Quems people facts for kids
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| extinct | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Texas,  Coahuila |
|
| Languages | |
| Quems language | |
| Religion | |
| traditional tribal religion |
The Quems were an indigenous people who lived a long time ago. They lived along the Rio Grande river in what is now Texas in the U.S. and Coahuila in Mexico. They lived there during the 1600s and 1700s. The Quems people are now extinct, meaning there are no longer any living members of this group.
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Who Were the Quems People?
The Quems were a group of Native Americans. They were important people living between the Nueces River and the Rio Grande. They settled near the cities we now call Eagle Pass and Piedras Negras.
Where Did They Live?
A Spanish explorer named Damián Massanet wrote about the Quems in 1691. He found them near a stream called "Caramanchel." This stream is likely today's Comanche Creek in Zavala County, Texas. Massanet thought that the Quems and five other groups in that area all spoke a language called Coahuilteco.
Meeting European Explorers
In 1689, another Spanish explorer, Alonso De León, traveled with two Native American guides. One of these guides was a Quems person. This guide led De León to the place where Sieur de la Salle had built Fort St. Louis. This fort was located along Matagorda Bay.
The Fort St. Louis Story
The Quems guide told De León that he had visited Fort St. Louis when the French people were still living there. Massanet wrote that this Quems guide used a special sign language. This type of sign language was common in southern Texas at that time. The guide also had tattoos on his body.
Life in Missions
Some Quems people joined the San Phelipe de Valladares Mission. This mission was started in 1700 near modern-day Candela, Mexico. The Quems who entered this mission were sometimes called Quexamos. Later, between 1726 and 1748, two Quems families, with six people in total, were recorded at the San Antonio de Valero Mission. This mission was in San Antonio, Texas.
Different Names for the Quems
Spanish writers sometimes spelled the name of the Quems people in different ways. They wrote it as Cems, Qems, Quimzo, and Quinze.
