Pawnee

Treaty of June 19, 1818

A treaty of peace and friendship, made and concluded by, and between, William Clark and Auguste Chouteau, Commissioners of the United States of America, on the part and behalf of the said States, of the one part, and the undersigned, chiefs and warriors of the Pitavirate Noisy Pawnee tribe, on the part and behalf of their said tribe, of the other part. The parties, being desirous of establishing peace and friendship between the United States and the said tribe, have agreed to the following articles: Article I. Every injury or act of hostility by one or either of the contracting … Read more

Treaty of June 18, 1818

A treaty of peace and friendship made and concluded, by and between, William Clark and Auguste Chouteau, Commissioners of the United States of America, on the part and behalf of the said States, of the one part, and the undersigned chiefs and warriors of the Grand Pawnee tribe, on the part and behalf of their said tribe, of the other part. The parties, being desirous of establishing peace and friendship between the United States and the said tribe, have agreed to the following articles: Article I. Every injury, or act of hostility, by one or either of the contracting parties … Read more

Treaty of September 24, 1857

Articles of agreement and convention made this twenty-fourth day of September, A. D. 1857, at Table Creek, Nebraska Territory, between James W. Denver, commissioner on behalf of the United States, and the chiefs and head-men of the four confederate bands of Pawnee Indians, viz: Grand Pawnees, Pawnee Loups, Pawnee Republicans, and Pawnee Tappahs, and generally known as the Pawnee tribe. Article 1. The confederate bands of the Pawnees aforesaid, hereby cede and relinquish to the United States all their right, title, and interest in and to all the lands now owned or claimed by them, except as hereinafter reserved, and … Read more

Treaty of October 9, 1833

Articles of agreement and convention, made this ninth day of October, A. D. 1833, at the Grand Pawnee village, on the Platte river between Henry L. Ellsworth, commissioner in behalf of the United States, and the chiefs and head-men of the four confederated bands of Pawnees, viz.-Grand Pawnees, Pawnee Loups, Pawnee Republicans, and Pawnee Tappaye, residing on the Platte and the Loup fork. Article 1.The confederated bands of Pawnees aforesaid hereby cede and relinquish to the United States all their right, interest, and title in and to all the land lying south of the Platte river. Article 2.The land ceded … Read more

Outlaws and Pawnee Indians of Brown County, Nebraska

Kid Wade, a young outlaw supposed to be one of the famous gang that operated in this section in early days, was lynched in the early morning hours of February 8, 1884. He was captured in Iowa by a band of vigilantes, given a trial and turned over to officers from Holt County. During the night he was taken from the guard in a hotel at Bassett’ by a band of masked men and hung to a railroad whistling post, one mile east of the town. He was buried on Bassett hill. His true given name was Albert. His trial … Read more

Pawnee Indians

Pawnee Indians. The name is derived by some from the native word pariki, “a horn,” a term said to be used to designate their peculiar manner of dressing the scalp lock; but Lesser and Weltfish (1932) consider it more likely that it is from parisu, “hunter,” as claimed by themselves. They were also called Padani and Panana by various tribes. Also known as: Ahihinin, Arapaho name, meaning “wolf people.” Awahi, Caddo and Wichita Dame. Awahu, Arikara name. Awó, Tonkawa name, originally used by the Wichita. Chahiksichahiks, meaning “men of men,” applied to themselves but also to all other tribes whom … Read more

Houses of the Pawnee Tribe

Pawnee village which stood in the Loupe Fork of the Platte River. Photograph by W. H. Jackson, 1871

Soon after the transfer of Louisiana to the United States Government several expeditions were sent out to explore the newly acquired domains and to discover the native tribes who claimed and occupied parts of the vast territory. Of these parties, that led by Capts. Lewis and Clark was the most important, but of great interest was the second expedition under command of Lieut. Z. M. Pike, which traversed the country extending from the Mississippi to the Rocky Mountains, and reached the Pawnee villages near the North Platte during the month of September, 1806. How long the Pawnee had occupied that … Read more

Pawnee Tribe

Petalesharro

Pawnee Indians. A confederacy belonging to the Caddoan family.  The name is probably derived from parika, a horn, a term used to designate the peculiar manner of dressing the scalp-lock, by which the hair was stiffened with paint and fat, and made to stand erect and curved like a horn.  This marked features of the Pawnee gave currency to the name and its application to cognate tribes. The people called themselves Chahiksichahiks, `men of men.’ In the general northeastwardly movement of the Caddoan tribes the Pawnee seem to have brought up the rear. Their migration was not in a compact … Read more

Chaui Tribe

Chaui Indians (‘in the middle.’ – Grinnell). A tribe of the Pawnee confederacy, spoken of by the French as Grand Pawnee. In the positions maintained by the 4 tribes of the Pawnee confederacy the villages of the Chaui were always between those of the Pitahauerat on the east and Kitkehahki on the west. In the council of the confederacy the Chaui held a prominent place, their head chiefs outranking all others, and being accepted as representative of the Pawnee, although without power to dominate all the tribes. Little that is distinctive is known of this tribe. In 1833 they ceded … Read more

Skidi Tribe

Skidi Indians (probably from tski, ‘i, `wolf,’ or skirircrra, ‘ wolves standing in water,’ referring to a tribal tradition) . One of the tribes of the Pawnee Confederacy, sometimes called Wolf Pawnee, and by the French Pawnee Loup. That the Skidi were closely associated with the idea of the wolf is evident from the sign language, in which they are designated by the sign for that animal. The speech of the Skidi differed slightly from that of the other 3 Pawnee tribes. According to tradition the Skidi and Arikara were once united, but became separated during the northward migration, the … Read more

Blackfeet Tribe in War

The Blackfeet were a warlike people. How it may have been in the old days, before the coming of the white men, we do not know. Very likely, in early times, they were usually at peace with neighboring tribes, or, if quarrels took place, battles were fought, and men killed, this was only in angry dispute over what each party considered its rights. Their wars were probably not general, nor could they have been very bloody. When, however, horses came into the possession of the Indians, all this must have soon become changed. Hitherto there had really been no incentive … Read more

The Pawnee of Kansas

On July 2, 1804, Lewis and Clark made the following entry: Opposite our camp is a valley, in which was situated an old village of the Kansas, between two high points of land, on the bank of the river. About a mile in the rear of the village was a small fort, built by the French on an elevation. There are now no traces of the village, but the situation of the fort may be recognized by some remains of chimneys, and the general outlines of the fortification, as well as by the fine spring which supplied it with water. … Read more

The Delaware in Kansas

Black Beaver, Delaware

In 1682, the seat of the Delaware government was at Shackamaxon, now Germantown, Pennsylvania. There Penn found them and made his famous treaty with them. Although extremely warlike, they had surrendered their sovereignty to the Iroquois about 1720. They were pledged to make no war, and they were forbidden to sell land. All the causes of this step were not known. Because of it the Iroquois claimed to have made women of the Delaware. They freed themselves of this opprobrium in the French and Indian War. The steady increase of the whites drove the Delaware from their ancient seat. They were crowded … Read more

Confederated Pawnee of Kansas

The compact manner in which the Pawnees were always found, and which remained until recently, would seem to justify the conclusion that these gentes or clans extended through all four of the tribal divisions, as with the Iroquois. The chiefs of the band were the governing power, the individuals having little influence in tribal matters. The principal expeditions to the country of the Pawnees in early times have been noted. In 1833 John T. Irving, Junior, went with Commissioner Ellsworth on a tour of the Indian country tributary to Fort Leavenworth, visiting the Pawnees. Later, he was present when the various … Read more

Tipi and Earth Lodges of the Plains Tribes

Fig. 8. Setting up a Crow Tipi. (Tetzold photo.)

One of the most characteristic features of Plains Indian culture was the tipi. All the tribes of the area, almost without exception, used it for a part of the year at least. Primarily, the tipi was a conical tent covered with dressed buffalo skins. A carefully mounted and equipped tipi from the Black-foot Indians stands in the center of the Plains exhibit. Everywhere the tipi was made, cared for, and set up by the women. First, a conical framework of long slender poles was erected and the cover raised into place. Then the edges of the cover were staked down … Read more

Religion and Ceremonies of the Plains Tribes

Blackfoot Medicine Pipe

The sacred beliefs of these Indians are largely formulated and expressed in sayings and narratives having some resemblance to the legends of European peoples. There are available large collections of these tales and myths from the Blackfoot, Crow, Nez Perce, Assiniboin, Gros Ventre, Arapaho, Arikara, Pawnee, Omaha, Northern Shoshoni, and less complete series from the Dakota, Cheyenne, and Ute. In these will be found much curious and interesting information. Each tribe in this area has its own individual beliefs and sacred myths, yet many have much in common, the distribution of the various incidents therein forming one of the important … Read more