Escanjaque Indians facts for kids

The Escanjaques were an American Indian tribe who lived in the Southern Plains area. They were a nomadic group, meaning they moved around a lot, often following the bison (buffalo) herds.

Juan de Oñate, a Spanish explorer, met the Escanjaques in 1601 during his journey through what is now Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. Some historians think the Escanjaques might have been the same people as the Aguacane tribe. If so, they were likely related to the Wichita tribe, who lived in the same region later on.

Juan de Oñate's Journey

Juan de Oñate was the governor of a new Spanish area called New Mexico. In 1601, he led a large Spanish group to explore the Great Plains. He followed a path that two other explorers, Francisco Leyva de Bonilla and Antonio Gutierrez de Humana, had taken earlier.

A Mexican Indian named Jusepe Gutierrez from Culiacan, Mexico, helped Oñate as a guide. Jusepe had been part of the earlier expedition and knew the way. Oñate's group was very large. It included over 70 Spanish soldiers and priests, many Indigenous soldiers and servants, and 700 horses and mules.

They started their journey on June 23, heading east from New Mexico. They followed the Canadian River through the Texas panhandle and into Oklahoma. Later, they turned north, leaving the river. The land became greener, with more water and trees like walnut and oak.

Meeting the Escanjaques

Near a small river, Oñate found a huge camp of people he called Escanjaques. He thought there were more than 5,000 people living in about 600 houses.

How the Escanjaques Lived

The Escanjaques lived in round houses. These homes were very large, up to ninety feet across, and covered with buffalo hides. They were similar to the grass houses built by the Quivira people.

The Escanjaques did not farm. They lived only by hunting bison. They had leaders, but people didn't always follow their orders strictly. They used many buffalo hides for clothing, wrapping them around their bodies. However, when it was hot, the men often wore very little. The women wore clothes from their waists down. Both men and women were very skilled with bows and arrows.

The Battle with Oñate

The Escanjaques led Oñate to a large settlement of their enemies, the Rayados, which was about 30 miles away. The Rayados left their village before Oñate arrived. Oñate had a hard time stopping the Escanjaques from taking things from the empty village. He sent them back to their own camp.

However, when Oñate returned to the Escanjaque camp the next day, the people were no longer friendly. Oñate believed about 1,500 Escanjaque men attacked his group. They fought for two hours before Oñate decided to leave and start his journey back to New Mexico. Oñate said some of his Spanish soldiers were hurt, and he claimed many Escanjaques were killed.

One reason for the fight might have been that Oñate had taken some Escanjaque women and children. Oñate later let some of the women go. But he "took some boys" because the priests wanted to teach them about the Catholic faith. One of these boys was named Miguel. Miguel was actually a captive of the Escanjaques himself, from a place he called Tancoa. This might have been the Tonkawa tribe. Miguel later helped the Spanish draw the first map of the region.

Who Were the Escanjaques?

Historians have different ideas about who the Escanjaques really were.

Possible Identities

Some experts thought the Escanjaques might have been Apache people. But Oñate's descriptions seemed to show they were different from the Apache, whom the Spanish knew well by then. Others suggested they were the Kaw tribe, but this idea isn't widely accepted because the Kaw are not known to have been in that part of the Great Plains in 1601.

It's also possible that "Escanjaque" wasn't the tribe's name at all. When they met Oñate, they stretched their hands toward the sun and then to their chests, saying "escanjaque." This might have just been a greeting.

Later, the boy Miguel told the Spanish that the Escanjaques were actually a people called the Aguacane. Based on Miguel's information, the Spanish drew a map. This map showed the Aguacane living in southwestern Oklahoma, along the Red River and its smaller rivers. If this is true, the Escanjaques (Aguacane) likely spoke a Caddoan language and were probably related to the Wichita tribe.

Given their location, the Aguacane might also be the same or related to the people called Teyas. The Teyas were met by Francisco Vásquez de Coronado about 60 years before Oñate's trip. A few other old records from the 16th century mention the Escanjaques. Some think their descendants were the Iscani, a Wichita tribe from the 1700s.

Where Was the Escanjaque Camp?

The large Escanjaque camp Oñate found was probably a temporary one. It was too big (600 tents and 5,000 people) to be just a small hunting camp. Perhaps the camp was so large because the Escanjaques were planning to fight the Rayados. Or maybe it was a big gathering for trading. They might have traded for Florence chert, a type of flint that was popular for making arrowheads across Oklahoma and Kansas.

The exact spot of the Escanjaque camp has never been found. The details in Oñate's travel records don't give a clear location. However, two places are often suggested:

• Near the Ninnescah River, about 20 miles south of the city of Wichita, Kansas.
• Near the Salt Fork River close to Tonkawa, Oklahoma.

Archaeological evidence, which comes from studying old sites, seems to support the Tonkawa site more. Many believe a large archaeological site near Arkansas City, Kansas, was the Rayado village. If the Rayado village was there, then a location near Tonkawa for the Escanjaque camp would fit well with Oñate's story.