The Tonkawa Tribe!

Food!

• We eat fish and oysters
• We love to eat buffalo and small game
• We're not very good at farming
• We scavenged herbs, roots, fruit,seeds,acorns, and pecans
• In desperate times we will eat any mammal except wolfs and Coyotes.
• We trade with neighboring tribes for corn.

Region of Texas

• We migrated from the high plains in the 17th century to Texas.
• We are actually made up of small groups, the groups met up in the 16th century

Tools and Weapons

• We use bows, arrows, spears, and firearms we traded the Spanish for
• In war we use bows, war clubs, and hide shields

Interactions

• We started off as enemies with the Apache and allies with the Comanche and Wichita, but we changed our minds, allied with the Apache and shunned the Comanche
• Alvar Nunez Cabeza De Vaca may have been the first European to encounter the Tonkawas

Conflicts

• We fought with the U.S.A against the other tribes
• Most of us settled in Fort Griffin as we searched for scouts for the U.S.A until the end of the Indian war
• Fort Griffin was abandoned in 1881

Medicine and Health

• Yarrow stops excessive bleeding
• Sumac is used to help eye problems
• Rosemary is used for healing sore joints
• Red clover is used for treating inflamation
• Green Brier is used as a blood purifier

Clothing

• Upon birth our babies get wood tied to their head to flatten it
• We wear little clothing, children wear none
• Men wear breech clout, moccasins and robes.
• Both genders tattoo their bodys
• Our men wear jewlry

Religion

• As the buffalo dwindled, we shared our food with animals for religious reasons

Housing

• We live in Buffalo hide tepees
• They are carefully set up to break down quickly
• They can be packed up and moved within the hour

Tribal Roles and Government

• Each of our clans elect a chief
• During wars war leaders are chosen
• We have clans, the children live with their mother's clan, and men join their spouse's clan
• Marriage within clans is discouraged because we see clans as family

Art

• We are known for our hide paintings and copper jewelry

Economics

• We get corn by trading with neighboring tribes
• We trade for firearms
• The Caddo, Jumano, and Coahuiltecan tribes stay with us while we trade

Communication

• Our language is not the same as the language of the other tribes in our area
• We speak Tonkawan, but there are multiple dialects

Traditions

• We have a tradition called the Water Drum Dance, which is not a dance at all, but a religious ceremony which later becomes the Peyote Ritual.

The End