Who are the Kickapoo?

 

→ How do you pronounce the word "Kickapoo"? What does it mean?
           Kickapoo is pronounced "KICK-a-poo." It comes from a Shawnee word for "wanderer." In Mexico    

     the tribal name is spelled Kikapu, which is the Spanish way of representing the same pronunciation.

     Sometimes it is also spelled Kikapoo.

→ Where do the Kickapoos live?

          The Kickapoo Indians originally lived in the Michigan and Ohio area. They fled south and west to get

     away from British and American aggression, settling briefly in Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin. Eventually

     the Americans forced some Kickapoos onto Kansas and Oklahoma reservations. Others escaped, and their

     descendants now live in Texas and northern Mexico. Few Kickapoos still live in their original homeland.

→ How is the Kickapoo Indian nation organized?

          There are four Kickapoo tribes today, located in Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, and Mexico. In the United    

     States, the Kickapoos live on reservations or trust land. An Indian reservation is land that belongs to the 

     tribe and is under their control. Each Kickapoo reservation has its own government, laws, police, and

     services, just like a small country. In Mexico, Kickapoo Indians live in two villages with no special status.

     The Mexican Kickapoos p reserve close relations with the American Kickapoo bands, but have their own t

     tribal leadership.

→ What language do the Kickapoo Indians speak?

          In Mexico and Oklahoma, many Kickapoos still speak their traditional Kickapoo language. In fact, the

     Kickapoo tribes need this language to communicate with each other, because most Mexican Kickapoos do

     not speak English. Very few Kickapoo Indians in Kansas or Texas still speak their native language, but

     some young people are working to learn it.
          Kickapoo is a tone language, like Chinese. That means the pitch of a vowel can change a Kickapoo

     word's meaning. Because of this, Kickapoo can sound very musical when it is spoken. If you'd like to

     know some easy Kickapoo words, "ho" (pronounced like the English word "hoe") is a friendly greeting

     and "kepiihcihi" (pronounced keh-pee-chih-hih) means "thank you."

→ How do Kickapoo Indian children live, and what did they do in the past?

          They do the same things any children do--play with each other, go to school and help around the

     house. Many Kickapoo children like to go hunting and fishing or camp outdoors. In the past, Indian kids

     had more chores and less time to play, just like colonial children. But they did have toys and games, and

     Kickapoo women made cornhusk dolls for their daughters. Like many Native Americans, Kickapoo

     mothers traditionally carried their babies in cradleboards on their backs.

→ What were men and women's roles in the Kickapoo tribe?

          Kickapoo Indian men were hunters and sometimes went to war to protect their families. Kickapoo

     women were farmers and did most of the child care and cooking. Both men and women took part in

     storytelling, artwork and music, and traditional medicine.

→ What were Kickapoo homes like?

          The Kickapoos didn't live in tepees. They lived in small dome-shaped houses called wickiups. Kickapoo

     Indians in Mexico still live in traditonal homes like these today, but most American Kickapoos live in

     modern houses and apartment buildings now.

→ What was Kickapoo clothing like? Did the Kickapoos wear feather headdresses and face paint?

          Because the Kickapoo tribe moved so many times, their style of dress changed frequently. Originally,

     Kickapoo men wore breechcloth and leggings and Kickapoo women wore wraparound skirts. Shirts were

     not necessary in the Kickapoo culture, but both men and women did wear deerskin mantles in cool

     weather. The Kickapoos also wore moccasins on their feet and fur caps or a beaded head band on their

     heads. Sometimes Kickapoo warriors wore a porcupine roach instead. (These roaches are made of

     porcupine hair, not their sharp quills!)
          Later, the Kickapoo Indians adapted clothing from other tribes they met during their travels, including

     feather headdresses, fringed deerskin dresses and shirts, bandoliers, and silver jewelry. Also, though the

     Kickapoos ignored many European-American customs, they did start using cloth for clothing, particularly

     calico blouses and tiered skirts. Those styles are still popular among Kickapoo women. Men dress even

     more traditionally, especially in Mexico. Some Mexican Kickapoo men still wear soft leather breechcloths

     and leggings.

→ What was Kickapoo transportation like in the days before cars? Did they paddle canoes?

          Not usually. The Kickapoo Indians were farming people, and when they needed to travel, they usually

     walked overland. There were no horses in North America until colonists brought them over from Europe,

     but the Kickapoos adapted to the new animals quickly, and became known as excellent riders. Most of

     the Kickapoo tribe's long migrations were on horseback.

→ What was Kickapoo food like in the days before supermarkets?

          The Kickapoo tribe's staple food was corn. Kickapoo women raised corn and baked cornbread called

     pugna. They also planted squash and beans. Kickapoo men hunted deer and small game, and sometimes

     went fishing in the river.

→ What were Kickapoo weapons and tools like in the past?

          Kickapoo hunters and warriors used bows and arrows, spears, and clubs.

→ What are Kickapoo arts and crafts like?

          Kickapoo artists were known for their Indian pottery, quillwork, and woodcarving. Like other eastern

     American Indians, the Kickapoos also crafted wampum out of white and purple shell beads. Wampum

     beads were traded as a kind of currency, but they were more culturally important as an art material. The

     designs and pictures on wampum belts often told the story of an important incident or represented a

     person's family. After moving south, some of these traditional crafts disappeared in favor of arts like

     beadwork and silverwork.

→ What other Native Americans did the Kickapoo Indian tribe interact with?

          Originally, the Kickapoos were allies of the Ojibway, Ottawa, and Sauk and Fox tribes. Together these

     tribes fought against the Illini and the British. After they were forced to leave their home land, the

     Kickapoo Indians traveled across the country, picking up customs from many different tribes along the

     way. The Kickapoos in Oklahoma have been especially good friends with the Potawatomi, and the

     Kickapoos in Texas were trading partners of the Comanches and wore some Comanche-style jewelry and

     clothing.