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The Comanche are a nomadic Indian tribe that lived in the Great Plain 

region of Texas. The Comanche were spotted in Northern Texas in 

1706 and left Texas in 1875, staying 169 years. The Comanche people 

have left a great mark in Texas history were known through out the 

world as skilled horsemen and warriors and were greatly feared. Even 

now,the Comanche are well remembered and they still contributed a lot 

to America, including volunteering for service in Europe during WWII.

The Comanche lived in the panhandle and other parts of 

Texas

1706 - Comanche people spotted by Spanish officials

1743 - First documented evidence of Comanche in Texas

1785 - Signed Spanish-Comanche treaty

1838 - Peace made with Republic of Texas

1847 - German Treaty signed, still honored today

1874 - Red River/Buffalo war begins with Texas

1875 - Red River/Buffalo war ends, Comanche surrender and leave 

Texas for reservation

Comanche Flag

Life as a Comanche

Daily Life

The Comanche way of life is similar to most Native Americans' way, where the 

men and the women had different responsibilities. Men had to hunt for food for 

the tribe and fighting battles against enemies. Women stayed home however, and 

gathered food, set up camp, took care of the children, and cooked.

The men hunted...

...and women took care of the children and etc.

Housing

The Comanche, like most 

Plains Indians, lived 

tepees. The reason for using 

tepees was because 

the Comanche were 

nomadic, and tepees would 

be a reliable and easy to 

carry around shelter. 

Tepees were made of 

tanned buffalo hide wrapped 

over 16-18 supporting poles. 

Clothing

The Comanche used buffalo hide along with other materials for 

clothing. The men would commonly wear buffalo hide or buckskin 

clothing, breechclout leggings, and moccasins. 

Common women's clothing, however, is fringed skirts, a poncho-like 

blouse, leggings, and moccasins.

Buffalo robes were worn, but only for protection from cold weather.

A buffalo robe

Diet

Getting Food

Food They Eat

Comanche people's diet was based mainly on buffalo meat. The Comanche also 

obtained other food, such as nets and berries through other means.

The Comanche got buffalo meat by what else, hunting buffalo. Other foods however, 

were wild roots, berries, and nuts which were collected. The Comanche also got 

other produce by trading with fellow Native American tribes.

Buffalo was a staple of the Comanche diet, so their diet 

was mostly meat. One food the Comanche made was 

called pemmican, made of powdered buffalo meat mixed 

with berries and nuts.

Woman making Pemmican

Weapons and Tools

Weapons and tools were an important part of the Comanche tribe. The Comanche's 

were skilled in various weapons and could use them on horseback. Tomahawks, 

scalping knives, bow & arrow, lances, and shields were various weapons used by 

Comanche warriors. Comanche weapons were commonly made of flint, (for 

arrowheads, lance heads etc.), and buffalo parts (sinew used for bow string, thread, 

etc.).

                                 Tools, like weapons, were also

                                 made of flint and buffalo parts. 

                                 Some uses being cleaning and 

                                 making holes in hides. Examples are scrappers, flint used 

                                 to clean hide, and needles, made from buffalo bones.

Arrowheads

Tomahawks

Scrapper

Needle

The Comanche's Fate

In 1859, Texas settlers attacked a Comanche reservation and forced 

the Indians to leave Texas, though some bands of Comanche people 

still remained. Even those Comanche's had new threats to face. 

The remaining Comanche faced diseases brought by the 

settlers that they had no immunity to killed several of the 

tribe's people, and being pressured by the westward 

moving settlers. Soon, the very source of the Comanche 

tribe's food and shelter, the buffalo, were being killed 

rapidly by American buffalo hunters. During this time, the

raids in Texas greatly increased.

In 1874, the Red River War (or Buffalo War) begins between the 

Anglos and the Comanche tribe. Finally in 1875, Comanche chief 

Quanah Parker surrenders at Sill Reservation in present day 

Oklahoma and staying there, ending the Comanche way of life.

Buffalo Hunter

Fun Facts

~ Evidence shows that the Comanche split off from another tribe, the 

Northern Shoshones.

~ The Comanche language is from the Uto-Aztecan family

~ The name "Comanche" is derived from the Ute word "Komantcia" 

which means enemy

~ The Comanche were mortal enemies with the Apache tribe

~ Comanche's were democratic and had 2 cheifs, civil/peace and 

war

~ The reason the Spanish wanted to make peace with the 

Comanche was because of the severe losses of the Spanish military 

against the Comanche tribe

~ When a Comanche is dead, the Comanche always buried them to 

where their heads were towards the west.

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