Who in childhood did not read the works of F. Cooper, M. Reed and other writers, whose novels were full of exciting adventures, the heroes of which were the pale-faced conquerors of the wild West and the red-skinned owners of the prairies. One of them is the Comanches (Indians), whose history over the course of 170 years has been associated with a constant struggle against the civilization approaching them and have gained fame as the most prominent representatives of this unique ethnic group.
Rocky Mountain Aliens
Comanches are Indians who are the original inhabitants of the North American continent. They take their origin from the southern group of Shoshone - a nation that once lived in the eastern part of the current state of Wyoming. Controlling significant lands at one time, today they are mainly located in Oklahoma.
It is known that in the 17th-18th centuries the result of the active colonization of America by Europeans was the forced relocation of Comanche tribes from the eastern foothills of the Rocky Mountains (now the western part of the USA and Canada) to the banks of the North Platte River, which flows through the territories of modern states of Nebraska, Wyoming and Colorado.
Around this time, the Comanches learned to use horses for riding, and this pretty much pushed them to the start of the resettlement. According to some reports, the number of their tribes at the beginning of the 19th century reached 10-12 thousand people.
A people ready to fight
For a long time, scientists cannot agree on the origin of the name of the Comanche tribe. There are different points of view on this subject, but the most common of them boils down to the fact that it is derived from the Uto-Aztec word “command”, which means “enemies”, or, to be more precise, “One who always ready to fight with me. "
It should be noted, however, that with this term the yutes designated generally all of their neighbors with whom they were at enmity. Among them were the Kiow, Cheyenne, the Arapaho tribes, and other prairie inhabitants. But, so historically, their main opponents were the Comanches, the Indians, who expanded their holdings by seizing foreign territories.
Snakes crawling in their own tracks
It is characteristic, however, that on the expanses of the Southern plains, among their other inhabitants, Comanches were often called "snakes." One of their current leaders, Kuan Parker, cites an old legend to explain how one day, in ancient times, his fellow tribesmen went in search of new hunting grounds. It so happened that on the path of their migration there was a mountain range that should have been crossed, but many of the Indians considered it reasonable to turn back, because they believed that not everyone could bear the hardships of a long climb.
At that time, the leader of the tribe reproached them for cowardice and dubbed them snakes, backing back in their wake. According to another version, the Indians were forced to turn back by numerous schools of wolves that lived in those parts. In any case, this nickname was tenacious, and was picked up by many enemies of the Comanches.
Unrivaled wars
It is believed that among the other Indian tribes that once inhabited the territory of the Southern plains, it was the Comanches who were the most belligerent. From the moment of their appearance in these lands, they have constantly been at enmity both with other red-skinned inhabitants and with pale-faced aliens who appeared a little later.
It is no coincidence that Comanches went down in history as recognized fighters of the Southern Plains, who for a long time terrified all the settlers who dared to settle in their territories. Having mastered horseback riding relatively late, they very soon attained extraordinary skill in it. Just as quickly, the Indians learned to use the French rifles that fell into their hands, accurately aiming and reloading with extraordinary speed.
From the memoirs of a combat officer
US Army Officer Richard Dodge, who actively participated in Indian wars of the second half of the 19th century, called them “modern Spartans” in his memoirs. The author writes about the Comanche Indians that they never surrendered and retained the presence of the spirit until their death. The same fully applies, he said, to women. On the southern plains, the Comanches were the only Red-skinned tribe that managed to withstand the expansion of the white colonialists for almost 170 years.
Further, Richard Dodge writes that, preferring death to captivity, the Comanches themselves never captured those with whom they fought. An exception was made only for women and children. Moreover, if the child was still very young in age, he was adopted by the warrior who captured him, and, growing up in a new family, he began to consider him his father. The number of such captive and raised children determined the status of a tribe member and exalted his military merits.
According to the testimonies of many who spoke with the red-skinned inhabitants of the Southern plains, the Comanches are Indian warriors who were not without business qualities at the same time. An example of this is the widespread trade in horses, which were the main means of transportation in that era. This is especially worth noting, since the Indians themselves mastered horse breeding much later than many other peoples.
Wild West teetotalers
Another characteristic feature of Comanches is their categorical refusal to drink alcohol. A historical fact - violation of the Prohibition Law was equated by them with the most serious crimes, and the guilty party was subjected to the most severe punishment, up to and including expulsion. Representatives of other tribes who willingly bought "fire water" from pale-faced brothers, they simply despised.
In this regard, the question of the well-known television quiz: “From what ailment did the Comanche Indians use the cactus tincture?”, Which suggested the answer - from a hangover, loses its meaning and falls into the category of idle fiction. The teetotaler, as you know, does not face a hangover.
Five independent Comanche tribes
By its structure, Comanches are Indians who were not a single people, but were a combination of separate, independent from each other tribes, each of which consisted of several communities. Only the most numerous tribal formations had their permanent names, which allowed them, thus, to remain on the pages of history.
At the end of the XVIII century, the Spaniards, colonizing a significant part of New Mexico, conditionally divided them, in accordance with the areas of residence, into three independent branches - southern, northern and central. In general, researchers distinguish five main tribes that lived on the territory of the Southern Plain in the second half of the 19th century and were divided into Penateks, Kototeks, Nokoni, Yampariks and Kwahadi. It will be very curious to dwell in more detail on each of these tribes.
About the "eaters of honey"
The name of the first of these groups - penateks - is translated from their native language as "eaters of honey." Today it’s hard to say whether it was based on their gastronomic preferences, or whether it contained only a poetic metaphor. About this tribe it is known that it was the largest among all the others and was the first to encounter white colonizers.
As the Penateks themselves say, once in ancient times their ancestors, migrating across the expanses of the prairies, went so far south that they have since lost touch with other Comanches. By the way, an indelible spot lies on their reputation - in the 19th century, despite all their much-vaunted independence, they actively helped the US Army wage war against its relatives.
Buffalo lovers and their restless neighbors
The next ones in the list above are consortia. Unlike the sweet tooth-penatek, these were "buffalo eaters", so at least the name of their tribe is translated. Little is known about these gourmets. Only the information that they lived between the Red River and Rio-Pekos rivers, and their number reached 7-8 thousand people, is preserved.
Their closest neighbors were the Nokoni Indians. In Uto-Aztec, it means "those who turn." The members of the tribe fully justified their name, because they constantly wandered and, according to everyone who dealt with them, were very restless. At one time, the Governor of New Mexico wrote that they can most likely be found on the territory between the Arkansas and Red River rivers, and that they represent the central branch of local Comanches.
Two more kindred tribes
One can also say a little about the Yampariki tribe (eaters of the Yampa River). They lived on the banks of the above river, and like all Comanches, the Indians of this tribe were distinguished by extreme militancy, which became the reason for their constant conflicts with others.
And finally, the last of these groups is kwahadi. This name is translated as “antelope”, and it was not accidental, since the tribe roamed the endless plains, which were the favorite habitat of these animals.
The image of the Indians in modern mass culture
Since the period of development of the Wild West by Americans, its red-skinned inhabitants have not left the pages of adventure novels. Their regular characters were Apaches, Iroquois, Magikans, and, of course, Comanches. Indians are also the heroes of many adventure films. Among them stood out and gained considerable popularity a special genre - Western, which includes stories where indispensable participants are the cowboy and the red-skinned inhabitants of the wild prairies. Films about the Indians - “The Comanche Moon”, “Chingachgook - Big Snake”, “McKenna's Gold” and many others became very famous at the time.
Warriors of bygone times
The original photos of the Comanche Indians, placed in the article, were made mainly at the end of the 19th century and represent these indigenous people of America in their natural environment. Today, descendants of the previous owners of the prairies can be found, as was said at the beginning of the article, on the territory of Oklahoma, where they settle on specially reserved for them reservations. Those of them who could not or did not want to adapt to the conditions of modern civilization, maintain their former way of life and make good money, becoming a part of the tourism industry.