Kichai people facts for kids
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Nasuteas (Kichai Woman), a Kichai that was part of the Wichita tribe, 1898
|
|
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| descendants are part of the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| United States (Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas) | |
| Languages | |
| Kitsai language | |
| Religion | |
| traditional tribal religion, Christianity | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Caddo, Pawnee, Wichita people |
The Kichai (pronounced KEE-chai) were a Native American tribe. They lived in the Southern Plains region of what is now Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. They also called themselves K'itaish.
History of the Kichai Tribe
The Kichai people were most closely related to the Pawnee tribe. French explorers first met them in 1701 near the Red River in Louisiana. By 1772, most Kichai lived around the east of the Trinity River, close to where Palestine, Texas is today.
Later, the United States government forced many Native American tribes to move. This was part of a plan called the Indian Removal Act. The Kichai were moved to parts of southern and southwestern Oklahoma. There, they shared land with the Wichita and the Muscogee Creek Nation.
The Kichai were part of many changing alliances with other tribes on the South Plains. At first, some European explorers thought the Kichai were enemies of the Caddo tribe. In 1712, they fought against the Hainai tribe along the Trinity River. However, the Kichai were also allies with other tribes in the Caddoan Confederacy. They even married into the Kadohadacho tribe during this time.
On November 10, 1837, the Texas Rangers fought the Kichai in a battle known as the Battle of Stone Houses. The Kichai won this battle, even though their leader was lost in the first attack.
Kichai People in Recent Times
In the early 1900s, the lands of the Caddo, Wichita, and Delaware tribes were divided up. Each person received their own piece of land. Most Kichai people received land in Caddo County, Oklahoma.
In 1950, there were 47 Kichai people who were considered "full-blood" living in Oklahoma. By the end of the 20th century, this number had become much smaller, with only four recorded.
Today, the Kichai are not a separate federally recognized tribe. Instead, they are part of the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes. These tribes mostly live in Southwestern Oklahoma. Many live in Caddo County, which is where the United States government forced them to move in the 1800s.
Kichai Language
The Kichai language is part of the Caddoan language family. Other languages in this family include Arikara, Pawnee, and Wichita.
Kai Kai, a Kichai woman from Anadarko, Oklahoma, was the last known person who spoke the Kichai language fluently. She worked with a researcher named Dr. Alexander Lesser. Together, they recorded and documented the language so that it would not be completely lost.
See also
In Spanish: Kichai para niños
