ow do you pronounce the word "Kansa"? What does it mean?

Kansa is pronounced "kan-zuh." It comes from their own tribal name for
themselves, which means "south wind people." This name is often spelled
Kanza instead. Many Kansa people simply call themselves Kaw, which is a
shortened form of the same name. Any of these spellings are correct. The
Kansa language was originally unwritten, so spellings of Kansa words in
English sometimes vary a lot.

Where do the Kansa Indians live?
The Kansa Indians are original people of Kansas and Missouri. Most Kansa
people were forced to move to Oklahoma in the 1800's along with many other
tribes, and their descendants are still living there today.

How is the Kansa Indian tribe organized?
The Kaw Nation has its own government, laws, police, and services, just like a
small country. However, the Kansa are also US citizens and must obey
American law. In the past, each Kansa band was led by a chief who was
chosen by a tribal council. Today, the Kaw Nation is governed by
councilmembers who are elected by all the tribal members.

What language do the Kansa Indians speak?
The Kansa people speak English today. In the past, they spoke their native
Kansa language. Although there are no native speakers of Kansa any more,
some young people are working to learn their ancient language again. If you'd
like to know an easy Kansa word, "ho" (pronounced like the English word
"hoe") is a friendly greeting used by men and boys, and "hawe" (pronounced
hah-way) is a greeting used by women and girls.

What was Kansa culture like in the old days? What is it like now?
Here's a link to the homepage of the Kaw Nation of Oklahoma. On their site
you can find information about the Kansa people in the past and today.

How do Kansa Indian children live, and what did they do in the past?
They do the same things all children do--play with each other, go to school
and help around the house. Many Kansa children like to go hunting and
fishing with their fathers. In the past, Indian kids had more chores and less
time to play in their daily lives, just like colonial children. But they did have
dolls, toys, and games to play. Here is a picture of a hoop game played by
Plains Indian kids. A Kansa mother traditionally carried a young child in a
cradleboard on her back. Here is a website with cradleboard pictures.

What were men and women's roles in the Kansa tribe?
Kansa men were hunters and sometimes went to war to protect their families.
Kansa women were farmers and did most of the child care and cooking. Only
men became Kansa chiefs, but both genders took part in storytelling, artwork
and music, and traditional medicine.

What were Kansa homes like in the past?
The Kansa Indians lived in settled villages of round earthen lodges. These
lodges were made from wooden frames covered with packed earth. Kansa
houses were very large (more than fifty feet across) and several families
shared the same lodge. When Kansa men went on hunting trips, they often
used small buffalo-hide tipis (or teepees) as temporary shelter, similar to
camping tents. Unlike other Plains Indian tribes, Kansa families did not
normally live in teepees. Here are some pictures of lodges, tipis, and other
Indian houses.

Today, Native Americans only put up a tepee for fun or to connect with their
heritage, not for housing. Most Kansas live in modern houses and apartment
buildings, just like you.

What was Kansa clothing like? Did the Kansas wear feather
headdresses and face paint?
Kansa women wore wraparound skirts and deerskin shawls. Kansa men wore
breechcloths with leather leggings and buckskin shirts. The Kansas Indians
wore moccasins on their feet, and in cold weather, they wore long buffalo-hide
robes. A Kansa warrior's shirt was fringed and often decorated with porcupine
quills and fancy beadwork. Later, Kansa people adapted European costume
such as cloth dresses and vests, decorating them with beadwork as well. Here
is a site about the symbolism of Plains Indian war shirts, and some photos
and links about Indian clothing in general.

Kansa Indian leaders didn't normally wear long warbonnets like the Sioux.
More often, a Kansa man would wear his hair in the Mohawk style or shave
his head completely except for a scalplock (one long lock of hair on top of his
head). Sometimes a Kansa warrior would add a porcupine roach to make this
hairstyle more impressive. Kansa women wore their hair either loose or
braided. Here is a website with pictures of Native American hair. The Kansas
wore tribal tattoos and also painted their faces for special occasions. They
used different patterns for war paint, religious ceremonies, and festive
decoration.

Today, some Kansa people still have moccasins or a buckskin dress, but they
wear modern clothes like jeans instead of breechcloths... and they only wear
traditional regalia on special occasions like a wedding or a dance.

What was Kansa transportation like in the days before cars? Did they
paddle canoes?
No--the Kansa Indians weren't coastal people, and when they traveled by
river, they usually built bowl-shaped rafts called bull boats out of willow rods
and buffalo hide. Over land, the Kansas used dogs pulling travois (a kind of
drag sled) to help them carry their belongings. There were no horses in North
America until colonists brought them over from Europe.

What was Kansa food like in the days before supermarkets?
The Kansas had a varied diet. Kansa men worked together to hunt buffalo,
and also shot deer and other small game. Kansa women raised crops of corn,
beans, squash, and sunflowers. The Kansas also gathered wild foods such as
potatoes, roots, and berries. Here is a website with more information about
traditional Native food.

What were Kansa weapons and tools like in the past?
Kansa hunters used bows and arrows. In war, Kansa men fired their bows or
fought with war clubs and hide shields. Here is a website with pictures and
information about Indian weapons.

What other Native Americans did the Kansa tribe interact with?
The Kansas traded regularly with other tribes of the Great Plains and the
Western Plateau. These tribes usually communicated using the Plains Sign
Language. The Kansas also fought wars with other tribes. Plains Indian tribes
treated war differently than European countries did. They didn't fight over
territory but instead to prove their courage, and so Plains Indian war parties
rarely fought to the death or destroyed each other's villages. Instead, their war
customs included counting coup (touching an opponent in battle without
harming him), stealing an enemy's weapon or horse, or forcing the other
tribe's warriors to retreat. Some tribes the Kansas frequently fought with
included the Pawnee, Cheyenne, and Osage.

What are Kansa arts and crafts like?
Kansa artists are famous for their native weaving, beadwork, and hide
paintings. Here is a museum website with photographs of Kaw beadwork.

What kinds of stories do the Kansas tell?
There are lots of traditional Kansa legends and fairy tales. Storytelling is very
important to the Kansa Indian culture. Here is a Kansa story about the
creation of the world. Here's a website where you can read more about Kansa
mythology.

What about Kansa religion?
Sorry, but we cannot help you with religious information. Religions are too
complicated and culturally sensitive to describe appropriately in only a few
simple sentences, and we strongly want to avoid misleading anybody. You
can visit this site to learn more about the sweat lodgeused by Kaw, Omaha
and other tribes, or this site about Native American religion in general.