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Native American Tribes of Kansas


Did you know the name "Kansas" is a Siouan Indian word? It comes from the tribal name Kansa, which means "south wind people." The Kansa Indians were not the only native people of this region, however.


The original inhabitants of the area that is now Kansas included:

*The Arapaho tribe
*The Comanche tribe
*The Kansa tribe
*The Kiowa tribe
*The Osage tribe
*The Pawnee tribe

The Cheyenne Indians, close allies of the Arapahos, also occasionally ranged into what is now northwestern Kansas, and the Wichita Indians expanded into the southern part of the state.

Indian tribes relocated into Kansas by the US government:

Kansas, like Oklahoma, was originally allotted as Indian territory. This was part of the American policy of Indian Removal. Some eastern and midwestern tribes signed treaties agreeing to move onto reservations in Oklahoma and Kansas in exchange for undisputed ownership of the new lands. Other tribes refused or resisted and were forcibly moved into Kansas by the US Army.

*The Cherokee tribe
*The Chippewa tribe
*The Delaware tribe
*The Illini
*The Iowa tribe
*The Otoe tribe
*The Kickapoo tribe
*The Potawatomi tribe
*The Sac and Fox tribe
*The Seneca tribe
*The Shawnee tribe
*The Wyandotte tribe

Many Kansas Indians, including all the tribes originally native to the area, had to go through a second removal to Oklahoma in the late 19th century. They are still living there today.

See also our new Arapaho, Comanche, Kansa, Kiowa, Osage, Pawnee, Wichita, Iowa, Kickapoo, Otoe, Shawnee, Wyandotte, and Pottawatomie Facts for Kids pages!

There are four federally recognized Indian tribes in Kansas today.

Here are the addresses of Kansas' Indian reservations:

*Kickapoo Tribe of Indians in Kansas:
PO Box 271
Horton, KS 66439

*Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska:
Route 1, Box 58A
White Cloud, KS 66094

*Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation:
14880 K Road
Mayetta, KS 66439
http://www.pbpindiantribe.com/

*Sac and Fox Nation:
RR 1 Box 60
Reserve, KS 66434

Other resources about American Indian history, culture and society in Kansas state:

*Plath Community Resource Center: Serving the American Indian community in Kansas.
*Indian Reservations in Kansas: Kansas Indian reservation map from 1848.
*Indians of Kansas: Online book of Kansas Indian history.
*Kansas Plains and Emigrant Tribes: Bibliography of articles on the Indian tribes of Kansas.
*Gathering of Nations Pictures: Monchosia: Picture of a Kansas Indian chief, and history of the delegation of Kansas tribes.

Recommended books about Kansas Native Americans:

*Kansas Indians: Introducing Kansas Native American history and culture to kids.
*Kansas Indian Dictionary: Facts for kids on the Native Americans of Kansas.
*The End of Indian Kansas: Good history book on the Indian Removals into and out of Kansas.
*The Kansa Indians: History of the Kansa tribe from 1673-1873.



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