages, and he found that of the 30 or 35 then living scarcely 10 remembered anything of their native tongue. They repudiated the name Carrizo, calling themselves Comecrudo. It is probable that the Comecrudo was the ruling tribe represented in the group. The last chief elected by them was Marcelino, who died before 1856. This explains the later use of the name, but Orozco y Berra 1 and Mota Padilla 2 mention them as a distinct tribe, the former stating that they were common to Coahuila and Tamaulipas. It appears, however, that the name Carrizo was applied to the Comecrudo at this earlier date, and that it has generally been used as synonymous there with. The Carrizos are known to the Kiowa and the Tonkawa as the shoeless people, because they wore sandals instead of moccasins. Some Carrizo captives still live among the Kiowa.
