Tonkawa Indians

In the 15th century, the Tonkawa Tribe probably numbered around 5,000, with their numbers diminishing to around 1,600 by the late 17th century due to fatalities from new infectious diseases and fighting with other tribes, most notably the Apache. By the year 1921, only 34 tribal members remained. Their numbers have since recovered to close to 700 in the early 21st century. Most live in Oklahoma.
The Tonkawa were actually made up of various groups, many of which are no longer known by name. The following groups are generally counted as Tonkawa:
Awash
Choyopan
Haiwal
Hatchuknni
Kwesh
Mayeye
Nilhailai
Ninchopen
Pakani
Pakhalateh
Sanukh
Talpkweyu
Titskanwaticha

Food: The Tonkawa depended on the Buffalo for a food source. …show more content…
The teepees were made out of buffalo skin. They were held up with sticks, and were really easy to pack up and move around. An entire camp could pack up in less than an hour.

Clothing: Women wore wrapped in deer skin skirts. The men wore breechcloths. However, some men wore elaborately decorated war shirts to horrify their enemies in battle. In cooler weather women wore shawls of rabbit fur and men would were painted buffalo robes. They both would occasionally wear moccasins, but mainly they went bare foot.

Culture: The Tonkawa spoke a language similar to karanka. The Tonkawa, like most the Plains tribes, had a variety of dances that were performed regularly and ceremoniously. Among many dances belonging to the Tonkawa were the: Buffalo Dance, Deer Dance, Wild Hog Dance, Turkey Dance, Dance of the Short Steps, Notched Stick Dance, and a dance called "Singing All Around" which later became known as the "Back and Forth" dance.
The tonkawa used many weapons. An important weapon was the bow and arrow, which was used in warfare and in hunting bison and deer. The bow string was generally fashioned from bison sinew. The arrows were supposedly "poisoned" with the juice of the mistletoe leaf (this is know to be