View source for Tehan (Kiowa)

'''Tehan''' or ''Tejan''<ref name=NA>{{cite web|url=http://www.nanations.com/warriors/maman-ti.htm|title=Maman-ti|access-date=June 30, 2023|website=Native American Nations}}</ref> ({{circa|1856}}–1874/1875) was an American settler who was taken captive by the [[Kiowa]] tribe and was adopted by the chief [[Maman-ti]].
== Biography ==
Tehan was a white captive, adopted into the Kiowa tribe. His name came from the native pronunciation of "Texan", which was derived of the Spanish [[demonym]] for the inhabitants of [[Coahuila y Tejas|Texas]], ''Tejan(a/o)''. Under Maman-ti, he became a strong warrior and eventually fought in the [[Red River War]], at about eighteen years old. He was captured by US forces, and even though he "thanked the soldiers for his deliverance", he was incarcerated. On September 14, 1874, he escaped his captivity by U.S. soldiers during the [[Battle of Lyman's Wagon Train]], and returned to the native camp. He later went on a raid with the chief [[Big Bow (Kiowa leader)|Big Bow]] in the [[Llano Estacado]] region of Texas, and died during that expedition.
Various accounts of his death exist. One account is that Big Bow stated that Tehan was captured during the events of the raid and gave authorities all that he knew about the natives, and was possibly executed afterwards. Another is that Big Bow stated that Tehan had died of thirst in the desert, while retreating from the raid. Although another claims that his foster sister met a [[Comanche]] that reportedly said Tehan had gone on his way to [[Fort Sill]] to care for his adopted mother, after his adopted father died at [[Fort Marion]].<ref name="tsha">{{cite web | url=http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fte45 | title=Tehan | publisher=Texas State Historical Association | work=Handbook of Texas Online | accessdate=12 December 2012}}</ref>
==Popular culture==
Tehan's story is told in the Canadian film ''[[Dreamkeeper]]'', he is played by the actor [[Scott Grimes]].
== References ==
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[[Category:Kiowa]]
[[Category:Kiowa people]]
[[Category:Captives of Native Americans]]
[[Category:1850s births]]
[[Category:1874 deaths]]
[[Category:Year of birth uncertain]]
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