Coahuiltecan Tribe

The Coahuiltecan tribe lived in the dry and brushy country of south Texas. The winters where very dry and cold and the summers where very dry and hot. The land where they lived was very rocky, covered with cactus and brush with very few trees. The Coahuiltecan tribe hunted the occasional buffalo, fish, birds, snakes and insects. However the Coahuiltecan Indians depended mostly on vegetable foods for survival which included nuts, seeds, and plants. All members of the Coahuiltecan tribe were equal. The only person in the tribe that was labeled as the tribes headman were people who could cure illnesses or wounds. A man or a women who was able to provide this service to their tribe members was called a "shaman". The "shaman" also was responsible for conducting religious ceremonials. The Coahuiltecan Indians would participate in dances during the summer when food was plentiful. The Coahuiltecan people usually held many religious feasts and celebrations of good fortune. Most of the time the dances were held in the summer lasted all night long. During the late night dances, the tribe members also ate peyote as part of the ritual. These dances were also a time for many family Coahuiltecan tribes to get together and visit one another. The Coahuiltecan tools were very simple in structure. They used such tools as bow and arrows to hunt. However the Coahuiltecan tribe also made stone like hammers called "tomahawks" which looked like stone axes. Their homes were very easy to assemble and consisted of reed mats and animal hide to form low circular huts. The Coahuiltecan Indians wore very few clothes and made sandals for their feet with fiber. Even though the Coahuiltecan tribe wore very few clothes they took great pride in decorating their clothing material in creative ways with seeds. Tattoos were displayed on every Coahuiltecan member (men and women). The tattoos were used both as decoration and important tribe family symbols. Legend has told us that the Coahuiltecan tribes men were extremely strong and athletic. Legend has said that the Coahuiltecan Indians were well adapted to their environment in south Texas. They hunted deer on foot and could run as fast as many animals without any rest.

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