KARANKAWA INDIAN

TIMELINE

Pre-European Karankawa ranged from Galveston Bay to Corpus Christi Bay and approximately 100 miles inland. Principally near bays and offshore barrier Islands.

1528 Karankawa met survivors of the Narvey Expedition. Cabeza de Vaca lived on Malhado and after he escaped there, he became the slave of the Karankawa Indians.

1529 February – Indians moved inland

1534 Cabeza de Vaca escaped the Karankawa with Andres Dorantes de Carranza, Alonzo Castillo Maldanado and an African born slave, Estevanico and made their way to Mexico.

1537 Cabeza de Vaca returned to Spain and published an account of this travels.

1685 Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle landed at Matagorda Bay.

1688 After bad relations and killings on both sides, the Karankawa attacked Ft. St. Louis and killed remaining colonists except for five children. Two Frenchmen away from the fort returned and buried the remains of the dead.

1689 Alonso de Leon found Ft. St. Louis and buried three remaining bodies that had not been found before.  He managed to rescue the Frenchmen and bargained for the release of Robert and Lucien Talon and their sister Magdalene.

1691 Captain Francisco Martinez was able to purchase Eustace Bremen and the last remaining Talon child, John Babtiste.

1719 Karankawa captured a Frenchman named François Simars de Belliste who stayed with them for 15 months.

1721 April – In an attempt to bring Christianity to the Karankawa, the Spanish built a presidio and mission at the site of Ft. St Louis. These were called Neustra Senora de Espiritu de Zuniga and Presidio Nuestra Señora de Loreto de la Bahía.

1722 April – The missions opened

1726 Mission de Espiritu Santo de Zuniga moved to the Guadalupe River.

1811 Karankawa were in the center of the Mexican Revolution

1817 Karankawa had a confrontation with Francisco Xavier Mina at Matagorda Bay.

1818 Jean Lafitte becomes embroiled in a war with the Karankawa at Three Trees and killed many of the Native Americans.

1821 Stephen F. Austin met with the Karankawa.

1822 Austin met with them again.

1824 Karankawa signed a treaty with Austin which they did not keep.

1827 May – Karankawa sign another treaty.

1840 Mexico gave the Karankawa permission to move south of the Rio Grande

1858 They are forced back over the border because they had caused problems for the Mexican Government.  The remaining Karankawa were killed by Juan Cortina and others.

VOCABULARY LIST

1.             Adze

Adz \Adz\, Adze \Adze\, n. [OE. adese, adis, adse, AS. adesa, adese, ax, hatchet.]

A carpenter’s or cooper’s tool, formed with a thin arching blade set at right angles to the handle. It is used for chipping or slicing away the surface of wood

2.             Archaeology

\Ar`ch[ae]*ol”o*gy\, n. The science or study of antiquities, esp. prehistoric antiquities, such as the remains of buildings or monuments of an early epoch, inscriptions, implements, and other relics, written manuscripts, etc.

 

3.             Artifact

\Ar”ti*fact\, n.  A product of human workmanship; — applied esp. to the simpler products of aboriginal art as distinguished from natural objects.

4.             Asphaltum

Asphalt \As”phalt\, Asphaltum \As*phal”tum\, n. 1. Mineral pitch or compact native bitumen. It is brittle, of a black or brown color and high luster on a surface of fracture; it melts and burns when heated, leaving no residue. It occurs on the surface Asphaltic Lake. It is found also in many parts of Asia, Europe, and America. See Bitumen 2. A composition of bitumen, pitch, lime, and gravel, used for forming pavements, and as a water-proof cement for bridges, roofs, etc.; asphaltic cement. Artificial asphalt is prepared from coal tar, lime, sand, etc.

 

5.             Breechcloth

\Breech”cloth`\, n. A cloth worn to cover the loins; a loincloth

 

6.             Cannibalism

\Can”ni*bal*ism\, n. The act or practice of eating human flesh by mankind.

7.             Dugout

\Dug”out`\, n. 1. A canoe or boat dug out from a large log. [U.S.]. 2. A place dug out. 3. A house made partly in a hillside or slighter elevation.

 

8.             Nomadic

\No*mad”ic\ 1. A member of a group of people who have no fixed home and move according to the seasons from place to place in search of food, water, and grazing land. 2. A person with no fixed residence who roams about; a wanderer.

9.             Ritual

\Rit”u*al\, a. 1. Of or pertaining to rites or ritual; as, ritual service or sacrifices; the ritual law. 2. adj 1: of or relating to or characteristic of religious rituals; “ritual killing” 2: of or relating to or employed in social rites or ritual. n 1: any customary observance or practice [syn: rite] 2: the prescribed procedure for conducting religious ceremonies 3: stereotyped behavior

 

10.          Tattoo

\Tat*too”\, n.; pl. Tattoos. An indelible mark or figure made by puncturing the skin and introducing some pigment into the punctures; — a mode of ornamentation practiced by various barbarous races, both in ancient and modern times, and also by some among civilized nations, especially by sailors.

 

11.          Willow

\Wil”low\, n. any of numerous deciduous trees and shrubs of the genus Salix [syn: Willow Tree]

12.          Yaupon

\Yau”pon\, n. An evergreen holly (Ilex vomitoria) of the southeast United States,  having lustrous red or sometimes yellow fruit, whose dried leaves are used to make a bitter tea. Also called cassina