The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1929-07-05
Long List of Indian
Tribes Now a Memory


- Fhe disappearance of Indian tribes
which at no very remote period in
American history held positions of
strength and tribal influence in the
Middle West and on the great plains
: has puzzled students of Indian leg
ends and traditions and not infre-
quently even the. Indian bureau.
It is a curious feature of this dis
appearance that the names of many
of the lost tribes are preserved alone
in the names which the white man
has given to his cities and towns and
to distinctive points in the scenery
of the country which he has occu-
pied. Natchez is an instance of this
nomenclature in the Mississippi val
ley, Waco in Texas, Kichai in Kansas
and Mobile ON the Gulf of Mexico
1t was due to the desire of these
towns to trace the first stages of
their civic history that research was
made for remnants of the tribes
which were the earliest of their in
habitants. ~
An Oklahoma authority on Indian
history. George Rainey, has made
this phase of tribal life study for
several years. He discovered that
the once powerful Tonkawa tribe of
central Texas has at present only
26 members. The white mems report
show that at the beginning of the
last century they numbered about
1000. This tribe seems always to
have borne a bad reputation among
both Indians and whites; against
them was made the accusation of
cannibalisnl, extremely unusual in
regard to the red race. Their prac-
tical extinction was due less to their
troubles with the whites than to their
constant strife with neighboring
tribes. Their name is preserved in
an Oklahoma town.
The Kichais, who gave their name
to small town near Wichita, Kan,
were smaller tribe, but they were
generally recognized as people
friendly to the white settlers. They
were swept away, it is believed. in
plague in the middle of the last cen
fury. Of the Mobilans there re-
main few. traditions. They were said
to have been an Industrious people
who made pottery for neighboring
tribes and who seldom were at war.
At the beginning of the last century
a. few representatives lived in the
neighborhood of Mobile, but shortly
afterward they entirely passed out of
existence. The history of another
Gulf tribe, the Biloxi, seems as OBJ
scure as that of the Mobilians, al
though it is believed that early in
this century remnant Of the tribe,
about twelve in number, was living in
the depths of the Louisiana swamps.
The Waco Indians, whose lands
were partly built over in laying, out
the Texas town of Waco and the
county of which it is the capital,
Jared Somewhat better than the
Tenkayas, kindred tribe. They
were greatly reduced in number
when they were removed to reserva-
: Ton m Oklahoma. he -fnost. tragic
tribal history was that of the Natchez.
They were at war with the French
authorities Of Louisiana for years
when in final struggle to hold their
village at the present site of Natchez
they were taken in surprise attack.
A remnant of the tribe escaped to a
Mississippi river island. but they were
traced by the French soldiers, cap
tured and sold into slavery in the
West Indies. CT tribe that once
numbered hundreds there remained in
America after the French attack not
more than the score who had sought
a refuge among the CherOkees and
Choctaws.-New York Sun. 49,.