Kansa

Location: The Kansa (or Kaw) lived in central Kansas along the Kansas and Saline Rivers.

History: The tribes survived there for many years without interference from white men, but with the occasional attack from their foes. After the whites began to move in the Kansa had to move out. The Kansa were moved onto a reservation on the Indian Territory in June 1873. After arriving on the reservation the tribe headed west about 75-100 miles on a buffalo hunt. They used muzzle-loading rifles but also used the traditional bows and arrows. The clan used old ways of preparing and storing the meat. One method was called jerking the meat which involved drying it to preserve it. The Hunt ended in February of 1874. The tribe made $5,000 dollars on the hides alone. This last hunt was also memorable because the birth of Forrest Chouteau occurred. He was to become a respected leader of the Kansa tribe. The tribe went through many hardships throughout their history. They went from 3,000 in the eighteenth century to 600 in the twentieth century.

Language: The Kansa are related to the Omaha, Osage, Quapaw and Ponca tribes. Their dialect was a Siouan language and they were a patrilineal clan like the Iowa, Omaha, Osage and Ponca tribes. The name Kaw and Kansa are from early French traders and were both used. The Kansa name was dropped when the Bureau of Indian Affairs started using Kaw to prevent confusion between them and the Kansas Indians.

Daily Life: This tribe had migrated from its estimated Atlantic coast location to Kansas. Here they became farmers and also hunted for food. This tribe was broken into sixteen clans and were arranged in seven larger units. These larger units, or phratries regulated marriage in the clans. The tribes were led by chiefs chosen initially for their wisdom, but later because of inheritance. These people lived in cone shaped lodges with two or three families living in one structure. The men wore breechcloths over their deerskin pants. They removed all hair from their heads by plucking it leaving only a lock running on the top and back of the head. The beliefs and customs of the Kansa ranged from spirits to dreams predicting future events.

The Kansa believed in mysterious spirits, which they called wakans. There was a variety of wakans ranging in power and rank. These spirits were nature oriented and dealt with such things as trees, sun, light, dark, and plains. The boys in the tribe would have to go on a "vision quest" to pass into puberty. During this quest, the adolescent would be isolated and experience a series of dreams, which they believed looked into the future. The dead of the Kansa were treated with much respect and the ceremonies honoring their dead were well advanced and very complex. The women of the tribe would paint the face of the corpse and then cover the body in bark and buffalo robes. Then food, weapons, a pipe, and clothing were placed with the body in a shallow grave covered with rocks.

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Written by: Michael J. Miller