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Quite contrary to the name, Wichita Indians isn't a group of people who belonged to India. Instead, Wichita Indians refers to a confederacy who were a group of native Americans. They lived in the area that is presently referred to as Kansas.
This group comprised of people from different tribes, who shared similar cultural traits. Though the people belonging to this group spoke the same language, they used different dialects of it. Wichita Indians were a semi sedentary group of people. They moved from one location to another time after time. Their lifestyle was similar to that of any other tribe. They hunted buffalo and cultivated crops to sustain a living. Some of the commonly cultivated crops by this group included tobacco, corn, beans, maize and pumpkins. Though the lifestyle of the Wichita Indians was similar to tribes, what distinguished them from others were their distinct homes. Their homes were cone shaped houses, which were also known as tepees. These tepees were made mostly of animal skin. In some cases, these conical homes were even made up of dried grasses. Unlike most tribal homes, these cone homes were quite large and intelligently structured. Some of these homes were up to 50 feet in diameter. These homes were huge and each of them could incorporate quite a number of beds at a given point in time. Every home comprised of one kitchen. As stated earlier these cone homes were intelligently structured, and provided for a hole in every kitchen. This hole was meant for the exit of smoke that was released during cooking. Every home had an arbor next to it. The arbor was a rectangular place and was constructed using four wooden poles. This arbor was primarily used for drying meat and plants. It also served as a place to protect against the sun. The dressing style of Wichita Indians was also fairly distinct. Typically, animal hides were used as shoes and clothing. Men dressed up in leggings and loin cloths. They worse shorts too. Women, on the other hand, dressed up in long dresses. The dresses were body length and kept the females covered from head to toe. These dresses were quite often adorned with animal bones and teeth. Tattoos were a popular trend amidst Wichita Indians. Both men as well as women adorned themselves with tattoos. In fact, this clan earned itself the title of Kitikitish, also known as "Raccoon eyelids". The reason for the same being that men tattooed their eyelids. women tattooed their faces as well as their breasts. Wichita Indians were a distinct clan and had several peculiar traits that distinguished them from other contemporary tribes. Related Articles
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