North American indigenous tribe
"Hueco" redirects here. For the area in Texas, see
Hueco Tanks
. For three different mountains in Peru, see
Wiqu
.
Ethnic group
The
Waco
(also spelled
Huaco
[2]
and
Hueco
[3]
) of the
Wichita people
are a
Southern Plains
Native American
tribe that inhabited northeastern
Texas
.
[4]
Today, they are enrolled members of the
federally recognized
Wichita and Affiliated Tribes
, headquartered in
Anadarko, Oklahoma
.
History
[
edit
]
The Waco were a division of the Wichita people, called Iscani or Yscani in the early European reports, kinsmen to the
Tawakoni people
. The present-day
Waco, Texas
, is located on the site of their principal village, that stood at least until 1820.
[5]
French explorer
Jean-Baptiste Benard de la Harpe
travelled through the region in 1719, and the people he called the Honecha or Houecha could be the Waco.
[6]
They are most likely the Quainco on
Guillaume de L'Isle
's 1718 map,
Carte de la Louisiane et du Cours du Mississipi
.
[7]
[8]
The Waco village on the
Brazos River
was flanked by two Tawakoni villages:
El Quiscat
and the Flechazos. In 1824,
Stephen F. Austin
wrote that the Waco village was 40 acres large, with 33 grass houses and about 100 men. They grew 200 acres of corn, in fields enclosed by brush fences. As late as 1829, the village was protected by defensive earthworks.
[6]
In 1837, the
Texas Rangers
planned to establish a fort at Waco village, but abandoned the idea after several weeks. In 1844, a trading post was established 8 miles south of the village.
[9]
The anthropologist
Jean-Louis Berlandier
recorded 60 Waco houses in 1830.
[10]
The tribe had a second, smaller village located on the
Guadalupe River
.
[10]
In 1835, 1846, and 1872, the tribe signed treaties with the United States and the Wichita. The 1872 treaty established a reservation for them in
Indian Territory
, to which they were removed. In 1902, under the
Dawes Allotment Act
, the reservation lands were broken into individual allotments, and the Wacos became citizens of the United States.
[6]
Today, they are part of the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes.
Culture
[
edit
]
The tribe lived in beehive-shaped houses, with pole supports, typically covered with
rushes
, but sometimes buffalo hides. The houses stood 20 to 25 feet tall. Besides corn, Wacos also grew beans, melons, peach trees, and pumpkins.
[9]
Waco descendants and other citizens of the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes are partnering with cultural organizations in
Waco, Texas
, educate the public about Waco history and create new opportunities for the city to work with Wichita people.
[11]
Language
[
edit
]
The Waco people spoke a dialect called Waco, which is a branch of
Wichita
(one of the
Caddoan languages
). The dialect is extinct.
Namesakes
[
edit
]
The city of Waco, Texas, is named for the tribe,
[12]
[9]
as probably is Hueco Springs (Waco Springs) near
New Braunfels, Texas
.
[10]
[13]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Gately, Paul (8 July 2018).
"Native Americans chose Waco for water and abundance, like others"
. 10 KWTX
. Retrieved
8 December
2018
.
- ^
Straley, Wilson (1909).
The Archaeological Bulletin
. p. 132.
[...] the city of Waco, Texas, the former home of the Huaco (Waco) Indians.
- ^
Henry, Joseph; Baird, Spencer Fullerton (1856).
Reports of explorations and surveys
. A.O.P. Nicholson. p. 27.
the Hueco tribe [...] Hueco Indians
- ^
Sturtevant 6
- ^
"Waco Springs, Site of the Waco Indian Village - Waco ~ Marker Number: 5692"
.
Texas Historic Sites Atlas
.
Texas Historical Commission
. 1936.
- ^
a
b
c
Waco Indian History.
Access Genealogy.
(retrieved 26 Oct 2010)
- ^
Ricky, Donald (1998).
Encyclopedia of Texas Indians
. North American Book Dist. p. 353.
ISBN
978-0-403-09774-6
.
- ^
de L'Isle's map.
- ^
a
b
c
Waco Convention & Visitors Bureau,
"Waco History."
Archived
2015-01-06 at the
Wayback Machine
(retrieved 26 Oct 2010)
- ^
a
b
c
Moore, R. Edward.
"The Waco Indians or Hueco Indians."
Texas Indians.
(retrieved 26 Oct 2010)
- ^
Hoover, Carl (3 November 2023).
"Wichitas hope Waco visit builds beneficial relationships"
.
Waco Tribune-Herald
. Retrieved
4 November
2023
.
- ^
Mencken, H.L.
(1948).
American Language Supplement 2
. Knopf Doubleday (1990 reprint). p. 1050.
ISBN
978-0-307-81344-2
.
Many other non-English place-names have been subjected to the same barbarization. [...]
Waco
in Texas was the Spanish
Hueco
.
- ^
Greene, Daniel P. (2010).
"Waco Springs, TX"
.
Handbook of Texas Online
.
Texas State Historical Association
.
There are differing explanations for the name of the site: that it was named for the Indian tribe; that the name comes from Spanish
hueco
(empty) and was chosen because the springs occasionally run dry.
Further reading
[
edit
]
- Sturtevant, William C., general editor and Raymond D. Fogelson, volume editor.
Handbook of North American Indians: Southeast
. Volume 14. Washington DC: Smithsonian Institution, 2004.
ISBN
0-16-072300-0
.
External links
[
edit
]
|
---|
Federally recognized
tribes
| |
---|
Indigenous languages
| |
---|
Historical Indigenous
peoples of Texas
(Several are in
Oklahoma today)
|
- Adai
≠
- Anxau
≠
- Apache
(
Lipan Apache
°
,
Querecho
><
)
- Aranama
≠
- Atakapa
≠
(
Akokna
,
Akokisa
,
Bidai
,
Deadose
)
- Caddo
*
(
Eyeish
,
Hasinai
,
Hainai
,
Kadohadacho
,
Nabedache
,
Nabiti
,
Nacogdoche
,
Nacono
,
Nadaco
,
Nanatsoho
,
Lower Nasoni
,
Neche
,
Nechaui
)
- Cherokee, Texas
°*
- Coahuiltecan
≠
(
Ervipiame
,
Pajalat
,
Payaya
,
Sijame
,
Xarames
)
- Comanche
*
- Decose
≠
- Emet
≠
- Jumanos
≠
- Karankawa
≠
(
Copano
≠
)
- Kohani
≠
- Mayeye
≠
- Pachal
≠
- Pacoa
≠
- Paguame
≠
- Pampopa
≠
- Papanac
≠
- Pastia
≠
- Pasxa
≠
- Patiri
≠
- Pulacuam
≠
- Sana
≠
- Saracuam
≠
- Semonam
≠
- Tamique
≠
- Teyas
°
- Tilijae
- Tomoacas
- Tonkawa
*
- Wichita and Affiliated Tribes
*
(
Kichai
,
Taovaya
,
Tawakoni
,
Waco
,
Wichita proper
)
- Yojuane
≠
|
---|
Related topics
| |
---|
†
extinct language /
≠
extinct tribe /
><
early,
obsolete name
of Indigenous tribe /
°
people absorbed into other tribe(s) /
*
headquartered in Oklahoma today
|