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Although first encountered by the Spanish in Kansas in the 1500s, the Wichita tribe of Native Americans is more commonly associated with Texas and Oklahoma. These two states represent the tribe's primary home throughout the tribe's centuries-old history. Yet during the Civil War, the tribe briefly returned to its old lands in Kansas.

History

The Wichita are grouped as part of the Caddoan linguistic group. During the 1700s, the tribe was part of a Southern Caddo Confederacy that consisted of similar tribes, and the Wichita themselves lived in semi-permanent villages. By the mid-1800s, the tribe had been mistakenly attacked by the U.S. Calvary, and relocated to a reservation in 1859. By the turn of the 20th century, much of the tribe's land had been divided up and opened to white settlers.

Geography

The Wichita lands extended over a three-state region. Although Coronado first encountered the tribe in Kansas, in the 1700s it was mostly living in Texas along the Red and Brazos Rivers, and in Oklahoma along the Arkansas River. By 1850, the tribe had been mostly relocated to a reservation in southern Oklahoma. During the Civil War, the tribe moved to Kansas, establishing a war camp on the site of present-day Wichita, Kansas.

Time Frame

When the Civil War broke out in 1861, the Wichita had been on what would become the Wichita-Caddo reservation for two years. Most of the tribe relocated to Kansas to fight for the Union during the course of the war. In 1867, with the war over, the tribe returned to the reservation. Although it lived in the spot that later took its name, the tribe's time in Kansas was limited.

Significance

The city of Wichita was not officially founded until 1870, about three years after the Wichita tribe had relocated back to Oklahoma. While the tribe was there, however, it helped establish the first permanent settlement in the area since the 1700s when it had moved south. By trading with other local natives and with white businessmen, the tribe helped lay the foundations for Kansas' largest city.

Effects

Though it might have been expected that the United States would look favorably upon the Wichita for having served the Union, there was little long-term benefit to the tribe. Its numbers continued to dwindle trough the early portion of the 20th century, though the numbers later rebounded. The tribe continues to be centered primarily on the reservation in Oklahoma. Its only lasting contribution to Kansas remains its namesake city.

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