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Show I TALES . . . 3 fie TRIBES 5 By Editiia L. Watson The Wichita The written story of the Wichita Indians begins when "The Turk," that Pawnee romancer, told Coronado that "Quivira" was a country abounding In gold. Coronado naturally demanded to be guided to this wonderful province, . which his own imaginings painted with the brightest colors, and "The Turk" led the Spaniards out on the great plains, hoping that they would be lost and would perish. How "The Turk" was strangled to death for his perfidy; how Ysopete, a native of "Quivira," was chosen guide, and how the Spaniards reached the grass-lodges of the Wichita, the "Province of Quivira," only to turn back without gold, and disappointed beyond measure because their dreams had not materialized, is a story which is told elsewhere. But it brings us to the Wichita territory, which reached from southern Kansas to the Brazos river in Texas, and begins their history his-tory with the first, recorded mention of the nation that of Coronado in 1540. The wonderful cities which the conqueror con-queror had expected to see were groups of conical houses, sometimes 50 feet in diameter, made of framework frame-work covered with grass, so that they resembled huge haystacks. The Wichita Wich-ita had large cornfields and also raised tobacco and pumpkins, probably prob-ably all the "golden" treasnre they had ever possessed. The people were scantily elothed, but lavishly tattooed, and were fond of holding dances. This, then, was the "Province of Quivira," whose Inhabitants were laden with ornaments of gold ! After a short stay In the country which was so nnllke his optimistic dreams, Coronado went back to Mexico, Mex-ico, but he left a priest, Fray Juan de Padilla, with several companions, to nndertake the first missionary work ever attempted among, the Plains Indians. In-dians. Fray Juan was killed' about three years later, out of jealousy, because be-cause he proposed visiting and teaching teach-ing another tribe. This must have been but a passing affection for the white man's teachings. teach-ings. Nearly two hundred years later, when they were visited by the French commander La Harpe, they were found practising cannibalism, preparing prepar-ing to eat several prisoners taken from another tribe. The Wichita slowly moved West and South and became a Texas people as time went on. The Tawakoni, the Waco, and several other tribes speaking speak-ing the same language, had confederated confed-erated with them, so that they were numerous and powerful. They also finally acquired a working knowledge of the advantages of civilization. We hear of them In 1758, repelling a Spanish Span-ish attack npon their main village on the Red river, which was a well fortl- fled place; displaying the flag of France, and not lacking for arms. Later, they asked for peace, and also requested that a mission be established es-tablished In their country, but it was refused them, and they went on the warpath again. An epidemic of smnllpox swept over Texas In 1801, and the Wichita suf-fered suf-fered great losses from this scourge, about one-third of their number dying from the disease. The Osage came from the north on raids, and the white settlers were hostile, so that until the annexation of Texas to the United States, they were constantly decreasing decreas-ing in numbers. When peace was established by government gov-ernment treaty in 1835, the Wichita proper moved to Oklahoma, where Fort Sill now stands, later moving to Rush Springs, while the Tawakoni and the Waco remained In Texas. These tribes were later included in peace treaties and were moved onto a reservation in Texas, but the Texans were so opposed to their presence that they were taken to a temporary reservation res-ervation In Oklahoma. The Comanche, always wild, had blamed the Wichita proper for an attack at-tack upon their people by United States troops, and had sprung upon the Wichita with such venom that they fled to Fort Arbuckle, where they were given protection. There Is not much more to their history. All these wars, division, disease, dis-ease, and the effect which so much change and bewilderment has upon uncivilized people, had weakened the nation until It ejuld no longer flourish. flour-ish. The Civil war drove them to seek refuge in Kansas, and while there they suffered severely from disease and hardships. When they returned to Oklahoma, they were assigned a reservation, res-ervation, but later (1002) they were given allotments in severalty, and the rest of their land was opened for settlement. set-tlement. (0, 1931. Westorn Newapaper Union.) |