Heritage, 2008, Volume 1 Page: 6
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By Kelly A. Rushing
This issue of HERITAGE features stories
of some of the ethnic groups that immigrated
to Texas. Perhaps a few words are in order
for the first ethnic group here, the American
Indian.
The Amerindian was not homogeneous
as were many immigrant groups, but differed
in physical appearance, language, and
lifestyle. To even refer to them as an ethnic
group may be incorrect. The various tribes
and cultural groups probably do not have
the same genealogy and ancestry.
Anthropologists refer to various Indian
cultures as groups, bands, tribes, and confederacies
depending on their size and organizational
structure. The Caddo of East
Texas consisted of 11 or more tribes, each
with a chief. These tribes were loosely joined
together as a confederacy with a paramount
chiefdom. The Caddo were not nomadic
people, but instead farmed the land. Their
tendency to stay in one area created a need
for a different method of security than other
Amerindians. It is from the Caddo that we
get the word, "tejas."
The neighbors of the relatively advanced
Caddo were the Karankawa of the Gulf
Coast. The Karankawa had their own
language and were often over six feet tall,
which was a half foot taller than other Indian
groups. They are unjustly characterized
as the most primitive of the Texas Indians.
Their smell and accusations of cannibalism
didn't help their reputation. Their odor
came from the protective coating of alligator
grease, dirt, and shark oil that they applied
to discourage mosquitoes. This was the
price they paid for eating better than most
of their contemporaries. The cannibalism
charge has been overstated. They would
merely take an occasional bite out of their
slain enemy in a ceremonial gesture.
The Spanish established several missions
specifically to "reduce" the Karankawa."Reduce" was the term the Spanish used,
meaning to convert and civilize the Indians.
"Civilize" implied teaching them to farm
and become serfs for the landowners. The
Karankawa were not reduced in this sense,
but their numbers were thinned by disease
and enemies. At various times the
French, Texians, and other Indians were
in favor of exterminating them. The
Karankawa eventually had to leave the
coast to avoid their enemies, which destroyed
their culture.
The Apache were the major force the
Spanish had to deal with in the early 1700s.
The Mescalero Apache lived in West Texas,
and the Lipan lived in South Texas. They
spoke a similar but not identical language.
The Apaches lived in bands of several family
units with one of the mature males acting as
leader. At times the Spanish would engage
in a treaty with one of the leaders, believing
he represented the Apache nation; these
misunderstandings created a mutual hatred.
However, the Apache's most hated enemy
was not the Spanish or even the Texians; it
was the Comanche.
The Comanche were a short stocky and
bow-legged people who would not look too
impressive next to a tall muscular Karankawa.
It was their warlike nature and capability
with a bow and arrow on horseback
that struck fear into the hearts of others.
History would be quite different if Cortez
and Pizzaro had met the likes of these
people. "Apache" is believed to be a Zuni
word meaning "enemy," "Comanche" is Utefor "someone who wants to kill me," a fine
but meaningful distinction.
It was the horse that changed the Comanche
from a weak people of "grub eaters" into
what is often called the greatest light-calvary
ever. Most early Indians chose to eat the
horse, but the Apache were one of the first
to use it. The Comanche made the horse an
integral part of their culture.
Aside from the horrors and travesties
committed by the Comanche, the people of
Texas owe a debt of gratitude to them for
the role they played in making Texas a part
of the U.S. It was the hostile nature of the
Texas Indians, primarily the Comanche,
that prevented colonization of the Texas
frontier for more than 300 years. In 1720
there were more Spanish soldiers in Texas
than had been employed in the conquest of
the Incas and Aztecs, but that didn't help.
No soldier would go north or west of San
Antonio after 1760. That was Comanche
territory. Comanche chiefs bragged that
they allowed the Spanish outposts, where
horses were raised, near the "Comancheria"
so that they could have a source from which
to steal the animals.
Enter Moses Austin. In spite of the obvious
risk of losing Texas to the United
States, there seemed to be no other option
for Spain. These Anglo-Celtic families
would hopefully provide a buffer against
the Comanche that would allow more
Spanish and Mexican immigration. You
know the rest.
To learn more of the fascinating history
of the Comanche read T.R. Fehrenbach's
Comanches:The Destruction ofa People. With
apologies to Winston Churchill, it is perhaps
the best history of any people since the
Old Testament.
Send comments to Kelly Rushing, PO. Box
50314, Austin, TX 78763.HERITAGE I Volume 1 2008
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Texas Historical Foundation. Heritage, 2008, Volume 1, periodical, 2008; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth45359/m1/6/: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas Historical Foundation.