Texas Native American Tribes

This is NOT one of the tribes currently living in Texas.

• Tigua/Ysleta del Sur Pueblo

• Caddo

• Alabama-Coushatta

• Kickapoo

• Apache

These tribes built permanent dwellings and stayed in one place.

• Hunting tribes

• Farming tribes

These tribes built very simple dwellings because they moved around a lot to find food.

• Hunting tribes

• Farming tribes

This tribe was the most organized and had the best resources and technology. They lived in East Texas in the Piney Woods where they had plenty of rain and good soil.

• Caddo

• Comanche

• Apache

• Wichita

This tribe was very unique because they farmed for part of the year and hunted buffalo part of the year. Their wigwams kept them safe from the floods and tornadoes of North Texas.

• Kiowa

• Wichita

• Jumano

• Tonkawa

This tribe built adobe houses of mud brick to protect themselves from the harsh desert climate. They lived close to the Rio Grande because they depended on it as a water supply. They were known as a very peaceful and generous people.

• Apache

• Karankawa

• Jumano

• Wichita

This gave the hunting tribes a much easier way of keeping up with the animals they followed.

• Cars

• Teepees

• Horses

• Bows and arrows

This Spanish explorer brought horses to Texas.

• Cabeza de Vaca

• Francisco Coronado

• La Salle

• Jean Lafitte

This tribe was known for their detailed pictograph calendars and the Sun Dance festival they held once a year. They lived in the Texas Panhandle and were friends of the Comanche

• Jumano

• Apache

• Caddo

• Kiowa

This tribe was driven out of their homeland by stronger tribes and into an area with very few resources. Many of them helped build the Spanish missions like the Alamo in exchange for the food and protection they received.

• Jumano

• Coahuiltecan

• Caddo

• Comanche