Superb horsemen and legendary warriors, the people known as the Comanche were feared by Native Americans, Mexicans and whites alike. They controlled a vast territory known as the Comancheria, where they hunted buffalo, bred and stole horses, and raided homes and settlements. They came to symbolize the “wild Indian,” and are regarded today as an important part of the lore of the old Wild West.

Origins

The people later known as the Comanche were originally members of the Eastern Shoshoni tribe who lived in eastern Wyoming. Some time around 1700, as many as 10,000 people separated from the Shoshoni and began migrating south. They settled first in what would become eastern Colorado and western Kansas, and eventually spread out into Oklahoma into the Texas Panhandle and New Mexico, while other bands could be found as far north as Saskatchewan.

Organization and Society

Unlike many other tribes, the Comanche were never a united “nation.” They divided themselves into eight to twelve independent divisions which usually cooperated with one another, although clashes among them were not unknown. Each division often was divided into semi-autonomous bands, each with its own leaders. They called themselves Nemene, meaning ‘our people’ and spoke a language nearly identical to their original Shoshoni dialect.

The Comanche retained a few other Shoshoni traditions. They built their teepees using four poles instead of the three-pole teepees common to other plains tribes. During the summers, they constructed temporary shelters of brush similar to those of the Great Basin Shoshoni.

Buffalo was their staple food and provided the Comanche with clothing, utensils and tools, storage containers and other useful products. But the Comanche diet also included roots and other wild fruits and vegetables gathered by the women.

Comanche society was somewhat fluid. Chiefs were elected based on status gained through battle exploits, family relationships, generosity, and the perceived power of their “medicine.” Some chiefs exercised minimal control over their particular band, others held authority over an entire division. Treaties and agreements were seldom observed by all divisions.

While they did not adhere to a clan system, there were organizations within Comanche bands and divisions. They established warrior societies limited only to men, but also created medicine societies for both men and women. Comanche men were polygamous, but an adulterous woman could be killed or disfigured by having her nose cut off.

It has been estimated that in 1849, there were only about 20,000 Comanche. Wars, epidemics and the hardships of Comanche life took a massive toll and by 1851 only about 12,000 Comanche remained. The Comanche frequently kept women and children prisoners and accepted them into their families, which helped to stabilize their population and ensure their survival as a people.

Importance of the Horse

It is believed that the first horses among the Shoshoni were introduced in about 1680, shortly before the Comanches went their own way. Hunting buffalo on foot was difficult and dangerous. Swift horses not only made following the herds easier, but made the actual hunt less dangerous. And for the Comanche in particular, the horse lay firmly at the base of their culture and tribal economy.

Horse-stealing among the plains tribes was customary, but the Comanche made an art form out of what was basically an acceptable plains sport. They acquired immense numbers of horses and mules and traded them not only to other plains tribes, but sold them to southern plantation owners and even Americans rushing to California in 1849. In the 1800s, they turned their horse-stealing skills to cattle, driving away large herds to be sold in Mexico.

War Tactics

Mounted warriors enjoyed a tremendous advantage over their enemies, and the Comanches were superb horsemen. They also developed leather armor and shields to protect both themselves and their horses, and pioneered tactics that enabled them to outrun any pursuers. War parties generally moved at night, meeting at a previously arranged location. They brought strings of horses in order to avoid fatiguing their mounts. This allowed them to strike hundreds of miles away from their starting point, and to vanish as quickly as they arrived.

Comanche raids were legendary for their swiftness and thoroughness. They took horses, cattle, and people. Men were generally killed on the spot, but women and children from rival tribes were sold as “servants” to the Spanish living in New Mexico.

The Comanches’ primary battle tactics were those of light cavalry units. This served them well against other tribes, and worked superbly against heavier Mexican and American cavalry. The Texas Rangers were originally founded in the 1840s primarily to fight against the Comanche, with the Army taking over later. Eventually, the Army adopted light cavalry tactics as well, though the Comanche were still able to hold their own against both the Mexican and American armies. In addition to battles against Mexicans and American forces, at one time or another the Comanche were at war with virtually every other plains tribe.

Religion

The Comanche were a highly spiritual people, but never developed the intricate rituals seen among other Native American tribes. They revered a Supreme Creator and nature spirits, and believed in life after death. A Comanche was expected to gain spiritual power through a personal vision quest. There were few organized religious ceremonies, though occasionally they would hold their own version of the sun dance.

The dead were buried quickly in shallow graves covered with rocks, and located on a hill near the village if possible. A warrior’s favorite horse was usually killed to accompany its master into the afterlife. It was considered taboo to say the name of a dead tribe member, though others could, and sometimes did, take the name of a dead warrior, thus perpetuating some names.

Today’s Comanche live primarily in Oklahoma with their headquarters at Lawton. They are a remarkably adaptable people with a proud heritage and a stable future. Their history stands as an outstanding example of the Native American plains culture. They set the standard for plains culture horsemanship, and their battle tactics were copied by the U.S. Army during the Civil War. The Comanche were, and will remain, an important part of American history.

Selected Sources:

http://tolatsga.org/ComancheOne.html

http://www.comancheindian.com/