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 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.
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.
Native American Cultures
The Arapaho tribe
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