Society and culture
The Wichita grew most of their food. In fields near their villages they planted corn (maize), pumpkins, beans, squash, and tobacco. Their harvests were often so large they had extra corn to trade to other tribes.
In the fall the Wichita left their permanent villages to go on hunting expeditions. They hunted deer, antelope, bear, and buffalo (bison). In about 1700 the Wichita acquired horses, which made buffalo hunting much easier.
For most of the year the Wichita lived in villages of as many as 1,000 round houses. The houses were made from a wood frame covered by grass and resembled haystacks. While hunting the Wichita put up portable cone-shaped tepees covered with animal hides.
History
The first European to encounter the Wichita was the Spanish explorer Francisco de Coronado. In 1541 Coronado came looking for Quivira, a fabulously wealthy kingdom that did not exist. Coronado left behind a missionary who lasted three years before he was killed for preaching to another tribe.
In the early 18th century the French began visiting the Wichita. The tribe became allies and trading partners of the French. Wichita traders obtained furs and hides from western tribes and gave them to the French in exchange for European goods such as metal pots and tools.
Late in the 18th century the Osage Indians forced the Wichita to move south into what is now Oklahoma and Texas. The Wichita often battled with the inhabitants of Spanish settlements there. With their Indian allies, the Comanche, they also warred against the powerful tribes such as the Apache.
In 1859 the United States government compelled the Wichita to move to a reservation in Indian Territory (now Oklahoma). During the American Civil War (1861–65) the Wichita fled to Kansas, but they returned to their reservation after the war.
At the end of the 20th century about 1,300 Wichita lived in the United States. They merged with several related groups, including the Waco, Tawakoni, and Tayovayas, to form the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes. Their tribal offices and museum are located in Anadarko, Oklahoma.