Keechi Indians
Encyclopedia
The Kichai tribe was a Native American
Southern Plains tribe
that inhabited northeastern Texas
.
in Louisiana
in 1701.
The Kitsai were part of the complex, shifting political alliances of the South Plains. Early Europeans identified them as enemies of the Caddo
. In 1712, they fought the Hainai
along the Trinity River
; however, they were allied with other member tribe of the Caddoan Confederacy and intermarried with the Kadohadacho during this time.
By 1772, they primarily settled east of the Trinity River, near present day Palestine, Texas
.
On November 10, 1837, the Texas Rangers
fought the Kitsai in the Battle of Stone Houses
. The Kitsai were victorious, despite losing their leader in the first attack.
The Kitsai are not a distinct, federally recognized tribe but instead are enrolled in the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma and Wichita and Affiliated Tribes, both whom they are related to, as well as the Delaware Nation
. These tribes live mostly in Southwestern Oklahoma
, particularly in Caddo County
, to which they were forcibly relocated
by the United States Government in the 19th century.
is a member of the Caddoan language phylum
, along with Arikara
, Pawnee, and Wichita.
Kai Kai, a Kitsai woman from Anadarko, Oklahoma
was the last known fluent speaker of the Kitsai language. She collaborated with Dr. Alexander Lesser to record and document the language.
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
Southern Plains tribe
Plains Indians
The Plains Indians are the Indigenous peoples who live on the plains and rolling hills of the Great Plains of North America. Their colorful equestrian culture and resistance to White domination have made the Plains Indians an archetype in literature and art for American Indians everywhere.Plains...
that inhabited northeastern Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
History
Their name for themselves was K'itaish, and they are most closely related to the Pawnee. French explorers encountered them on the Red RiverRed River (Mississippi watershed)
The Red River, or sometimes the Red River of the South, is a major tributary of the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers in the southern United States of America. The river gains its name from the red-bed country of its watershed. It is one of several rivers with that name...
in Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
in 1701.
The Kitsai were part of the complex, shifting political alliances of the South Plains. Early Europeans identified them as enemies of the Caddo
Caddo
The Caddo Nation is a confederacy of several Southeastern Native American tribes, who traditionally inhabited much of what is now East Texas, northern Louisiana and portions of southern Arkansas and Oklahoma. Today the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma is a cohesive tribe with its capital at Binger, Oklahoma...
. In 1712, they fought the Hainai
Hainai
Hainai is the name of a Native American tribe that lived in what is now east Texas.The Hainai were the leading group in the Hasinai confederacy. They were a part of are Caddo Nation, and traditionally lived on the Neches and Angelina rivers to the west of present day Nacogdoches...
along the Trinity River
Trinity River (Texas)
The Trinity River is a long river that flows entirely within the U.S. state of Texas. It rises in extreme north Texas, a few miles south of the Red River. The headwaters are separated by the high bluffs on the south side of the Red River....
; however, they were allied with other member tribe of the Caddoan Confederacy and intermarried with the Kadohadacho during this time.
By 1772, they primarily settled east of the Trinity River, near present day Palestine, Texas
Palestine, Texas
Palestine is a city in Anderson County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 17,598, and 18,458 in the 2009 estimate. It is the county seat of Anderson County and is situated in East Texas...
.
On November 10, 1837, the Texas Rangers
Texas Ranger Division
The Texas Ranger Division, commonly called the Texas Rangers, is a law enforcement agency with statewide jurisdiction in Texas, and is based in Austin, Texas...
fought the Kitsai in the Battle of Stone Houses
Battle of Stone Houses
The Battle of Stone Houses was a skirmish between Texas Rangers and a band of Kichai Indians which took place on November 10, 1837. The skirmish, which took place ten miles south of what is now Windthorst, Texas, was named for three stone mounds near the battlefield which appeared to the Indians...
. The Kitsai were victorious, despite losing their leader in the first attack.
The Kitsai are not a distinct, federally recognized tribe but instead are enrolled in the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma and Wichita and Affiliated Tribes, both whom they are related to, as well as the Delaware Nation
Delaware Nation
The Delaware Nation, sometimes called the Absentee or Western Delaware, is one of two federally recognized tribe of Delaware Indians, along with the Delaware Indians based in Bartlesville, Oklahoma...
. These tribes live mostly in Southwestern Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, particularly in Caddo County
Caddo County, Oklahoma
Caddo County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2000, the population was 30,150. Its county seat is Anadarko. It is named after the Caddo tribe who were settled here on the 1870s...
, to which they were forcibly relocated
Indian Removal
Indian removal was a nineteenth century policy of the government of the United States to relocate Native American tribes living east of the Mississippi River to lands west of the river...
by the United States Government in the 19th century.
Language
The Kitsai languageKitsai language
The Kitsai language is an extinct member of the Caddoan language family. It was spoken in Oklahoma by the Kichai tribe and became extinct in the 1930s. It is thought to be related to Wichita but more closely to Pawnee...
is a member of the Caddoan language phylum
Caddoan languages
The Caddoan languages are a family of Native American languages. They are spoken by Native Americans in parts of the Great Plains of the central United States, from North Dakota south to Oklahoma.-Family division:...
, along with Arikara
Arikara
Arikara are a group of Native Americans in North Dakota...
, Pawnee, and Wichita.
Kai Kai, a Kitsai woman from Anadarko, Oklahoma
Anadarko, Oklahoma
Anadarko is a city in Caddo County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 6,645 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Caddo County.-Early History:Anadarko got its name when its post office was established in 1873...
was the last known fluent speaker of the Kitsai language. She collaborated with Dr. Alexander Lesser to record and document the language.