Colorado Indian TribesPrehistoric Peoples in Colorado:The earliest known inhabitants of Colorado were called the Basket Makers. They came to the area around 1500 B.C. and were mainly nomadic hunters. They are remembered for two notable creations-- the development of a sophisticated method for basket making and the development of waterproof containers with baked clay lids. As time went on, the Basket Makers began to farm squash and corn.  These dwellings were made of adobe and sandstone and positioned in caves and cliff overhangs. They still remain to this day and are a popular attraction that can be seen in Mesa Verde National Park. For some reason, possibly because of drought or threats from other tribes, the Anasazi people began to leave their dwellings to head south from 1276 to 1299. Apache- Several Apache bands came in and out of southeastern Colorado during this time, but only the Jicarilla Apache are thought to have been permanent residents. Arapaho- The Arapaho tribe migrated to eastern Colorado from the northeast. Bannock- The Bannock fought in a war in 1878 which they lost and were forced to move to the Fort Hall Reservation in Idaho. They originally lived in the far northwestern corner of Colorado. Cheyenne- The first Cheyenne territory was established in present day Fort Collins, Denver, and Colorado Springs. Soon after 1851, the Cheyenne people were forced to move because of new settlers that came for the gold rush. Comanche- For about 50 years the Comanche people lived in eastern Colorado and western Kansas. They originated from the Eastern Shoshone. Kiowa- The Kiowa tribe lived in eastern Colorado and was forced to a reservation in Oklahoma in the 1800s. Most Kiowa people still live in Oklahoma to this day. Kiowa Apache- The Kiowa Apache adopted the culture of the Kiowas but preferred to use Plains Indian Sign Language to communicate with the Kiowa tribe, rather than learning the Kiowa language. The Kiowa Apache spoke an unrelated Athabaskan language. Before European contact they lived in the northwestern plains. After contact they relocated to the Oklahoma Panhandle and sections of Kansas, Colorado, Texas, and New Mexico bordering Oklahoma. Navaho- The Navaho lived just south of the New Mexico/Colorado border and only entered Colorado occasionally. Pawnee-Would occasionally hunt bison on the eastern plains of Colorado. Pueblo- The Pueblo lived in what is known today as Four Corners, the point where the states of Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado meet. Shoshone or Shoshoni- This tribe roamed the extreme northwest with their relatives, the Bannocks. Ute- The Colorado Ute Tribe originally inhabited central and western Colorado. The Ute opposed the lifestyle changes that was forced upon them by the Mormon settlers. They retaliated, but were defeated and forced to move to the Uintah Valley Reservation in Utah. Spanish explorers found many different Native American tribes when they came to Colorado in the 16th century. The Ute were living in the mountain valleys, while the Arapaho, Cheyenne, Comanche, and Kiowa lived in the area of the Great Plains. At some point the Great Plains Indians joined together to fight the threat of losing their lands to the Europeans. Currently the majority of Native Americans in Colorado live on the Southern Ute reservation in southwestern Colorado. The reservation consists of just over 1,000 square miles located between Pagosa and Durango. Ute Mountain Tribe of the Ute Mountain Reservation Southern Ute Indian Tribe of the Southern Ute Reservation Munsee Thames River Delaware New! CommentsHave your say about what you just read! Leave me a comment in the box below. |
