Teya people facts for kids

The Teyas were a group of Native American people. They lived near what is now Lubbock, Texas. Europeans first met the Teyas in 1541. This happened during an expedition led by Francisco Vásquez de Coronado. We don't know for sure what tribe the Teyas belonged to or what language they spoke. However, many experts think they spoke a Caddoan language. They might have been related to the Wichita people, whom Coronado also met in a place called Quivira.

Who Were the Teyas?

What Does "Teyas" Mean?

The name Teyas was given to them by the Rio Grande Pueblo Indians. It's important not to confuse the Teyas with the Tejas people. The Tejas were another name for the Hasinai, who were a different Caddo group.

Unraveling the Teyas' Identity

Historians and anthropologists have different ideas about who the Teyas were. Some think they were Apache. Others believe they were related to the Rio Grande Pueblos. They might have spoken a Tanoan language. It's also possible that the Spanish later called them the Jumano. However, "Jumano" might have been a general term for different Plains Indian groups, not just one specific tribe.

Teyas Daily Life and Culture

Trade and Early Interactions

The Teyas had strong trade connections with the Pueblo people. Coronado's expedition heard that the Teyas had attacked and destroyed some Pueblo villages in the 1520s. These villages were in the Galisteo Basin near modern-day Santa Fe, New Mexico. This suggests the Teyas were a large and powerful group. They were also involved in the events happening among the Pueblos.

Farmers or Nomads?

Many experts believe the Teyas spoke a Caddoan language. They think the Teyas were related to the Wichita peoples Coronado found in central Kansas. The Teyas might not have been full-time nomads, meaning people who constantly move. They may have also lived in farming villages further east. Tribes in this region often traveled onto the plains for long buffalo hunts.

Archaeologists have found old farming villages from that time. These are called Wheeler phase sites, like the Edwards Archaeological Site. These sites are thought to be Caddoan and are near the Washita River in southwestern Oklahoma. The Teyas lived close to these villages, which suggests a connection. The Teyas were described as having painted and tattooed bodies. This also points to them being Caddoan. The Wichita people were known as "Raccoon People" because they tattooed around their eyes, a custom the Teyas also shared.

Other Possibilities

It's also possible the Teyas were part of a Coahuiltecan or Tonkawa group. Most of these tribes lived in southern and central Texas. An old man the Teyas met told Coronado he had met other Spaniards before. This was likely Cabeza de Vaca, who traveled through southern Texas about ten years earlier. This story supports the idea that the Teyas might have come from the south.

Understanding the Teyas' true identity is important. It helps us understand the history of the Southern Plains during that time. Later groups like the Escanjaque Indians, Aguacane, and Iscani might have been descendants of the Teyas.

Coronado's Encounter with the Teyas

In 1541, the Spanish explorer Francisco Vásquez de Coronado led an expedition. They traveled onto the Great Plains from the Rio Grande pueblos in New Mexico. Coronado's main goal was to find a rich land called Quivira.

As they crossed the Texas panhandle, Coronado's group met two different Native American groups. These were the Querechos and the Teyas. The Querechos were nomadic buffalo hunters, likely Apaches. They lived on the Llano Estacado. The Teyas lived in the canyons below the eastern edge of the Llano. The Querechos and Teyas were not friendly with each other.

Archaeologists have found Spanish items from an old site about 35 miles northeast of Lubbock. This suggests that Blanco Canyon, near the Brazos River, is probably where Coronado first met a large group of Teyas.

Teyas Way of Life and Appearance

The Teyas were described as nomadic buffalo hunters who lived in tents. But they also used other resources. The canyons where they lived had trees and flowing streams. The Teyas gathered or grew beans. However, the Spanish records say they did not "sow corn, nor eat bread, but instead raw meat." The Spanish also saw mulberries, roses, grapes, nuts (probably pecans), and plums in the area.

After this first meeting, Coronado traveled for four more days. He found a settlement called Cona. This settlement stretched for three days of travel along a small river in a canyon. The canyon was about two or three miles wide. It's not clear if Coronado followed the Brazos River downstream or went to a different canyon to find Cona. The Spanish explorers noted that "The country was well occupied."

The Spanish writers described the Teyas as smart and skilled archers. One Teya shot an arrow that went through both shoulders of a bison. The Spanish said this was "a good shot for a musket." The Teyas women dressed nicely and modestly. They covered their whole bodies with a petticoat under a fringed cloak with sleeves. One woman was described as "as white as a Castillian lady except that she had her chin painted." Coronado also noted that they "tattoo their bodies and faces, and are large people of very fine appearance."

An interesting event was Coronado meeting an old, blind, bearded man among the Teyas. Beards were rare among Native Americans. This man said he had met four other Spaniards far to the south. He was likely talking about Cabeza de Vaca. Cabeza de Vaca and three shipmates had traveled across southern Texas almost ten years before Coronado's expedition.

What Happened to the Teyas?

The Teyas, or at least their name, disappeared from historical records soon after Coronado met them. They might have been forced out of their homes in West Texas by the advancing Apaches. It is thought that they joined the Lipan Apache tribe. The Lipan Apache later became part of the Mescalero Apache tribe, which lives in New Mexico today. If Spanish explorers met descendants of the Teyas later in a different place, they did not recognize them as the same people Coronado had encountered.