Nawah
(Friendly greeting in Pawnee)
The Native American tribe of the Pawnee (Chatiks si chatiks- literally ‘Men of men’)
was originally from the Great Plains area of what is now Nebraska and Kansas, United States of America, North America.
It is now called
Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma.
Pawnee man, probably circa 1868
The Pawnee were once one of the largest tribes of North America. Archaeological sites date them to about 1250 CE; living in the same area for almost 700 years.
Pawnee women 1868 photo cred: William Henry Jackson
To put that in perspective, The Crusades
were winding down in Europe. A new middle class of merchants and shopkeepers was developing between the nobles and the serfs. England’s Hundred Years’ War was starting. The Holy Roman Empire was rapidly falling into chaos and infighting after a period of political power.
were winding down in Europe. A new middle class of merchants and shopkeepers was developing between the nobles and the serfs. England’s Hundred Years’ War was starting. The Holy Roman Empire was rapidly falling into chaos and infighting after a period of political power.
Dramatization of The Crusaders’ war
Across the world, the Pawnee lived in packed earth lodges, settling close to rivers. The door always faced East towards the rising sun. Each lodge housed 30-50 people, all related families of 10-15 households. A settlement might have 300-500 people living in it.
When a young man married, he went to live with his wife’s family. They were considered a matriarchal society, meaning they followed the mother’s bloodline (in the US traditionally we follow the father’s bloodline).
Pawnee family
A Pawnee man would shave his head, leaving what is called a scalp lock - a strip of long hair along the very top of the head, from forehead to back of the head. This was often adorned with a porcupine decoration on top, called a roach.
Lewis and Clark, on their expedition of 1804, recorded meeting Pawnee along the way.
Cover Art for BOYS’ Life Magazine, Sept 1934
The early 18th century saw Pawnee populations around 60,000.
Then other tribes began to move into their territory. The Dakota, Lakota, Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes started pushing the Pawnee around.
White Eurasians were ever expanding their explorations and settlements. With them came infectious diseases the Pawnee had never been exposed to, such as small pox, measles and cholera. Between those two events the Pawnee numbered 4,000 in 1860.
By 1873 there were only 2,400 left.
Ruling His Son, Pawnee Indian Scout, died 1928 at 102 years old.
The US government forced the Pawnee off their tribal lands and relocated them to poor areas of Oklahoma. Many warriors enlisted with the US army as Indian scouts to help track their traditional enemies - the Lakota, Dakota and Cheyenne. They also had frequently fought with the Apache, Kiowa and Sioux.
When the re-location happened no consideration was given to these Indian scouts and they were forced to move to Oklahoma also.
As-Sau-Taw-Ka (White Horse), scout, 1868
Later several Pawnee men joined Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show.
Pawnee men with Buffalo Bill
The Pawnee were both farmers and hunters. They excelled at farming crops of corn, beans and squash. The women were in charge of the crops, dividing resources and trade, and inter-lodge social matters. The older women looked after the children.
The men were hunters, and made war decisions, along with health and spiritual decisions.
Pawnees were considered spiritual, and put great emphasis on their sacred bundles. These bundles were considered a source of power and good fortune, and were passed down as an inheritance from father to son through generations. A sacred bundle might contain things like feathers, stones, animal hides or a sacred ear of corn. Each item had a spiritual and symbolic meaning. The great bundles were considered ‘alive’ with supernatural powers. Thus, they were not to be seen or used other than certain ceremonies. However an individual could have a lesser bundle of more personal sacred items that he would carry with him.
The Pawnees were divided into two groups - the Skidi/Skiri Federation and the South Bands. The Skidi had the larger population, but the South Bands were the political leaders.
There was one Skidi village that practiced human sacrifice occasionally in a reenactment of the creation of the Pawnee people, and giving fertility to the land. A young girl would be kidnapped from a neighboring enemy tribe and sacrificed with her blood being an offering to the land for continued life on the plains - both crops and buffalo. This was an extreme version of the Pawnee cosmic beliefs in the Morning Star and the Evening Star, made by the creator deity Tirawa. The last known sacrifice was in 1838.
Man Chief aka Chief Petalashara 1858-1859
Chief Petalashara was instrumental in helping to abolish this practice, along with pressure from missionaries, settlers, and a growing discontent with the current affairs of the tribe and old spiritual practices.
A yearly event for the Pawnee was Buffalo hunting. After Europeans brought horses to the Americas in the 1700s the tribes were able to greatly expand their hunting territories. In summer/winter hunting seasons they might travel as much as 500 miles per season.
Part of their travel included dogs pulling travois.
A travois is a kind of sled, with 2 long poles and a sling in between. Both dogs and horses were used to pull the travois.
The Pawnee were known for their artistry in pottery making, basketry and hide paintings. Traditionally the artists were men. The hide paintings depicted scenes of daily life and war wins; and commonly buffalo and elk.
Where are the Pawnee today? There are about 3,200 registered Pawnee (2020 census) with a minimum of 1/8th pure Pawnee blood required. Nearly all of them live in Oklahoma still today, after being forcibly moved there in 1876. Most live in or around the city of Pawnee, OK, where the tribal headquarters are located.
Here are a couple of jointed puppets you can print, color and cut out, then assemble. What would make them look more authentic?
Here are a couple of jointed puppets you can print, color and cut out, then assemble. What would make them look more authentic?
The Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma owns tribal lands, gas stations, a truck stop, 2 casinos, smoke shops and various other businesses. These bring in revenue to support programs such as education, welfare and a new Behavioral Health Center.
From being one of the largest North American tribes, to being nearly wiped out; from thriving villages to poor living conditions far from their tribal lands; from the children being prevented from speaking their own language and moved to Indian ‘schools’ far from home - the Pawnee Nation has proved to be resilient, courageous, and resourceful.
I have enjoyed learning about them. I hope you have too!
‘Til next time,
Inkspired
A few sites I visited to research this blog,
in no particular order:
Indians.org
Castle.eu.edu
Wikipedia.org
welcomenativespirit.com
Pawneenation.org
BigOrrin.org
Worldhistory.org
Pinterest
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