The Wichita Indians

"The Wichita Indians presents a narrative of the Wichita Indians and their constituent bands from their first contact with Europeans until 1845, when the United States annexed Texas. Historian F. Todd Smith provides background information on the Wichita Indians' provenance - the separate tribes of Taovayas, Tawakonis, Kichais, Wacos, and other bands whose shared language and culture helped unite them for survival when external pressures increased. He recounts the migration of the Wichita bands southward over the centuries and details their pre-contact lifestyle in fixed villages, where they combined farming and hunting. He then focuses on the trade relationships they developed with the succeeding bands of Europeans who entered their lands: Frenchmen, Spaniards, and Mexicans. Offering detailed descriptions of their battles, negotiations, trading practices, and survival strategies, Smith traces the Wichitas' struggles to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances and defend themselves from encroaching tribes and white settlers."--BOOK JACKET.