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July 5, 2008
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2. Could You Live on the Texas Coast as the Karankawa Indians Did?

Researcher ________________________________ Research Team _________

     Thousands of Indians lived along the Texas coast. Their ancestors can be traced back to the Ice Age or 9200 BC. Within 200 years after the arrival of the Europeans, they became extinct. All that remains of the coastal Indians are a few campsites and burial grounds, artifacts made from stone, bone and shell, and mentions in the journals of Spanish and French explorers. You and your research team will be investigating to learn more about the people who could survive the dramatic changes in the New World from the time of the Ice Age of mammoths to a climate with plants and animals similar to today’s.

Materials: none

Procedure:

1. What thoughts, ideas or mental pictures does the word “Indians” convey? Discuss this with your team and list your thoughts below (or draw your impressions).
2. What have you heard about the Karankawa Indians who lived on the Texas coast?
3.It was believed that the Karankawas were constantly moving in small groups and barely able to survive. However, archaeologists have found sites with dense deposits of cultural debris. This usually indicates that the area was inhabited by large groups of people (50 to 100) and for a long period of time.
     a. What inferences would you make about the Indians who lived there?
     b. What would be needed if 50 to 100 members of your family, relatives and close friends all camped together in an area on the coast for several months?
        List below what would be needed to survive for an extended period of time.
     c. How would you go about getting the resources to fill the needs of 50 to 100 people of all ages (newborns to adults)?
4. The term “Karankawa” can be misleading, it actually refers to several groups of Indians. The names of these groups are repeatedly found in Spanish documents throughout the 18th century. The documents also indicate that each group lived in aspecific region and had specific characteristics. However, they noted that the five groups had a similar language and culture. Although the groups were sometimes referred to individually by the Spanish, the Indians mixed together freely. See Figure 2.1 to determine where the five principal groups lived. Where did they live?













Fig. 2.1. Where the Karankawas lived.


5. Describe characteristics of the environment in which they lived.
     a. How were their environments alike?
     b. What was the topography or terrain of the area probably like?
     c. What was the weather in these areas like?
     d. From what would they need to protect themselves? Climate? Animals?
6. Now imagine that your group was one of the five major Karankawan groups and lived where the Karankawan groups lived during that time period. In other words, there were no modern conveniences (houses, stores, cars, tools, etc.).
     a. How would you and your group of over 50 family members and friends survive?
     b. What resources would you use for food?
     c. What type of clothing would you wear? Explain
     d. What would you use for transportation to move behind the barrier islands? Or how would you move about?
7.How would your group get food, clothing, and shelter? What tools would you use?
8. The Karankawa knew where to find the resources they needed. The Indians were mobile, camping at locations that provided them access to important resources. They needed homes that were simple and easy to set up. The parts needed to be transported. What kind of houses would the Indians use? What kind of house could the Indians make from the resources that would meet their needs? Describe and sketch the kind of house that you think the Indians used.
9. The Karankawa Indians were able to survive in large groups of 50 to 100 in one location on the Texas coast for several months. The Karankawa were non-agricultural hunter-gather-ers-fishers. In other words, they fished in the shallow bays and lagoons, gathered plant foods such as tubers, fruits, roots and nuts, and also hunted for deer and other small animals. What would this indicate about their knowledge of the environment? Explain.
10. Would you be able to provide for a group of 50 or more living on the Gulf coast as the Karankawa Indians did? Explain. Why or why not?

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