View source for Comanche

{{short description|Plains Native North American tribe}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2021}}
{{Infobox ethnic group
|group= Comanche<br />{{lang|com|Nʉmʉnʉʉ}}
|image=
|caption= Flag of the Comanche Nation<ref name=oia>{{cite web|url= http://www.ok.gov/oiac/documents/2011.FINAL.WEB.pdf |title= 2011 Oklahoma Indian Nations Pocket Pictorial Directory |website= Oklahoma Indian Affairs Commission |date= November 2011 |access-date= January 2, 2012 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120424052416/http://www.ok.gov/oiac/documents/2011.FINAL.WEB.pdf |archive-date= April 24, 2012 }}</ref>
|population = 17,000 enrolled Comanche Nation (2021),<ref name=about>{{cite web |title=About Us |url=https://comanchenation.com/our-nation/about-us |website=Comanche Nation |access-date=23 December 2021}}</ref><br/>28,193 self-identified, US Census (2020)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Distribution of American Indian tribes: Comanche People in the US |url=https://www.statimetric.com/us-ethnicity/American_Indian_tribes_Comanche}}</ref>
|popplace= [[United States]] ([[Oklahoma]], [[Texas]], [[New Mexico]])
|rels= [[Native American Church]], [[Christianity]], traditional tribal religion
|langs= [[English language|English]], [[Comanche language|Comanche]]
|related= [[Shoshone]], [[Timbisha]], and other [[Numic languages|Numic]] peoples
}}
The '''Comanche''' {{IPAc-en|k|ə|ˈ|m|æ|n|tʃ|i}} or '''Nʉmʉnʉʉ''' ({{langx|com|Nʉmʉnʉʉ}}, "the people"<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|title=Home &#124; Comanche Nation|url=https://comanchenation.com/|access-date=2022-08-20|website=comanchenation.com}}</ref>) is a [[Tribe (Native American)|Native American tribe]] from the [[Great Plains|Southern Plains]] of the present-day United States. Comanche people today belong to the [[List of federally recognized tribes in the United States|federally recognized]] '''Comanche Nation''', headquartered in [[Lawton, Oklahoma]].<ref name="oia"/>
The [[Comanche language]] is a [[Numic languages|Numic]] language of the [[Uto-Aztecan languages|Uto-Aztecan]] family. Originally, it was a [[Shoshoni language|Shoshoni]] dialect, but diverged and became a separate language.<ref>Jean Ormsbee Charney. ''A Grammar of Comanche''. (Nebraska, 1993). Pages 1–2.</ref> The Comanche were once part of the [[Shoshone]] people of the [[Great Basin]].<ref name="ohs">{{cite web |last1=Kavanagh |first1=Thomas W. |title=Comanche (tribe) |url=https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=CO033 |website=The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture |publisher=Oklahoma Historical Society |access-date=23 December 2021}}</ref>
In the 18th and 19th centuries, Comanche lived in most of present-day northwestern [[Texas]] and adjacent areas in eastern [[New Mexico]], southeastern [[Colorado]], southwestern [[Kansas]], and western [[Oklahoma]]. Spanish colonists and later Mexicans called their historical territory ''[[Comancheria|Comanchería]]''.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, Comanche practiced a [[nomad]]ic [[horse culture]] and hunted, particularly bison. They traded with neighboring Native American peoples, and [[Spanish colonization of the Americas|Spanish]], [[French colonization of the Americas|French]], and American colonists and settlers.
As European Americans encroached on their territory, the Comanche waged war on the settlers and raided their settlements, as well as those of neighboring Native American tribes.<ref>Fowles, Severin, Arterberry, Lindsay Montgomery, Atherton, Heather (2017), "Comanche New Mexico: The Eighteenth Century", in ''New Mexico and the Pimeria Alta'', Boulder: University Press of Colorado, pp. 158–160. Downloaded from [[JSTOR]].</ref> They took with them captives from other tribes during warfare, using them as [[Slavery among Native Americans in the United States|slaves]], selling them to the Spanish and (later) to [[Mexico|Mexican]] settlers, or adopting them into their tribe.<ref name=ohs/> Thousands of captives from raids on Spanish, Mexican, and American settlers were assimilated into Comanche society.<ref>{{cite journal |author= Marez, Curtis |title= Signifying Spain, Becoming Comanche, Making Mexicans: Indian Captivity and the History of Chicana/o Popular Performance |journal= American Quarterly |date= June 2001 |volume= 53 |issue = 2 |pages= 267–307 |doi= 10.1353/aq.2001.0018 |s2cid= 144608670}}</ref> At their peak, the Comanche language was the [[lingua franca]] of the Great Plains region.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hämäläinen |first1=Pekka |title=The Comanche Empire |date=January 2008 |publisher=Yale University Press |location=NewHaven and London |isbn=978-0-300-15117-6 |page=171}}</ref>
Diseases, destruction of the buffalo herds, and territory loss forced most Comanches on [[Indian reservation|reservations]] in [[Indian Territory]] by the late 1870s.<ref name=ohs/>
In the 21st century, the Comanche Nation has 17,000 enrolled citizens, around 7,000 of whom reside in tribal jurisdictional areas around Lawton, [[Fort Sill]], and the surrounding areas of southwestern Oklahoma.<ref name=about/> The Comanche Homecoming Annual Dance takes place in mid-July in [[Walters, Oklahoma]].<ref>{{Cite web |url= http://www.comanchenation.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=983%3Acomanche-homecoming-dance&catid=34%3Afront-page-scroller&Itemid=1 |title= The Homecoming Dance |website= Comanche Nation official website |access-date= 2017-07-11}}</ref>
== Name ==
The Comanche's [[Exonym and endonym|autonym]] is ''nʉmʉnʉʉ'', meaning "the human beings" or "the people".<ref name="auto"/> The earliest known use of the term "Comanche" dates to 1706, when the Comanche were reported by Spanish officials to be preparing to attack far-outlying [[Pueblo]] settlements in southern Colorado.<ref>''Governor Cuervo y Valdez Report,'' 18 Aug 1706</ref> The Spanish adopted the [[Ute people|Ute]] name for the people: ''kɨmantsi'' (enemy), spelling it ''Comanche'' (or ''Comanchi'', ''Cumanche'', ''Cumanchi'')<ref>{{cite book |last1=Barnes |first1=Thomas C. |last2=Naylor |first2=Thomas H. |last3=Polzer |first3=Charles W. |title=Northern New Spain: A Research Guide |publisher=University of Arizona |url=https://open.uapress.arizona.edu/read/northern-new-spain-a-research-guide/section/1f21260b-5632-4c85-a79f-dde8198f2c5c |access-date=10 May 2024}}</ref> in accord with the Spanish pronunciation.<ref>Ernest Wallace and E. Adamson Hoebel. 1952. ''The Comanches: Lords of the South Plains'' (University of Oklahoma Press).</ref> Before 1740, French explorers from the east sometimes used the name ''Padouca'' for the Comanche since it was already used for the [[Plains Apache]] and the French were not aware of the change of tribe in the region in the early 18th century.<ref>{{cite book |editor-last=Bright |editor-first=William |title=Native American Placenames of the United States |date=2004 |publisher=University of Oklahoma Press |location=Norman, OK |isbn=9780806135984 |page=364}}</ref>
==Government==
The Comanche Nation is headquartered in Lawton, Oklahoma. Their [[tribal jurisdictional area]] is located in [[Caddo County, Oklahoma|Caddo]], [[Comanche County, Oklahoma|Comanche]], [[Cotton County, Oklahoma|Cotton]], [[Greer County, Oklahoma|Greer]], [[Jackson County, Oklahoma|Jackson]], [[Kiowa County, Oklahoma|Kiowa]], [[Tillman County, Oklahoma|Tillman]] and [[Harmon County, Oklahoma|Harmon]] counties. Their current Tribal Chairman is Mark Woommavovah. The tribe requires enrolled members to have at least 1/8 blood quantum level (equivalent to one great-grandparent).<ref name=oia/>
==Economic development==
The tribe operates its own housing authority and issues [[tribal vehicle tags]]. They have their own Department of Higher Education, primarily awarding scholarships and financial aid for members' college educations. They own 10 tribal [[Tobacconist|smoke shops]] and four casinos:<ref name=oia/>
# Comanche Nation Casino in Lawton<ref>{{Cite web|title=Comanche Nation Casinos &#124; Lawton Oklahoma &#124; Slots Table Games|url=https://www.comanchenationcasino.com/|access-date=2022-08-20|website=www.comanchenationcasino.com|language=en}}</ref>
# Red River Casino in [[Devol, Oklahoma]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Comanche Red River Hotel Casino &#124; Oklahoma Casinos &#124; $99 nightly|url=https://www.comancheredrivercasino.com/|access-date=2022-08-20|website=www.comancheredrivercasino.com|language=en}}</ref>
# Comanche Spur Casino in [[Elgin, Oklahoma]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Comanche Spur Casino &#124; Elgin Oklahoma Indian Casino|url=https://www.comanchespurcasino.com/|access-date=2022-08-20|website=www.comanchespurcasino.com|language=en}}</ref>
# Comanche Star Casino in [[Walters, Oklahoma]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Comanche Star Casino &#124; Oklahoma Casinos &#124; Walters, OK|url=https://www.comanchestarcasino.com/|access-date=2022-08-20|website=www.comanchestarcasino.com|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Oklahoma Casino List by Tribe|url=https://500nations.com/Oklahoma_Casinos_Tribes.asp|access-date=2022-08-20|website=500nations.com}}</ref>
==Cultural institutions==
[[File:LaDonnaHarris.png|thumb|140px|[[LaDonna Harris]], Comanche activist and founder of Americans for Indian Opportunity]]
The Comanche National Museum and Cultural Center in Lawton, Oklahoma, has permanent and changing exhibitions on Comanche history and culture. It opened to the public in 2007.<ref>{{cite web |title=Our Mission |url=http://www.comanchemuseum.com/mission_history.html |website=Comanche National Museum and Cultural Center |publisher=Comanche Nation |access-date=12 January 2022}}</ref>
In 2002, the tribe founded the [[Comanche Nation College]], a two-year [[tribal college]] in Lawton.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Comanche Nation College|url=http://cnc.cc.ok.us/|access-date=2022-08-20|website=Comanche Nation College|language=en-US}}</ref> It closed in 2017 because of problems with accreditation and funding.
Each July, Comanche gather from across the United States to celebrate their heritage and culture in Walters at the annual Comanche Homecoming [[powwow]]. The Comanche Nation Fair takes place every September. The Comanche Little Ponies host two annual dances—one over New Year's Eve and one in May.<ref>[http://www.comanchenation.com/Entertainment/tourism.html Comanche Nation Tourism Center.] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081104032926/http://www.comanchenation.com/Entertainment/tourism.html |date=2008-11-04 }} ''Comanche Nation.'' (16 February 2009)</ref>
==History==
{{Main|Comanche history}}
{{seealso|Spanish peace treaties with the Comanche}}
===Formation===
[[File:Uto-Aztecan map.svg|thumb|Pre-contact distribution of [[Uto-Aztecan languages]]]]
The Proto-Comanche movement to the Plains was part of the larger phenomenon known as the "Shoshonean Expansion" in which that language family spread across the Great Basin and across the mountains into Wyoming. The Kotsoteka ("Bison Eaters") were probably among the first. Other groups followed. Contact with the Shoshones of Wyoming was maintained until the 1830s when it was broken by the advancing Cheyennes and Arapahoes.
After the [[Pueblo Revolt]] of 1680, various Plains peoples acquired horses, but it was probably some time before they were very numerous. As late as 1725, Comanches were described as using large dogs rather than horses to carry their bison hide "campaign tents".<ref name="Kavanagh 66">Kavanagh 66</ref>
The horse became a key element in the emergence of a distinctive Comanche culture. It was of such strategic importance that some scholars suggested that the Comanche broke away from the Shoshone and moved south to search for additional sources of horses among the settlers of [[New Spain]] to the south (rather than search for new herds of buffalo.) The Comanche have the longest documented existence as horse-mounted Plains peoples; they had horses when the Cheyennes still lived in earth lodges.<ref>Kavanagh 7</ref>
The Comanche supplied horses and mules to all comers. As early as 1795, Comanche were selling horses to Anglo-American traders<ref name="Kavanagh 63">Kavanagh 63</ref> and by the mid-19th century, Comanche-supplied horses were flowing into St. Louis via other Indian middlemen (Seminole, Osage, Shawnee).<ref>Kavanagh 380</ref>
Their original [[Pre-modern human migration|migration]] took them to the southern [[Great Plains]], into a sweep of territory extending from the [[Arkansas River]] to central Texas. The earliest references to them in the Spanish records date from 1706, when reports reached Santa Fe that Utes and Comanches were about to attack.<ref name="Kavanagh 63"/> In the Comanche advance, the Apaches were driven off the Plains. By the end of the 18th century the struggle between Comanches and Apaches had assumed legendary proportions: in 1784, in recounting the history of the southern Plains, Texas governor [[Domingo Cabello y Robles]] recorded that some 60 years earlier (i.e., c. 1724) the Apaches had been routed from the southern Plains in a nine-day battle at La Gran Sierra del Fierro ‘The Great Mountain of Iron’, somewhere northwest of Texas. There is, however, no other record, documentary or legendary, of such a fight.<ref name="Kavanagh 66"/>
They were formidable warriors who developed strategies for using traditional weapons for fighting on horseback. Warfare was a major part of Comanche life. Comanche raids into Mexico traditionally took place during the full moon, when the Comanche could see to ride at night. This led to the term "Comanche Moon", during which the Comanche raided for horses, captives, and weapons.<ref>Wallace and Hoebel</ref> Comanche raids, especially in the 1840s, reached hundreds of miles deep into Mexico devastating northern parts of the country.<ref>Kavanagh (1996)</ref>
===Divisions===
Kavanagh has defined four levels of social-political integration in traditional pre-reservation Comanche society:<ref>Kavanagh 41–53</ref>
*[[Patrilineal]] and [[patrilocal]] nuclear family
*Extended family group (nʉmʉnahkahni – "the people who live together in a household", no size limits, but kinship recognition was limited to relatives two generations above or three below)
*Residential local group or 'band', comprised one or more nʉmʉnahkahni, one of which formed its core. The [[Band society|band]] was the primary social unit of the Comanche. A typical band might number several hundred people. It was a family group, centered around a group of men, all of whom were relatives, sons, brothers or cousins. Since marriage with a known relative was forbidden, wives came from another group, and sisters left to join their husbands. The central man in that group was their grandfather, father, or uncle. He was called 'paraivo', 'chief'. After his death, one of the other men took his place; if none were available, the band members might drift apart to other groups where they might have relatives and/or establish new relations by marrying an existing member. There was no separate term for or status of 'peace chief' or 'war chief'; any man leading a war party was a 'war chief'.
*Division (sometimes called tribe, Spanish ''nación'', ''rama'' – "branch", comprising several local groups linked by kinship, sodalities (political, medicine, and military) and common interest in hunting, gathering, war, peace, trade).
In contrast to the neighboring [[Cheyenne]] and [[Arapaho]] to the north, there was never a single Comanche political unit or "Nation" recognized by all Comanches. Rather the divisions; the most "tribe-like" units, acted independently, pursuing their own economic and political goals.
Before the 1750s, the Spanish identified three '''Comanche Naciones''' (divisions): Hʉpenʉʉ (Jupe, Hoipi), Yaparʉhka (Yamparika), and Kʉhtsʉtʉhka (Kotsoteka).
After the Mescalero Apache, Jicarilla Apache and Lipan Apache had been largely displaced from the Southern Plains by the Comanche and allied tribes in the 1780s, the Spanish began to divide the now dominant Comanche into two geographical groups, which only partially corresponded to the former three Naciones. The Kʉhtsʉtʉhka (Kotsoteka) ('Buffalo Eaters'), which had moved southeast in the 1750s and 1760s to the Southern Plains in Texas, were called '''Cuchanec Orientales''' ("Eastern Cuchanec/Kotsoteka") or '''Eastern Comanche''', while those Kʉhtsʉtʉhka (Kotsoteka) that remained in the northwest and west, together with Hʉpenʉʉ (Jupe, Hoipi – 'Timber/Forest People') (and sometimes Yaparʉhka (Yamparika)), which had moved southward to the North Canadian River, were called '''Cuchanec Occidentales''' ("Western Cuchanec/Kotsoteka") or '''Western Comanche'''. The "Western Comanche" lived in the region of the upper [[Arkansas River|Arkansas]], [[Canadian River|Canadian]], and [[Red River of the South|Red]] Rivers, and the [[Llano Estacado]]. The "Eastern Comanche" lived on the [[Edwards Plateau]] and the Texas plains of the upper [[Brazos River|Brazos]] and [[Colorado River (Texas)|Colorado]] Rivers, and east to the [[Cross Timbers]].
They were probably the ancestors of the Penatʉka Nʉʉ (Penateka – 'Honey Eaters').<ref>{{cite web |url=http://atlas.thc.state.tx.us/viewform.asp?atlas_num=5507016257&site_name=Penateka%20Comanches&class=5000 |title=Penateka Comanches ~ Marker Number: 16257 |date=2009 |location=[[Camp Verde, Texas]] |website=[[Texas Historic Sites Atlas]] |publisher=[[Texas Historical Commission]]}}</ref>
Over time, these divisions were altered in various ways, primarily due to changes in political resources.<ref>Kavanagh 478</ref> As noted above, the Kʉhtsʉtʉhka (Kotsoteka) were probably the first proto-Comanche group to separate from the Eastern Shoshones.
[[File:War on the Plains Comanche vs Osage by George Catlin 1834.png|thumb|right|War on the plains: Comanche (right) trying to lance an Osage warrior. Painting by [[George Catlin]], 1834]]
The name Hʉpenʉʉ (Jupe, Hoipi) vanished from history in the early 19th century, probably merging into the other divisions, they are likely the forerunners of the Nokoni Nʉʉ (Nokoni), Kwaarʉ Nʉʉ (Kwahadi, Quohada), and the Hʉpenʉʉ (Hois) local group of the Penatʉka Nʉʉ (Penateka). Due to pressure by southwards moving [[Kiowa]] and [[Plains Apache|Plains Apache (Naishan)]] raiders, many Yaparʉhka (Yamparika) moved southeast, joining the "Eastern Comanche" and becoming known as the Tahnahwah (Tenawa, Tenahwit). Many Kiowa and Plains Apache moved to northern Comancheria and became later closely associated with the Yaparʉhka (Yamparika).
In the mid 19th century, other powerful divisions arose, such as the Nokoni Nʉʉ (Nokoni) ('wanderers', literally 'go someplace and return'), and the Kwaarʉ Nʉʉ (Kwahadi, Quohada) ('Antelope Eaters'). The latter originally some local groups of the Kʉhtsʉtʉhka (Kotsoteka) from the Cimarron River Valley as well as descendants of some Hʉpenʉʉ (Jupe, Hoipi), which had pulled both southwards.
The northernmost Comanche division was the Yaparʉhka (Yapai Nʉʉ or Yamparika — ‘(Yap)Root-Eaters’). As the last band to move onto the Plains, they retained much of their Eastern Shoshone tradition.
The power and success of the Comanche attracted bands of neighboring peoples who joined them and became part of Comanche society; an Arapaho group became known as Saria Tʉhka (Chariticas, Sata Teichas – 'Dog Eaters') band, an Eastern Shoshone group as Pohoi (Pohoee – 'wild sage') band, and a Plains Apache group as Tasipenanʉʉ band.
The Texans and Americans divided the Comanche into five large dominant bands – the '''Yaparʉhka (Yamparika)''', '''Kʉhtsʉtʉhka (Kotsoteka)''', '''Nokoni Nʉʉ (Nokoni)''', '''Penatʉka Nʉʉ (Penateka)''' and '''Kwaarʉ Nʉʉ (Kwahadi, Quohada)''', which in turn were divided by geographical terms into first three (later four) regional groupings: Northern Comanche, Middle Comanche, Southern Comanche, Eastern Comanche, and later Western Comanche. However, these terms generally do not correspond to the Native language terms.
[[File:DodgeComancheEmissary.png|thumb|Comanches [[First Dragoon Expedition|meeting the U.S. dragoons]] near the [[Wichita Mountains]] in 1834, by George Catlin]]
The '''"Northern Comanche"''' label encompassed the Yaparʉhka (Yamparika) between the Arkansas River and Canadian River and the prominent and powerful Kʉhtsʉtʉhka (Kotsoteka) who roamed the high plains of Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles between Red and Canadian River, the famous Palo Duro Canyon offered them and their horse herds of protection from strong winter storms as well as from enemies, because the two bands dominated and ranged in the northern Comancheria.
The '''"Middle Comanche"''' label encompassed the aggressive Nokoni Nʉʉ (Nokoni) ("wanderers", "those who turn back") between the headwaters of the Red River and the Colorado River in the south and the Western Cross Timbers in the east, their preferred range were on the Brazos River headwaters and its tributaries, the Pease River offered protection from storms and enemies. With them shared two smaller bands the same tribal areas: the Tahnahwah (Tenawa, Tenahwit) ("Those Living Downstream") and Tanimʉʉ (Tanima, Dahaʉi, Tevawish) ("Liver Eaters"). All three bands together were known as "Middle Comanche" because they lived "in the middle" of the Comancheria.
The '''"Southern Comanche"''' label encompassed the Penatʉka Nʉʉ (Penateka) ("Honey Eaters"), the southernmost, largest, and best known band among whites as they lived near the first Spanish and Texan settlements; their tribal areas extended from the upper reaches of the rivers in central Texas and Colorado River southward, including much of the Edwards Plateau, and eastward to the Western Cross Timbers; because they dominated the southern Comancheria they were called "Southern Comanche".
The '''"Western Comanche"''' label encompassed the Kwaarʉ Nʉʉ (Kwahadi, Quohada) ('Antelope Eaters'), which is the last to develop as an independent band in the 19th century. They lived on the hot, low-shadow desert plateaus of Llano Estacado in eastern New Mexico and found shelter in Tule Canyon and Palo Duro Canyon in northwestern Texas. They were the only band that never signed a contract with the Texans or Americans, and they were the last to give up the resistance. Because of their relative isolation from the other bands on the westernmost edge of the Comancheria, they were called the "Western Comanche".
There has been, and continues to be, much confusion in the presentation of Comanche group names. Groups on all levels of organization, families, nʉmʉnahkahni, bands, and divisions, were given names, but many 'band lists' do not distinguish these levels. In addition, there could be alternate names and nicknames. The spelling differences between Spanish and English add to the confusion.
{{anchor|Bands}}
===Some of the Comanche group names ===
* '''Yaparʉhka''' or '''Yamparika''' (also ''Yapai Nʉʉ'' – ‘[[Perideridia gairdneri|(Yap)Root-Eaters]]’; One of its local groups may have been called ''Widyʉ Nʉʉ / Widyʉ / Widyʉ Yapa'' – ‘Awl People’; after the death of a man named 'Awl' they changed their name to ''Tʉtsahkʉnanʉʉ'' or ''Ditsahkanah'' – ‘Sewing People’ [Titchahkaynah]. Other Yapai local groups included:
** Ketahtoh or Ketatore (‘Don't Wear Shoes’, also called ''Napwat Tʉ'' – ‘Wearing No Shoes’)
** Motso (′Bearded Ones′, derived from ''motso'' – ‘Beard’)
** Pibianigwai (‘Loud Talkers’, ‘Loud Askers’)
** Sʉhmʉhtʉhka (‘Eat Everything’)
** Wahkoh (‘Shell Ornament’)
** Waw'ai or Wohoi (also ''Waaih'' – ′Lots of Maggots on the Penis′, also called ''Nahmahe'enah'' – ′Somehow being (sexual) together′, ′to have sex′, called by other groups, because they preferred to marry [[endogamy]] and chose their partners from their own local group; this was viewed critically by other Comanche people)
* '''Hʉpenʉʉ''' or '''Jupe''' (‘Timber People’ because they lived in more wooded areas in the Central Plains north of the Arkansas River. Also spelled Hois.
* '''Kʉhtsʉtʉʉka''' or '''Kotsoteka''' (‘[[Plains bison|Buffalo-Eaters]]’, spelled in Spanish as ''Cuchanec'')
* '''Kwaarʉnʉʉ''' or '''Kwahadi/Quohada''' (''Kwahare'' – ‘Antelope-Eaters’; nicknamed ''Kwahihʉʉki'' – ‘Sunshades on Their Backs’, because they lived on desert plains of the [[Llano Estacado]] in eastern New Mexico, westernmost Comanche Band). One of their local groups was nicknamed '' Parʉhʉya'' ('Elk', literally‘Water Horse’).
* '''Nokoninʉʉ''' or '''Nokoni''' (‘Movers’, ‘Returners’); allegedly, after the death of chief [[Peta Nocona]] they called themselves ''Noyʉhkanʉʉ'' – ‘Not Staying in one place’, and/or''Tʉtsʉ Noyʉkanʉʉ / Detsanayʉka'' – ‘Bad Campers’, ‘Poor Wanderer’.
** Tahnahwah or Tenawa (also ''Tenahwit'' – ‘Those Who Live Downstream’,
** Tanimʉʉ or Tanima (also called ''Dahaʉi'' or ''Tevawish'' – ‘Liver-Eaters’,
* '''Penatʉka Nʉʉ''' or '''Penateka''' (other variants: ''Pihnaatʉka'', ''Penanʉʉ'' – ‘Honey-Eaters’;
Some names given by others include:
* WahaToya (literally 'Two Mountains'); (given as Foothills in Cloud People – those who live near Walsenburg, CO)<Whatley: Jemez-Comanche-Kiowa repatriation, 1993–1999>
* Toyanʉmʉnʉ (′Foothills People′ – those who lived near Las Vegas, NM) <Whatley: Jemez-Comanche-Kiowa repatriation, 1993–1999>
Unassignable names include:
* Tayʉʉwit / Teyʉwit (‘Hospitable Ones’)
* Kʉvahrahtpaht (‘Steep Climbers’)
* Taykahpwai / Tekapwai (‘No Meat’)
* Pagatsʉ (''Pa'káh'tsa'' – ‘Head of the Stream’, also called ''Pahnaixte'' – ‘Those Who Live Upstream’)
* Mʉtsahne or Motsai (‘Undercut Bank’)
Old Shoshone names
* Pekwi Tʉhka (‘Fish-Eaters’)
* Pohoi / Pohoee (‘Wild Sage’)
Other names, which may or may not refer to Comanche groups include:
* Hani Nʉmʉ (''Hai'ne'na'ʉne'' – ‘Corn Eating People’) Witchitas.
* It'chit'a'bʉd'ah (''Utsu'itʉ'' – ‘Cold People’, i.e. ‘Northern People’, probably another name for the ''Yaparʉhka'' or one of their local groups – because they lived to the north)
* Itehtah'o (‘Burnt Meat’, nicknamed by other Comanche, because they threw their surplus of meat out in the spring, where it dried and became black, looking like burnt meat)
* Naʉ'niem (''No'na'ʉm'' – ‘Ridge People’
Modern Local Groups
* Ohnonʉʉ (also ''Ohnʉnʉnʉʉ'' or ''Onahʉnʉnʉʉ'', 'Salt People' or 'Salt Creek people') live in [[Caddo County, Oklahoma|Caddo County]] in the vicinity of [[Cyril, Oklahoma]]; mostly descendants of the Nokoni Pianavowit.
* Wianʉʉ (''Wianʉ'', ''Wia'ne'' – ‘Hill Wearing Away’), live east of [[Walters, Oklahoma]], descendants of Waysee.
===Comanche Wars===
[[File:Comancheria.png|thumb|left|Comancheria 1770–1850.]]
{{Main|Comanche Wars|Comanche-Mexico War|Texas–Indian Wars}}
The Comanche fought a [[Comanche Wars|number of conflicts]] against [[Kingdom of Spain|Spanish]] and later [[United Mexican States|Mexican]] and [[United States of America|American]] armies. These were both expeditionary, as with the [[Comanche-Mexico Wars|raids into Mexico]], and [[Texas-Indian Wars|defensive]]. The Comanche were noted as fierce warriors who fought vigorously for their homeland of [[Comancheria]]. However, the massive population of the settlers from the east and the diseases they brought led to pressure and decline of Comanche power and the [[wikt:Cessation|cessation]] of their major presence in the southern [[Great Plains]].
===Relationship with settlers===
[[File:Comanche Lookout Arthur T. Lee.jpg|thumb|Comanches watching an American caravan in West Texas, 1850, by the US Army officer, [[Arthur Tracy Lee|Arthur Lee]]]]
[[File:Comanchebraves.jpg|thumb|upright|Comanche warriors, c. 1867–1874]]
[[File:Chief Quanah Parker of the Kwahadi Comanche.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Quanah Parker]], prominent chief of the Comanche Indians with a feather fan; photo by James Mooney, 1892]]
The Comanche maintained an ambiguous relationship with Europeans and later settlers attempting to colonize their territory. The Comanche were valued as trading partners since 1786 via the [[Comanchero]]s of New Mexico, but were feared for their raids against settlers in Texas.<ref>Plummer, R., Narrative of the Capture and Subsequent Sufferings of Mrs. Rachel Plummer, 1839, in Parker's Narrative and History of Texas, Louisville: Morning Courier, 1844, pp. 88–118</ref><ref>Lee, N., Three Years Among the Comanches, in Captured by the Indians, Drimmer, F., editor, New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1961, {{ISBN|0486249018}}, pp. 277–313</ref><ref>Babb, T.A., In the Bosom of the Comanches, 1912, Dallas: John F. Worley Printing Co.</ref><ref>Bell, J.D., A true Story of My Capture by, and Life with the Comanche Indians, in "Every Day Seemed Like a Holiday", The Captivity of [[Bianca Babb]], Gelo, D.J. and Zesch, S., editors, Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Vol. 107, No. 1, 2003, pp. 49–67</ref> Similarly, they were, at one time or another, at war with virtually every other Native American group living on the South Plains,<ref>Lehmann, H., 1927, 9 Years Among the Indians, 1870–1879, Albuquerque, University of New Mexico Press, {{ISBN|0826314171}}</ref><ref>Smith, C.L., 1927, The Boy Captives, San Saba: San Saba Printing & Office Supply, {{ISBN|0-943639-24-7}}</ref> leaving opportunities for political maneuvering by European colonial powers and the United States. At one point, [[Sam Houston]], president of the newly created [[Republic of Texas]], almost succeeded in reaching a [[peace treaty]] with the Comanche in the 1844 [[Treaty of Tehuacana Creek]]. His efforts were thwarted in 1845 when the [[Texas legislature]] refused to create an official boundary between Texas and the Comancheria.
While the Comanche managed to maintain their independence and increase their territory, by the mid-19th century, they faced annihilation because of a wave of epidemics due to [[Eurasia]]n diseases to which they had no immunity, such as [[smallpox]] and [[measles]]. Outbreaks of smallpox (1817, 1848) and [[cholera]] (1849) took a major toll on the Comanche, whose population dropped from an estimated 20,000 in the late 18th century to just a few thousand by the 1870s.
The US began efforts in the late 1860s to move the Comanche into reservations, with the [[Treaty of Medicine Lodge]] (1867), which offered churches, schools, and annuities in return for a vast tract of land totaling over {{convert|60,000|sqmi|km2}}. The government promised to stop the buffalo hunters, who were decimating the great herds of the Plains, provided that the Comanche, along with the [[Apache Tribe|Apache]]s, [[Kiowa]]s, [[Cheyenne]], and [[Arapaho]]s, move to a reservation totaling less than {{convert|5,000|sqmi|km2}} of land. However, the government did not prevent the slaughtering of the herds. The Comanche under Quenatosavit White Eagle (later called [[Isa-tai]] "Coyote's Vagina") retaliated by attacking a group of hunters in the Texas Panhandle in the [[Second Battle of Adobe Walls]] (1874). The attack was a disaster for the Comanche, and the US army was called in during the [[Red River War]] to drive the remaining Comanche in the area into the reservation, culminating in the [[Battle of Palo Duro Canyon]]. Within just 10 years, the buffalo were on the verge of extinction, effectively ending the Comanche way of life as hunters. In May 1875, the last free band of Comanches, led by the Quahada warrior [[Quanah Parker]], surrendered and moved to the [[Fort Sill]] reservation in Oklahoma. The last independent Kiowa and Kiowa Apache had also surrendered.
The 1890 Census showed 1,598 Comanche at the Fort Sill reservation, which they shared with 1,140 Kiowa and 326 Kiowa Apache.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Frontier Forts > The Passing of the Indian Era|url=http://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/forts/indians.html|access-date=2022-08-20|website=www.texasbeyondhistory.net}}</ref>
====Meusebach–Comanche treaty====
The Peneteka band agreed to a peace treaty with the German Immigration Company under [[John O. Meusebach]]. This treaty was not affiliated with any level of government. Meusebach brokered the treaty to settle the lands on the Fisher-Miller Land Grant, from which were formed the 10 counties of [[Concho County, Texas|Concho]], [[Kimble County, Texas|Kimble]], [[Llano County, Texas|Llano]], [[Mason County, Texas|Mason]], [[McCulloch County, Texas|McCulloch]], [[Menard County, Texas|Menard]], [[Schleicher County, Texas|Schleicher]], [[San Saba County, Texas|San Saba]], [[Sutton County, Texas|Sutton]], and [[Tom Green County, Texas|Tom Green]].<ref name="Land">{{cite web|title=THC-Fisher-Miller Land Grant|url=http://atlas.thc.state.tx.us/viewform.asp?atlas_num=5299009438&site_name=Fisher+-+Miller+Grant&class=5000|work=Texas Historic Markers|publisher=Texas Historical Commission|access-date=16 September 2011}}</ref>{{details|Fisher–Miller Land Grant}} In contrast to many treaties of its day, this treaty was very brief and simple, with all parties agreeing to a mutual cooperation and a sharing of the land. The treaty was agreed to at a meeting in San Saba County,<ref>{{cite web|title=THC-Comanche Treaty|url=http://atlas.thc.state.tx.us/viewform.asp?atlas_num=5411000991&site_name=Comanche+Indian+Treaty&class=5000|publisher=Texas Historical Association|access-date=17 September 2011}}</ref> and signed by all parties on May 9, 1847, in [[Fredericksburg, Texas]]. The treaty was very specifically between the Peneteka band and the German Immigration Company. No other band or tribe was involved. The German Immigration Company was dissolved by Meusebach himself shortly after it had served its purpose. By 1875, the Comanches had been relocated to reservations.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Demallie|first1=Raymond J |last2=Deloria | first2=Vine |title=Documents of American Indian Diplomacy: Treaties, Agreements and Conventions 1775–1979, Vol 1. |year=1999|publisher=University of Oklahoma|isbn=0-8061-3118-7|pages=1493–1494}}</ref>{{details|Meusebach-Comanche Treaty}} Five years later, artist [[Friedrich Richard Petri]] and his family moved to the settlement of [[Pedernales, Texas|Pedernales]], near Fredericksburg. Petri's sketches and watercolors gave witness to the friendly relationships between the Germans and various local [[Native American (Americas)|Native American]] tribes.<ref>{{cite book|last=Germunden|first=Gerd|title=Germans and Indians: Fantasies, Encounters, Projections|year=2002|publisher=University of Nebraska Press|isbn=978-0-8032-6420-5|author2=Calloway, Colin G |author3=Zantop, Suzanne |page=65}}</ref>
====Fort Martin Scott treaty====
In 1850, another treaty was signed in San Saba, between the United States government and a number of local tribes, among which were the Comanches. This treaty was named for the nearest military fort, which was [[Fort Martin Scott]]. The treaty was never officially ratified by any level of government and was binding only on the part of the Native Americans.<ref>{{cite book|last=Watson|first=Larry S|title=INDIAN TREATIES 1835 to 1902 Vol. XXII – Kiowa, Comanche and Apache|year=1994|publisher=Histree|pages=15–19}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Webb|first=Walter Prescott|year=1965|title=The Texas Rangers: A Century of Frontier Defense|isbn=978-0-292-78110-8|publisher=University of Texas Press|pages=138–140}}</ref>{{details|Fort Martin Scott Treaty}}
====Cherokee Commission====
The [[s:Agreement with the Comanche, Kiowa and Apache, 1892|Agreement with the Comanche, Kiowa and Apache]] signed with the [[Cherokee Commission]] October 6–21, 1892,<ref>{{cite book|last=Deloria|first=Vine J Jr.|title=Documents of American Indian Diplomacy Treaties, Agreements, and Conventions, 1775–1979|year=1999|publisher=University of Oklahoma Press|isbn=978-0-8061-3118-4|pages=355, 356, 357, 358|author2=DeMaille, Raymond J}}</ref> further reduced their reservation to {{convert|480,000|acre|km2}} at a cost of $1.25 per acre ($308.88/km<sup>2</sup>), with an allotment of {{convert|160|acre|km2}} per person per tribe to be held in trust. New allotments were made in 1906 to all children born after the agreement, and the remaining land was opened to white settlement. With this new arrangement, the era of the Comanche reservation came to an abrupt end.
====Captive Herman Lehmann====
One of the most famous captives in Texas was a German boy named [[Herman Lehmann]]. He had been kidnapped by the [[Apache]]s, only to escape and be rescued by the Comanches. Lehmann became the adoptive son of [[Quanah Parker]]. On August 26, 1901, Quanah Parker provided a legal [[affidavit]] verifying Lehmann's life as his adopted son 1877–1878. On May 29, 1908, the [[United States Congress]] authorized the [[United States Secretary of the Interior]] to allot Lehmann, as an adopted member of the Comanche nation, 160 acres of Oklahoma land, near [[Grandfield, Oklahoma|Grandfield]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Zesch|first=Scott|title=The Captured: A True Story of Abduction by Indians on the Texas Frontier|year=2005|publisher=St. Martin's|isbn=978-0-312-31789-8|pages=239–241}}</ref>
===Recent history===
[[File:Mac silverhorn drumming.jpg|thumb|Mac Silverhorn (Comanche), grandson of [[Silver Horn]], drumming with friend at Redstone Baptist Church]]
Entering the Western economy was a challenge for the Comanche in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Many tribal members were defrauded of whatever remained of their land and possessions. Appointed paramount chief by the United States government, Chief [[Quanah Parker]] campaigned vigorously for better deals for his people, meeting with Washington politicians frequently; and helped manage land for the tribe.
Parker became wealthy as a cattleman. He also campaigned for the Comanches' permission to practice the [[Native American Church]] religious rites, such as the usage of [[peyote]], which was condemned by European Americans.<ref>{{cite book|last=Leahy|first=Todd|title=The A to Z of Native American Movements|url=https://archive.org/details/toznativeamerica00leah|url-access=limited|year=2009|publisher=Scarecrow Press|isbn=978-0-8108-6892-2|author2=Wilson, Raymond|page=[https://archive.org/details/toznativeamerica00leah/page/n196 120]}}</ref>
Before the first Oklahoma legislature, Quanah testified:
<blockquote>I do not think this legislature should interfere with a man's religion, also these people should be allowed to retain this health restorer. These healthy gentleman before you use peyote and those that do not use it are not so healthy.<ref>Swan 19</ref></blockquote>
During [[World War II]], many Comanche left the traditional tribal lands in Oklahoma to seek jobs and more opportunities in the cities of California and the [[Southwestern United States|Southwest]]. About half of the Comanche population still lives in Oklahoma, centered on the town of Lawton.
Recently, an 80-minute 1920 silent film was "rediscovered", titled ''[[The Daughter of Dawn]].'' It features a cast of more than 300 Comanche and Kiowa.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Daughter of Dawn &#124; Oklahoma Historical Society|url=https://www.okhistory.org/research/daughterofdawn|access-date=2022-08-20|website=www.okhistory.org}}</ref>
==Culture==
[[File:Edward S. Curtis Collection People 085.jpg|thumb|upright|Uwat (Comanche), photograph by [[Edward Curtis]], 1930]]
===Childbirth===
[[File:Edward S. Curtis Collection People 003.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Comanche mother and baby son in cradleboard, photo by [[Edward Curtis]]]]
[[File:Cradleboard of the Kiowa or Comanche people.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Comanche [[cradleboard]] held at the [[Birmingham Museum of Art]]]]
If a woman went into [[Labour (childbirth)|labor]] while the band was in camp, she was moved to a [[tipi]], or a brush lodge if it was summer. One or more of the older women assisted as [[Midwifery|midwives]]. Men were not allowed inside the tipi during or immediately after the delivery.<ref>Wallace and Hoebel (1952) p.142</ref>
First, the midwives softened the [[earthen floor]] of the tipi and dug two holes. One of the holes was for heating water and the other for the [[Placenta|afterbirth]]. One or two stakes were driven into the ground near the expectant mother's bedding for her to grip during the pain of labor. After the birth, the midwives hung the [[umbilical cord]] on a [[Celtis|hackberry]] tree. The people believed that if the umbilical cord was not disturbed before it rotted, the baby would live a long and prosperous life.<ref>Wallace and Hoebel (1952) pp.143, 144</ref>
The newborn was [[Swaddling|swaddled]] and remained with its mother in the tipi for a few days. The baby was placed in a [[cradleboard]], and the mother went back to work. She could easily carry the cradleboard on her back, or prop it against a tree where the baby could watch her while she collected seeds or roots. Cradleboards consisted of a flat board to which a basket was attached. The latter was made from rawhide straps, or a leather sheath that laced up the front. With soft, dry moss as a diaper, the young one was safely tucked into the leather pocket. During cold weather, the baby was wrapped in blankets, and then placed in the cradleboard. The baby remained in the cradleboard for about ten months; then it was allowed to crawl around.<ref name="Wallace and Hoebel 1952 p.120">Wallace and Hoebel (1952) p.120</ref>
Both girls and boys were welcomed into the band, but boys were favored. If the baby was a boy, one of the midwives informed the father or grandfather, "It's your close friend". Families might paint a flap on the tipi to tell the rest of the tribe that they had been strengthened with another warrior. Sometimes a man named his child, but mostly the father asked a [[medicine man]] (or another man of distinction) to do so. He did this in the hope of his child living a long and productive life. During the public naming ceremony, the medicine man lit his pipe and offered smoke to the heavens, earth, and each of the four directions. He prayed that the child would remain happy and healthy. He then lifted the child to symbolize its growing up and announced the child's name four times. He held the child a little higher each time he said the name. It was believed that the child's name foretold its future; even a weak or sick child could grow up to be a great warrior, hunter, and raider if given a name suggesting courage and strength.<ref name="Wallace and Hoebel 1952 p.120"/> Boys were often named after their grandfather, uncle, or other relative. Girls were usually named after one of their father's relatives, but the name was selected by the mother. As children grew up they also acquired nicknames at different points in their lives, to express some aspect of their lives.<ref>Wallace and Hoebel (1952) pp.122, 123</ref>
===Children===
The Comanche looked on their children as their most precious gift. Children were rarely punished.<ref>Wallace and Hoebel (1952) p.124</ref> Sometimes, though, an older sister or other relative was called upon to discipline a child, or the parents arranged for a [[boogey man]] to scare the child. Occasionally, old people donned sheets and frightened disobedient boys and girls. Children were also told about Big Maneater Owl (''Pia Mupitsi''), who lived in a cave on the south side of the [[Wichita Mountains|Witchita Mountains]] and ate bad children at night.<ref>{{cite book|last=De Capua|first=Sarah|title=The Comanche|year=2006|publisher=Benchmark Books|isbn=978-0-7614-2249-5|pages=22, 23}}</ref>
Children learned from example, by observing and listening to their parents and others in the band. As soon as she was old enough to walk, a girl followed her mother about the camp and played at the daily tasks of cooking and making clothing. She was also very close to her mother's sisters, who were called not aunt but ''pia'', meaning mother. She was given a little deerskin doll, which she took with her everywhere. She learned to make all the clothing for the doll.<ref name="WH124125"/>
A boy identified not only with his father but with his father's family, as well as with the bravest warriors in the band. He learned to ride a horse before he could walk. By the time he was four or five, he was expected to be able to skillfully handle a horse. When he was five or six, he was given a small [[Bow (weapon)|bow]] and [[arrow (weapon)|arrow]]s. Often, a boy was taught to ride and shoot by his grandfather, since his father and other warriors were on raids and hunts. His grandfather also taught him about his own boyhood and the history and legends of the Comanche.<ref name="WH125-132"/>
[[File:Comanche child 1908.jpg|thumb|upright|A 19th-century Comanche child]]
As the boy grew older, he joined the other boys to hunt birds. He eventually ranged farther from camp looking for better game to kill. Encouraged to be skillful hunters, boys learned the signs of the [[prairie]] as they learned to patiently and quietly stalk game. They became more self-reliant, yet, by playing together as a group, also formed the bonds and cooperative spirit that they would need when they hunted and raided.<ref name="WH125-132"/>
[[File:Comanches.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Comanches of West [[Texas]] in war regalia, c. 1830]]
Boys were highly respected because they would become warriors and might die young in battle. As he approached manhood, a boy went on his first buffalo hunt. If he made a kill, his father honored him with a feast. Only after he had proven himself on a buffalo hunt was a young man allowed to go to war.<ref name="WH125-132"/>
When he was ready to become a warrior, at about age 15 or 16, a young man first "made his medicine" by going on a [[vision quest]] (a [[rite of passage]]). Following this quest, his father gave him a good horse to ride into battle and another mount for the trail. If he had proved himself as a warrior, a Give Away Dance might be held in his honor. As drummers faced east, the honored boy and other young men danced. His parents, along with his other relatives and the people in the band, threw presents at his feet – especially blankets and horses symbolized by sticks. Anyone might snatch one of the gifts for themselves, although those with many possessions refrained; they did not want to appear greedy. People often gave away all their belongings during these dances, providing for others in the band, but leaving themselves with nothing.<ref name="WH125-132">Wallace and Hoebel (1952) pp. 126–132</ref>
Girls learned to gather berries, nuts, and roots. They carried water and collected wood, and at about 12 years old learned to cook meals, make tipis, sew clothing, prepare hides, and perform other tasks essential to becoming a wife and mother. They were then considered ready to be married.<ref name="WH124125">Wallace and Hoebel (1952) pp. 124, 125</ref>
===Death===
During the 19th century, the traditional Comanche burial custom was to wrap the deceased's body in a blanket and place it on a horse, behind a rider, who would then ride in search of an appropriate burial place, such as a secure cave. After entombment, the rider covered the body with stones and returned to camp, where the mourners burned all the deceased's possessions. The primary mourner slashed his arms to express his grief. The Quahada band followed this custom longer than other bands and buried their relatives in the [[Wichita Mountains|Witchita Mountains]]. Christian missionaries persuaded Comanche people to bury their dead in coffins in graveyards,<ref>Kroeker</ref> which is the practice today.
===Transportation and habitation===
[[File:Catlin -- Comanche warrior and tipi.jpg|thumb|left|Comanche Tipis painted by [[George Catlin]]]]
[[File:Ako, a Comanche warrior and horse -.jpg|thumb|Comanche warrior ''Ako'' and horse. Photo by James Mooney, 1892]]
[[File:Three mounted Comanche warriors - 1892.jpg|thumb|Three mounted Comanche warriors, left, Frank Moetah. Photo by James Mooney, 1892]]
When they lived with the Shoshone, the Comanche mainly used dog-drawn [[travois]] for transportation. Later, they acquired horses from other tribes, such as the Pueblo, and from the Spaniards. Because horses are faster, easier to control and stronger, this helped with hunting, warfare and moving camp. Larger dwellings were made due to the ability to pull and carry more belongings. Being herbivores, horses were also easier to feed than dogs, since meat was a valuable resource.<ref>Rollings, Deer (2004) pp. 20–24</ref> The horse was of the utmost value to the Comanche. A Comanche man's wealth was measured by the size of his horse herd. Horses were prime targets to steal during raids; often raids were conducted specifically to capture horses. Often horse herds numbering in the hundreds were stolen by Comanche during raids against other Indian nations, Spanish, Mexicans, and later from the ranches of Texans. Horses were used for warfare with the Comanche being considered to be among the finest light cavalry and mounted warriors in history.<ref>{{cite web|title=Indian Culture and the Horse|url=http://paulrittman.com/Indian%20Culture%20and%20the%20Horse.pdf|access-date=2013-05-26|archive-date=April 12, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412025028/http://paulrittman.com/Indian%20Culture%20and%20the%20Horse.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>
[[File:Comanche Feats of Horsemanship-George Catlin.jpg|thumb|left|''Comanche Feats of Horsemenship'', [[George Catlin]] 1834]]
The Comanche covered their tipis with buffalo hides sewn together. To prepare the hides, women spread them on the ground, scraped off the fat and flesh with blades of bone or antler, and dried them in the sun. Then the women scraped off the thick hair and soaked the hides in water. After several days, they vigorously rubbed them in a mixture of fat, brains and liver to soften them. They softened them further by rinsing and working back and forth over a rawhide thong. Finally, they were smoked over a fire, which gave them a tan color. To finish the tipi covering, women laid the tanned hides side by side and stitched them together. As many as 22 hides could be used, but 14 was the average. The sewn cover was tied to a pole and raised, wrapped around the cone-shaped frame, and pinned with pencil-sized wooden skewers. Two wing-shaped flaps at the top of the tipi were turned back to make an opening, which could be adjusted to keep out moisture and held pockets of insulating air. With a fire pit in the center of the earthen floor, the tipis stayed warm in winter. In summer, the bottom edges of the tipis could be rolled up to let in a breeze. Cooking was done outside during hot weather. Tipis were very practical homes for nomads. Working together, women could quickly set them up or take them down. An entire Comanche band could be packed and chasing a buffalo herd within about 20 minutes. The women did most food processing and preparation.<ref>Rollings, Deer (2004) pp. 29–30</ref>
===Food===
{{More citations needed section|date=January 2022}}
[[File:Comanche Indians Chasing Buffalo with Lances and Bows.jpg|thumb|Comanches chasing bison, painted by [[George Catlin]]. Bison were the primary food source for the Comanche.]]
The Comanche were initially [[hunter-gatherers]]. When they lived in the [[Rocky Mountains]], during their migration to the Great Plains, both men and women shared responsibility for gathering and providing food. When the Comanche reached the plains, hunting predominated. Hunting was considered a male activity and was a principal source of prestige. For meat, the Comanche hunted [[Plains bison|bison]], [[elk]], [[American black bear|black bear]], [[pronghorn]], and [[deer]]. When game was scarce, the men hunted wild mustangs, and sometimes ate their own ponies. In later years the Comanche raided Texas ranches and stole longhorn cattle. They did not eat fish or fowl, unless starving.
Women prepared and cooked bison meat and other game. Women also gathered wild fruits, seeds, nuts, berries, roots and tubers, including [[plum]]s, [[grape]]s, [[juniper]] berries, [[persimmon]]s, [[mulberry|mulberries]], [[acorn]]s, [[pecan]]s, wild [[onion]]s, [[radish]]es, and tuna, the fruit of the [[prickly pear cactus]]. The Comanche also acquired [[maize]], dried [[pumpkin]], and [[tobacco]] through trade and raids. They roasted meat over a fire or boiled it. To boil fresh or dried meat and vegetables, women dug a pit in the ground, which they lined with animal skins or bison stomach and filled with water to make a kind of cooking pot. They placed heated stones in the water until it boiled and had cooked their stew. After Spanish contact, Comanche traded for copper pots and iron kettles, which made cooking easier.
Women used berries and nuts, as well as honey and [[tallow]], to flavor bison meat. They stored the tallow in intestine casings or rawhide pouches called ''oyóotû¿''. They especially liked to make a sweet mush of bison marrow mixed with crushed mesquite beans.
The Comanches sometimes ate raw meat, especially raw liver flavored with [[bile|gall]]. They also drank the milk from the slashed udders of bison, deer, and elk.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Indians of Texas: from prehistoric to modern times|last=Newcomb|first=W.W. Jr.|publisher=University of Texas Press|year=2002|isbn=978-0-292-78425-3|pages=[https://archive.org/details/indiansoftexasfr00newc/page/164 164]|url=https://archive.org/details/indiansoftexasfr00newc/page/164}}</ref> Among their delicacies was the curdled milk from the stomachs of suckling bison calves. They also enjoyed bison tripe, or stomachs.
Comanche generally ate a light meal breakfast and a large dinner. They ate during the day when they were hungry or when it was convenient. Like other [[Plains Indians|Plains tribes]], the Comanche were very hospitable. They prepared meals whenever a visitor arrived in camp, which led to outsiders' belief that the Comanches ate at all hours of the day or night. Many families offered thanks as they sat down to eat their meals.
Comanche children ate [[pemmican]], but this was primarily a tasty, high-energy food reserved for war parties. Carried in a [[parfleche]] pouch, pemmican was eaten only when the men did not have time to hunt. Similarly, in camp, people ate pemmican only when other food was scarce. Traders ate pemmican sliced and dipped in honey, which they called Indian bread.
===Clothing===
[[File:Feather headdress Comanche EthnM.jpg|thumb|upright|Comanche [[headdress]] at the Ethnologisches Museum, Berlin]]
[[File:Chosequah- Comanche Indian.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Chosequah, a Comanche warrior wearing full traditional regalia. Painted by [[Elbridge Ayer Burbank|E. A. Burbank]], 1897.]]
Comanche clothing was simple and easy to wear. Men wore a leather belt with a breechcloth — a long piece of buckskin brought up between the legs and looped over and under the belt at the front and back, and loose-fitting deerskin leggings. [[Moccasins]] had soles made from thick, tough buffalo hide with soft deerskin uppers. Men wore nothing on the upper body, except in winter when they wore heavy robes of buffalo hide (or occasionally, [[American black bear|bear]], [[wolf]], or [[coyote]] skins) with knee-length buffalo-hide boots. Young boys usually went naked except in cold weather. By age 8 or 9, they wore adult clothing. In the 19th century, men had replaced the buckskin breechcloths by woven cloth, and wore loose-fitting buckskin shirts. Women wore long deerskin dresses with a flared skirt and wide, long sleeves, with buckskin fringes on the sleeves and hem. Beads and pieces of metal were attached in geometric patterns. Women wore buckskin moccasins with buffalo soles. Women decorated their shirts, leggings and moccasins with fringes of deer-skin, animal fur, and human hair. They also decorated their shirts and leggings with patterns and shapes of beads and scraps of material. In winter they, too, wore warm buffalo robes and tall, fur-lined buffalo-hide boots. Unlike boys, girls old enough to walk were dressed in breechcloths. By age 12 or 13, they wore women's clothing.<ref>Rollings, Deer (2004) p. 31</ref>
===Hair and headgear===
Comanche people took pride in their hair, which was worn long. They arranged it with [[porcupine]] quill brushes, greased it and parted it in the center from the forehead to the back of the neck. They painted the scalp along the parting with yellow, red, or white clay (or other colors). They wore their hair in two long braids tied with leather thongs or colored cloth, and sometimes wrapped with [[beaver]] fur. They also braided a strand of hair from the top of their head. This slender braid, called a scalp lock, was decorated with colored scraps of cloth and beads, and a single feather. Comanche men rarely wore anything on their heads. Only after they moved onto a reservation late in the 19th century did men begin to wear the typical Plains [[headdress]]. In severe cold, they might wear a brimless, woolly buffalo hide hat. At war, some warriors wore a headdress of buffalo scalp. Warriors cut away most of the hide and flesh from a buffalo head, leaving only a portion of the woolly head and the horns. This type of hat was worn only by the Comanche. Women did not let their hair grow as long as the men did. Young women might wear their hair long and braided, but women parted their hair in the middle and kept it short. Like the men, they painted their scalp along the parting with bright paint.<ref>Rollings, Deer (2004) pp. 31, 32</ref>
===Body decoration===
Comanche men usually had [[pierced ears]] with hanging earrings made of pieces of shell or loops of brass or silver wire. A female relative would pierce the outer edge of the ear with six or eight holes. The men also [[tattoo]]ed his face, arms, and chest with geometric designs, and painted his face and body. Traditionally they used paints made of berry juice and the colored clays of the Comancheria. Later, traders supplied them with vermilion (red pigment) and bright grease paints. Men wore bands of leather and strips of metal on their arms. Except for black, which was the color for war, there was no standard color or pattern for face and body painting: it was a matter of individual preference. For example, one man might paint one side of his face white and the other side red; another might paint one side of his body green and the other side with green and black stripes. One Comanche might always paint himself in a particular way, while another might change the colors and designs when so inclined. Some designs had special meaning to the individual, and special colors and designs might have been revealed in a dream. Women might also tattoo their face or arms. They were fond of painting their bodies and were free to do so as they pleased. It was popular for women to paint the insides of their ears a bright red and paint great orange and red circles on their cheeks. They usually painted red and yellow around their lips.<ref>Rollings, Deer (2004) pp. 32, 33</ref>
[[File:Comanche ration bag 1880 OHS.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Comanche beaded ration bag, c. 1880, collection of the [[Oklahoma History Center]]]]
=== Art and material culture ===
Because of their frequent nomadic traveling, Comanche had to make sure that their household goods and other possessions were unbreakable. They did not use pottery that could easily be broken on long journeys. Weaving, wood carving, and metal working were unknown. Instead, they depended on buffalo for most of their tools, household goods, and weapons. They made nearly 200 different utilitarian items from the horns, hide, and bones.
Removing the lining of the inner stomach, women made the paunch into a water bag. The lining was stretched over four sticks and filled with water to make a pot for cooking soups and stews. With wood scarce on the plains, women relied on buffalo chips (dried dung) as fuel for cooking and heat.<ref>Rollings, Deer (2004) p 28</ref>
Stiff rawhide was fashioned into saddles, stirrups and cinches, knife cases, buckets, and moccasin soles. Rawhide was also made into rattles and drums. Strips of rawhide were twisted into sturdy ropes. Scraped to resemble white parchment, rawhide skins were folded to make parfleches in which food, clothing, and other personal belongings were kept. Women also [[Tanning (leather)|tanned hides]] to make soft and supple buckskin, which was used for tipi covers, warm robes, blankets, cloths, and moccasins. They used buckskin for bedding, cradles, dolls, bags, pouches, quivers, and gun cases.
[[Sinew]] was used for bowstrings and sewing thread. Hooves were turned into glue and rattles. Horns were shaped into cups, spoons, and ladles, while the tail made a whip, fly-swatter, or a tipi decoration. Men made tools, scrapers, needles, pipes and children's toys from the bones. But men concentrated on making bows and arrows, lances, and shields. The thick neck skin of an old bull was ideal for war shields that deflected arrows as well as bullets. Since they spent most of each day on horseback, they also fashioned leather into saddles, stirrups, and other equipment for their mounts. Buffalo hair was used to fill saddle pads and was used in rope and halters.<ref>Rollings, Deer (2004) pp 25, 26</ref>
===Language===
{{Main|Comanche language}}
[[File:Charles Chibitty.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Charles Chibitty]], Comanche [[code talker]] in [[World War II]]]]
The language spoken by the [[Comanche people]], ''[[Comanche language|Comanche]]'' (''N<s>u</s>m<s>u</s> tekwap<u><s>u</s></u>''), is a [[Numic languages|Numic language]] of the [[Uto-Aztecan languages|Uto-Aztecan language group]]. It is closely related to the [[Shoshone language|language of the Shoshone]], from which the Comanche diverged around 1700. The two languages remain closely related, but a few low-level sound changes inhibit mutual intelligibility. The earliest records of Comanche from 1786 clearly show a dialect of Shoshone, but by the beginning of the 20th century, these sound changes had modified the way Comanche sounded in subtle, but profound, ways.<ref>McLaughlin (1992), 158–81</ref><ref>McLaughlin (2000), 293–304</ref> Although efforts are now being made to ensure survival of the language, most of its speakers are elderly, and less than 1% of the Comanches can speak it.
In the late 19th century, many Comanche children were placed in boarding schools with children from different tribes. The children were taught English and discouraged from speaking their native language. Anecdotally, enforcement of speaking English was severe.
Quanah Parker learned and spoke English and was adamant that his own children do the same. The second generation then grew up speaking English, because it was believed{{who|date=June 2014}} that it was better for them not to know Comanche.<ref name="Hämäläinen 2008, p.171">Hämäläinen (2008), p.171</ref>
Comanches were among the Native Americans who were first utilized as [[code talker]]s by the U.S. Army during World War I.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Code Talkers – World War I Centennial|url=https://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/american-indians-in-ww1-code-talkers.html|access-date=2021-05-25|website=www.worldwar1centennial.org}}</ref>
During [[World War II]], a group of 17 young men, referred to as "the Comanche code talkers", were trained and used by the [[U.S. Army]] to send messages conveying sensitive information that could not be deciphered by the Germans.<ref>{{cite book|last=Holm|first=Tom|title=Code Talkers and Warriors: Native Americans and World War II|year=2007|publisher=Chelsea House Publications|isbn=978-0-7910-9340-5|pages=[https://archive.org/details/codetalkerswarri00holm_0/page/108 108–120]|chapter=The Comanche Code Talkers|chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/codetalkerswarri00holm_0/page/108}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/d-day-70th-anniversary/comanche-indians-honor-d-day-code-talkers-n126216|work=D-Day 70th Anniversary|title=Comanche Indians Honor D-Day Code-Talkers|date=June 9, 2014|publisher=NBC News }}</ref>
==Notable Comanches==
{{see|:Category:Comanche people}}
===Historic Comanche people===
These are notable Comanche people from the 18th and 19th centuries, prior to allotment.
[[File:Comanche chief.jpg|thumb|upright|Mo'o-wai ("Pushing aside" or "Pushing-in-the-middle"), aka "Shaking Hand", chief of the Kotsoteka]]
<!--Please only add people with preexisting Wikipedia articles-->
*[[Amorous Man]] (Pahayoko) (late 1780s – c. 1860), Penateka chief
* [[Black Horse (Comanche)|Black Horse]] (died ca. 1900), second chief of the Quahadi band
*[[Buffalo Hump]] (Potsʉnakwahipʉ) (c. 1800 – c. 1865/1870), war chief and later head chief of the Penateka division
* [[Carne Muerto]], Tehcap (1832–1860s), Quahadi war chief
* [[Tavibo Naritgant]], [[Cuerno Verde]] (died 1779), war chief
* [[Horseback (Comanche)|Horseback]] (Tʉhʉyakwahipʉ) (c. 1805/1810 – c. 1888), chief of the Nokoni band
* [[Iron Jacket]] (Puhihwikwasu'u) (c. 1790 – 1858), war chief and later head chief of the Quahadi band; father of Peta Nocona
* [[Isatai]] (c. 1840–c. 1890), warrior and medicine man of the Quahadi
* [[Mow-way]] (Shaking Hand, Pushing-in-the-Middle) (c. 1825 – 1886), Kotsoteka chief
* [[Old Owl]] ([[Mupitsukupʉ]]) (late 1780s – 1849), Penateka chief
* [[Peta Nocona]] (Lone Wanderer) (c. 1820 – c. 1864), chief of the Quahadi division; father of Quanah Parker
* [[Quanah Parker]] (c. 1845 – 1911), Quahadi chief, a founder of [[Native American Church]] and rancher
* [[White Parker]] (1887–1956), son of Quanah Parker and Methodist missionary
* [[Piaru-ekaruhkapu]] ([[Big Red Meat]]) (ca. 1820/1825 – 1875), Nokoni chief
* [[Sanapia]] (1895–1984), medicine woman
* [[Santa Anna (Comanche war chief)|Santa Anna]] (c. 1800 – c. 1849), war chief of the Penateka Band
* [[Spirit Talker]] ([[Mukwooru]]) (c. 1780 – 1840), Penateka chief and medicine man
* [[Ten Bears]] (Pawʉʉrasʉmʉnunʉ) (c. 1790 – 1872), chief of the Ketahto band and later of the entire Yamparika division
* [[Tomassa]] ({{Circa|1840}}–1900), translator<ref name=":02">{{Cite book |last=Bataille |first=Gretchen M. |author-link=Gretchen Bataille |url=https://archive.org/details/nativeamericanwo00bata_0/ |title=Native American women : a biographical dictionary |last2=Lisa |first2=Laurie |date=1993 |publisher=New York : Garland |others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-0-8240-5267-6}}</ref>
* [[Tosawi]] (White Knife) (c. 1805/1810 – c. 1878/1880), chief of the Penateka band
* [[Yellow Wolf (Comanche)|Yellow Wolf]] (Isa-viah) (c. 1800/1805 – 1854), war chief of the Penateka division
<!--Please only add people with pre-existing Wikipedia articles-->
=== Notable Comanche captives ===
* [[Bianca Babb]] (1856–1950), American woman and captive of Comanche
* [[Cynthia Ann Parker]] (1827–1863), American captive, wife of Peta Nocona, mother of Quanah Parker
=== Comanche Nation citizens ===
[[File:2014 12 09 iaia karita coffey.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Karita Coffey]] (Comanche Nation) professor, ceramic artist, and sculptor at the [[Institute of American Indian Arts]], [[Santa Fe, New Mexico]], 2014]]
These are 20th- and 21st-century citizens of the Comanche Nation.
* [[Charon Asetoyer]] (born 1951), activist and women's health advocate
* [[Chad Gable]] (born 1986), professional wrestler<ref>{{cite tweet |last=Gable |first=Chad |author-link=Chad Gable |user=WWEGable |number=1454088574110994437 |date=October 29, 2021 |title=Graduated… time to play Earthbound. Anyone else still play another 2? #ForTheAcademy https://t.co/UB8d6UHEYh |language=en |access-date=20 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220316191848/https://twitter.com/WWEGable/status/1454088574110994437 |archive-date=March 16, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Charles Chibitty]] (1921–2005), World War II Comanche code talker
* [[Karita Coffey]], Tsat-Tah Mo-oh Kahn (born 1947), ceramic artist, professor, sculptor
* [[Marie C. Cox]] (1920–2005), founder of the [[North American Indian Women's Association]] and foster care reform advocate
* [[Jesse Ed Davis]] (1944–1988), guitarist and recording artist
* [[LaDonna Harris]] (born 1931), political activist and founder of Americans for Indian Opportunity
* [[Janee' Kassanavoid]] (born 1995), athlete (hammer throw)
* [[Dorothy Sunrise Lorentino]] (1909–2005), educator, activist, sister of Morris Tabbyyetchy.
* [[Doc Tate Nevaquaya]] (1932–1996), Flatstyle painter, [[Native American flute]]-player, NEA fellow
* [[Sonny Nevaquaya]] (d. 2019), [[Native American flute]]-player
* [[Diane O'Leary]] (1939–2013), artist, nurse
* [[Lotsee Patterson]] (born 1931), librarian, educator, and founder of the American Indian Library Association
* [[Paul Chaat Smith]], Comanche/Choctaw author, curator
* [[George Tahdooahnippah]] "Comanche Boy" (born 1978), professional boxer and NABC super middleweight champion
* [[Josephine Wapp]] (1912–2014), professor, regalia maker, textile artist
* [[David Yeagley]] (1951–2014), classical composer, political writer
== Population history ==
In 1832 Comanche chiefs told [[George Catlin]] that the tribe numbered up to 40,000 people, being able to muster up to 8,000 warriors. This high population appears to be confirmed by [[Étienne de Veniard, Sieur de Bourgmont|Bourgmont]] who was told by a Comanche chief that the tribe consisted of 12 villages and when Bourgmont visited one of those villages, he found there 800 warriors (if every other village was equally populous, the total number of warriors would be 9,600). In 1774 a French trader, J. Gaignard, wrote that one division of the Comanche (the Naytane, also known as Yamparika) had 4,000 warriors divided into four bands which were never together. In 1786 Spaniards estimated that the Comanches may have numbered up to 30,000. [[Jedidiah Morse]] around year 1820 estimated the Comanche at between 38,000 and 41,000. In 1819 three bands of the Comanche were reported as 2,500 warriors. Indian Affairs 1837 reported 19,200 people. [[Charles Bent]] in 1847 reported that they had 2,500 lodges. Indian Affairs 1849 reported them as 4,000 warriors and 20,000 total population. Around the mid-19th century [[Amiel Weeks Whipple|A. W. Whipple]], [[Emmanuel Domenech|E. Domenech]] and H. Howe all reported that the Comanche numbered up to 30,000.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Krzywicki |first=Ludwik |url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.b4381154&view=1up&seq=346&skin=2021 |title=Primitive society and its vital statistics |publisher=Macmillan |year=1934 |series=Publications of the Polish Sociological Institute |location=London |page=487-489}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite book |last=Domenech |first=Emmanuel |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nWkFAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA24 |title=Seven Years' Residence in the Great Deserts of North America |publisher=Longman, Green, Longman, and Roberts |year=1860 |volume=2 |location=London |pages=24}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Yamparika Indians |url=https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/yamparika-indians}}</ref> The Comanche population apparently rapidly declined in the 2nd half of the 19th century. The census of 1890 found only 1,598 in Oklahoma. According to Indian Affairs there were 1,507 (in 1895), 1,499 (in 1900), 1401 (in 1905) and 1,476 (in 1910).<ref name=":1" /> The census of 1910 reported only 1,171.
Comanche population has rebounded in the 20th and 21st centuries. There are 17,000 Comanche Nation citizens.<ref name=about/> In the 2020 US census, 39,808 Americans stated they were Comanche.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=T01001&t=-5000K&g=010XX00US&y=2020 |access-date=2024-11-05 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
==See also==
*[[Quanah Parker Star House]]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==Sources==
*{{cite book|author=Kavanagh, Thomas W. |date=1996|title=The Comanches: A History 1706–1875|location=Lincoln, Nebraska|publisher=University of Nebraska Press|isbn=978-0-8032-7792-2}}
*{{cite book|author=Kroeker, Marvin E. |title=Comanches and Mennonites on the Oklahoma Plains: A.J. and Magdalena Becker and the Post Oak Mission|location=Fresno, CA|publisher= Centers for Mennonite Brethren Studies|date= 1997|isbn= 0-921788-42-8}}
*{{cite journal|author=McLaughlin, John E. |date=1992|title=A Counter-Intuitive Solution in Central Numic Phonology|journal=International Journal of American Linguistics|jstor=3519754|volume=58|issue=2|pages=158–181|doi=10.1086/ijal.58.2.3519754|s2cid=148250257}}
*{{cite journal|author=McLaughlin, John E. |title=Language Boundaries and Phonological Borrowing in the Central Numic Languages|editor1= Casad, Gene |editor2= Willett, Thomas |date=2000|journal=Uto-Aztecan: Structural, Temporal, and Geographic Perspectives|publisher= Friends of Uto-Aztecan Universidad de Sonora, División de Humanidades y Bellas Artes, Hermosillo|location= Sonora, Mexico|isbn= 970-689-030-0}}
*{{cite book|last=Meadows|first=William C|title=Kiowa, Apache, and Comanche Military Societies: Enduring Veterans, 1800 to the Present|year=2003|publisher=University of Texas Press|isbn=978-0-292-70518-0}}
*{{cite book|last=Rollings|first=William H. |title=The Comanche |year=2004 |publisher=Chelsea House Publishers| isbn=978-0-7910-8349-9| author2=Deer, Ada E}}
*{{cite book|author= Swan, Daniel C. |title=Peyote Religious Art: Symbols of Faith and Belief|location= Jackson, Mississippi|publisher= University of Mississippi Press|date= 1999 |isbn= 1-57806-096-6}}
*{{cite book|last1=Wallace|first1=Ernest|last2= Hoebel|first2=E. Adamson |date=1952|title=The Comanche: Lords of the Southern Plains|url=https://archive.org/details/comancheslordsof0000wall|url-access=registration|publisher= University of Oklahoma Press|location= Norman, OK|isbn=9780806102498|oclc= 1175397|author1-link= Ernest Wallace }}
* Nye, Wilbur Sturtevant. ''Carbine and Lance: The Story of Old Fort Sill'', University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, 1983
* Leckie, William H.. ''The Buffalo Soldiers: A Narrative of the Negro Cavalry in the West'', University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, 1967
* Fowler, Arlen L.. ''The Black Infantry in the West, 1869–1891'', University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, 1996
==Further reading==
* {{cite book |author=Fehrenbach, Theodore Reed |date=1974|title=The Comanches: The Destruction of a People|publisher= Knopf |location= New York|isbn= 0-394-48856-3|author-link=T. R. Fehrenbach}} Republished as {{cite book |author=Fehrenbach, Theodore Reed|date=2003 |title=The Comanches: The History of a People|location=New York|publisher= Anchor Books|isbn= 1-4000-3049-8}}
* {{cite book |author=Foster, Morris W. |date=1991|title=Being Comanche: A Social History of an American Indian Community|location= Tucson|publisher=University of Arizona Press|isbn= 0-8165-1367-8}}
* {{cite book|author=Hamalainen (Hämäläinen), Pekka |date=2008|title=The Comanche Empire|location=New Haven|publisher=Yale University Press|isbn= 9780300126549}}
* {{cite book|author=John, Elizabeth A. H.|date=1975|title=Storms Brewed in Other Men's Worlds: The Confrontation of the Indian, Spanish, and French in the Southwest, 1540–1795 |location=College Station |publisher=Texas A&M Press|isbn=0-89096-000-3 |url=https://archive.org/details/stormsbrewedinot0000john}}
* {{cite journal |author=Kavanagh, Thomas W. |date=2001|title=High Plains: Comanche|journal=[[Handbook of North American Indians]]|volume= 13|editor= DeMallie, Raymond J. |location= Washington, D.C.|publisher= [[Smithsonian Institution]]| pages=886–906}}
* {{cite encyclopedia |author=Kavanagh, Thomas W. |date=2007 |title=Comanche |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture |publisher=Oklahoma Historical Society |url=http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/C/CO033.html |access-date=November 27, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029183653/http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/C/CO033.html |archive-date=October 29, 2013 }}
* {{cite book |author=Kavanagh, Thomas W. |date=2008 |title=Comanche Ethnography|location=Lincoln|publisher= University of Nebraska Press|isbn= 978-0-8032-2764-4}}
* {{cite book |author=Kenner, Charles |date=1969|title=A History of New Mexican-Plains Indian Relations|location= Norman|work= University of Oklahoma Press|oclc= 2141}}
* {{cite book|author=Noyes, Stanley| date=1993|title=Los Comanches the horse people, 1751–1845 |location=Albuquerque|publisher=University of New Mexico|isbn=0-585-27380-4}}
* {{cite journal |author=Spady, James O'Neil |date=2009| url= http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/journal_of_colonialism_and_colonial_history/v010/10.2.spady.html |title=Reconsidering Empire: Current Interpretations of Native American Agency during Colonization (review) |journal=Journal of Colonialism and Colonial History |volume= 10 |number= 2|doi=10.1353/cch.0.0077 }}
* {{cite book |author=Thomas, Alfred Barnaby |date=1940|title=The Plains Indians and New Mexico, 1751–1778: A collection of documents illustrative of the history of the eastern frontier of New Mexico |publisher= University of New Mexico Press|location= Albuquerque| oclc=3626655}}
* {{cite book |author1=Wolff, Gerald W. |author2=Cash, Joseph W. |date=1976 |title=The Comanche People |location= Phoenix, Arizona |publisher=Indian Tribal Series |author1-link=Gerald W. Wolff }}
==External links==
{{Commons category|Comanche}}
{{Library resources box|onlinebooks=yes}}
*[http://www.comanchenation.com Comanche Nation] – official website
*[http://www.comanchelanguage.org The Comanche Language and Cultural Preservation Committee]
*[https://www.comanchelodge.com/ Comanche Lodge]
*{{cite web|url=http://www.history.com/topics/comanche |title=Comanche |website=History Channel |access-date=August 26, 2005 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100308080758/http://www.history.com/topics/comanche |archive-date=March 8, 2010 }}
*{{cite web|url=http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/C/CO033.html|title=Comanche|website=Oklahoma Historical Society|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029183653/http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/C/CO033.html|archive-date=2013-10-29}}
*{{Handbook of Texas|id=bmc72|name="Comanche Indians"}}
*{{cite web |url= http://texashistory.unt.edu/search.tkl?type=subject&q=Comanches&q2=KWD |title= Photographs of Comanche Indians |website= Portal to Texas History |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070311024207/http://texashistory.unt.edu/search.tkl?type=subject&q=Comanches&q2=KWD |archive-date= 2007-03-11 }}
*{{cite web|url=http://www.texasindians.com/comanche.htm|title= The Texas Comanches|website= Texas Indians}}
{{Comanche}}
{{Native American Tribes in Texas}}
{{Native American Tribes in Oklahoma}}
{{Indigenous People of CO}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Comanche}}
[[Category:Comanche| ]]
[[Category:Plains tribes]]
[[Category:Native American tribes in Texas]]
[[Category:Native American tribes in Oklahoma]]
[[Category:Federally recognized tribes in the United States]]
[[Category:Native American history of Texas]]
[[Category:Texas–Indian Wars]]
[[Category:Native American tribes in Colorado]]
[[Category:Native American tribes in New Mexico]]
[[Category:Uto-Aztecan peoples]]