COMANCHE Choose (1) Native American tribe residing continental United States (Lower 48 states) time European contact. Research aspect chosen tribe's culture history. Topics researched include limited: Describing tribe's pre-Columbian history, including settlement dates cultural details.

Comanche Indians: History and belief systems

The Plains Indian tribe of the Comanche, according to anthropological and linguistic evidence, began as a hunter-gatherer mountain tribe "who roamed the Great Basin region of the western United States" (Lipscomb 2012). They were one of the earliest Native American tribes to acquire horses, and became famed for their prowess as riders. The Comanche acquired horses fairly early -- in the late 17th century -- and this gave the tribe both military power and mobility. "By moving south, they had greater access to the mustangs of the Southwest. The warm climate and abundant buffalo were additional incentives for the southern migration. The move also facilitated the acquisition of French trade goods, including firearms" (Lipscomb 2012). The Comanche continued in their hunter-gatherer ways throughout most of their history, surviving mainly on the buffalo they killed, the produce they could forage, and whatever food they could obtain through trade. Their teepees and clothing were also made of buffalo hides and skins.

It is thought that the first Comanche horses were left over from the Spanish conquistadors, after the Pueblo Indians revolted against Spanish rule. The Spanish left many of their horses behind, which the Pueblo traded with neighboring tribes, including the Comanche (Moore 2012). Horses came to define Comanche culture, more so than any other tribe. "It gave them mobility to follow the buffalo herds and the advantage of hunting and conducting warfare from horseback. Horses also became a measure of Comanche wealth and a valuable trade commodity. In horsemanship the Comanches had no equal. Children learned to ride at an early age, and both men...

Although the Comanche did acquire guns, firearms were not the tribe's preferred weapon. "On foot a Comanche warrior was dangerous but nothing exceptional ... As a moving targets they were difficult to hit, and if an enemy fired and had to reload, a Comanche could close rapidly with his lance or send six arrows into an opponent while hanging under the neck of a galloping horse" (Sultzman n.d).
It is important to note that the Comanche did not call themselves by this name. They were known as Nermernuh, or 'the People' amongst themselves but were called Comanche by the Spaniards which means "anyone who wants to fight me all the time" in Ute (Lipscomb 2012). Despite their given name of 'enemy,' Comanche culture was extremely democratic. Tribes had both civil and war chiefs, "but traditionally the head civil chief was most influential" Decisions were made by a council of chiefs (Lipscomb 2012).

The Comanche came into direct conflict with the Spanish because of the Spanish alliance with the Comanche's sworn enemies, the Apache. In 1758 a band of 2,000 Comanche tribesmen razed the Santa Cruz de San Saba Mission and a "year later, a Spanish punitive expedition led by Col. Diego Ortiz Parrilla also met defeat at the hands of the Comanches and their allies in a daylong battle on the Red River near the site of present Spanish Fort" (Lipscomb 2012). The Comanche conflicts with whites further intensified with the settlement of Texas and Texan independence. Sam Houston, when president of Texas, attempted pursue a policy of accommodation with the Comanche and in 1844 the tribe signed an agreement with the Texans. This ultimately proved to be futile given that when Houston was out of office, Texas began to resume its aggressive actions against the Indians.

After Texas joined the United States, two reservations were established in 1854 for the Comanche, in an effort to quell the Comanche raiding. The tribe was initially…