Comanche Tribe
Comanche HousingThe Comanches lived in buffalo hide houses called tipis (or teepees). Their tipis had to be simple to build and easy to carry because they traveled alot hunting the buffalo. They could put one up in fifteen minutes. They used two long poles to control and let out the smoke from the fires. The frame was covered with about 12 to 17 buffalo hides.
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Food
Comanche Indians hunted in packs for their food. It could take days or weeks to find buffalo herds. They hunted moose, deer, elk, and river fish. They did not plant, they picked fruits and vegetables that grew from the land. The men killed the buffalo and they would carry the meat on sticks back to camp. The women dryed the meat on racks to get it ready.
Daily Life and Roles of Comanche People in the Tribe
The women were in charge of the home. Whenever they moved, the women had to carry the tipis and poles. The women built the homes and took care of the cooking and cleaning. The men were hunters and sometimes had to fight in wars. The men and women both worked with medicine, told stories, made artwork, and made music. The young ones had more time for chores than they did for playing.
The Comanches spoke their native Comanche language. Some easy Comanche words are, "maruawe" (mah-ruh-ah-way) which is a friendly greeting like hello, and "ura" (ur-ah) means "thank you." You can read a Comanche picture glossary here.
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Comanche Language |
Location
The Comanche Indians were a part of the northern Shoshone tribe of Wyoming. They broke away from them and moved to their new place in the Southern Plains. When the Europeans came exploring, the Comanches were living in Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico.
Fun and Games
The children liked to go fishing and hunting with their fathers when it was play time. The children also had dolls, toys, and games to play. A popular game the Comache people played was called Hoop Game. They played by trying to throw long darts into a circle hoop. The player scores based on how the pole falls on or through the hoop.
Clothing and Tools
The Comanche men wore buckskin warshirts and leather breechcloths with leggings around their legs. The breechcloth was made of animal fur or deerskin. Some of the men liked to wear long feather head dresses. The women often wore knee length deerskin skirts and a poncho top. The skirts and tops had fringe along the bottom. In the winter when it was really cold, the men and women would use left over fur to make moccasins for shoes.
Comanche Leaders
The Comanche tribe had different bands, and each band had its own chief. The chief was picked by a council of important men.
How did the past affect our future?
The Comanche Indians had to search for food. Today, we don't have to search food, but we have the survival skills that have been passed down to us.