The Wichitas first entered European written histories in 1541 when the Spanish explorers under Francisco Vasquez de Coronado encountered them living along the Arkansas River in what is now Kansas. The aboriginal homelands of the Wichita included parts of Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. Historically, the early European explorers sometimes called them Picts in reference to their tattooed faces and bodies. The designation Pict is from the French word pique which means “picked or punctured.” The tattoos were made by pricking the skin with a sharp instrument to make the elaborate designs.
The Wichitas called themselves Kitikitish which means “racoon eyelids” which refers to the lines tattooed on their eyelids. The designation Wichita may come from their word wits meaning “men.”
The Caddoan-speaking Wichitas were not a single politically unified Indian nation but were a number of autonomous but culturally similar tribes. The principal Wichita groups were Taovaya, Tawakoni, Iscani, Wichita, Waco, and Kitsai.
Like many other Caddoan-speaking groups, the Wichitas probably migrated into the Central Great Plains from the Southeast. According to Carl Waldman, in his book Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes:
“They probably migrated onto the Plains from the south early in their history, after breaking off from other Caddoan people.”
The archaeological data shows that the Wichitas moved to the Plains more than 2,000 years ago.
Subsistence
While the common stereotype of Plains Indians envisions them as horse-mounted, nomadic, buffalo hunters, many of the Indian nations of the Central Plains, such as the Wichita, were farmers who had been raising maize (corn), beans, squash, tobacco, and other crops for many centuries prior to the European invasion. One of the major crops was maize and many different varieties were raised. As with other American Indians who farmed, Wichita women were the farmers.
During most of the year, the Wichitas lived in permanent villages near their agricultural fields. Hunting provided them with additional food, and, after they acquired horses about 1700, buffalo hunting became an important part of their economy.
Wichita fields were generally located along the terraces of rivers and smaller streams. After domesticated livestock were acquired from the Europeans, Wichita fields were enclosed with brush or fences to keep out horses and other livestock. During the eighteenth-century, watermelons and muskmelons were acquired from the French.
It is sometimes assumed that buffalo would have been a major staple for all tribes in the area. But Bruce Grant, in his book Concise Encyclopedia of the American Indian, says this about the Wichita:
“Although they lived near the buffalo grounds and at times hunted buffalo, the Wichita were more of an agricultural people.”
Prior to the coming of the horse, buffalo hunting was a seasonal affair. The Witichas hunted on foot with the aid of dogs who were used to transport the meat and hide back to the village. After acquiring the horse, the Wichitas would organize an expedition onto the plains to hunt buffalo in the late fall or early winter and at mid-summer. Usually, the entire village would participate in this hunt. In her book The Elemental Encyclopedia of Native Americans, Adele Nozedar writes:
“When they hunted buffalo in the winter they would leave their villages behind to follow the herd, but returned home in the spring.”
Villages and Houses
Wichita villages were located on the lower slopes of fertile valleys near their fields. Villages might contain 70 or more grass houses.
The Wichita house was a beehive-shaped grass lodge that ranged from 15 to 60 feet in diameter. In their book Native American Architecture, Peter Nabokov and Robert Easton describe its construction:
“The grass house was framed of poles that were bent over an interior ring of posts and beams and bound together at the top. Horizontal sapling stringers strengthened the frame, which could be as wide as 60 feet across at the base. The thatch was tied on in tight bunches, and exterior rows of stringers held it fast.”
Building a Wichita grass house was a communal undertaking. It began with a tribal member informing the chief that a new house was needed. Then a site for the house would be chosen and overseers would go through the village leaving a stick at each house, indicating that the occupants of the house were to cut and clean one rib for the new house. The women of the house were also expected to contribute a load of grass for the thatch. Beginning at dawn, the villagers would plant the ribs of the house and begin construction. When the frame was ready for thatching, the crew leader would climb a log ladder to the top of the structure and offer a prayer.
Wichita lodges contained from 6 to 12 beds arranged around the interior walls. The beds were made of light poles and raised above the floor. Curtains were hung around the beds to provide some privacy.
In the center of the Wichita lodge was the fire area and a small vent hole at the top of the lodge provided a smoke vent. In his chapter on the Wichitas in Handbook of North American Indians, William Newcomb reports:
“The fireplace was considered sacred as many offerings and medicinal preparations were made there.”
Adjacent to the Wichita lodges were open-sided arbors with a raised floor which provided a shade area for work and relaxation. Raised platforms were used for drying meat, corn, and squash.
Tattoos
Tattooing was revealed to the Witchita in a vision by the buffalo. Men were tattooed on both eyelids and had short, tattooed lines extending downward from the corners of the mouth. After a boy killed his first bird, the backs of his hands would be tattooed with claw-like designs. Symbols representing war honors were tattooed on the arms and chest.
Wichita women were tattooed with a line which ran down the bridge of the nose to the upper lip, then encircled the mouth, and then turned downward in two parallel lines to the chin. A chin-line tattoo ran from ear-to-ear. The breasts, including the nipples, were tattooed with several short lines and concentric circles. The tattooed concentric circles were felt to prevent sagging breasts in old age. William Newcomb writes:
“The tattooing of women was a form of social identification that distinguished them from female captives and from the women of other tribes.”
Government
Each of the Wichita groups were autonomous and had their own chief. Chiefs were expected to exhibit bravery, generosity, kindness, love, and respect. William Newcomb reports:
“The primary responsibility of chiefs may have been conducting the calumet ceremony, which established and maintained relationships with other groups.”
The Wichita bands also had a sub-chief known as “the one who locates” who was responsible for finding better village sites. This sub-chief was also responsible for laying out the new village and for the removal of the old one.
Warfare on the Central Plains was common. William Newcomb reports:
“Warfare consisted of small raiding parties, composed of a handful of volunteers, whose aim was to steal horses, take scalps, and capture women.”
War stories were traditionally told only during the winter.
Religion
Regarding Wichita religion, William Newcomb writes:
“All spiritual knowledge was believed to come from dreams and visions.”
Dreams were classified as “above dreams” and “dreams down here.” In dreams, animals often appeared and became the individual’s spirit helper. While dreams were important, there was no structured vision quest.
The Wichita Deer Dance was a ceremony performed by the medicine people three or four times during the year. The Deer Dance removed evil influences, and promoted abundant crops, good health, long life, and prosperity. During the ceremony, which was held in a special lodge, the participants, both male and female, would sometimes induce a trance state by ingesting Sophora secundflora. During the trance state the participants would receive power from animal spirits. This ceremony was last performed in 1871.
Surround the Fire was a Wichita ceremony directed to the spirit of the dogwood tree. This ceremony sought both an increase in children and children’s health.
More tribal profiles
This series has profiled 41 different American Indian tribes. Here are some of them.
Indians 101: A Brief Overview of the Kansa or Kaw Indians
Indians 201: A very short overview of the Caddo Indians
Indians 201: A very short overview of the Chickasaw Indians
Indians 101: A Short Overview of the Huron Indians
Indians 101: A Very Short Overview of the Mohave Indians
Indians 101: A very short overview of the Natchez Indians
Indians 101: A Brief Overview of the Omaha Indians
Indians 201: A short overview of the Tillamook Indians