Comanche

Shelter

ClothesWhat was Comanche clothing like? Did the Comanches wear feather headdresses and face paint?Comanche women wore long deerskin dresses, and the men wore buckskin war shirts andbreechcloths with leather leggings. The Comanches woremoccasinson their feet, and in cold weather, they wore long buffalo-hide robes. A Comanche lady's dress or warrior's shirt was fringed and painted with tribal designs. Later, Comanche people adapted European costume such as cloth vests and colorful blanket robes. Here is a site about the symbolism ofPlains Indian war shirts, and some photos and links aboutIndian clothingin general.

The traditional style of Comanche headdress was a cap with eagle feathers and ermine tails trailing behind it. In the 1800's, though, some Comanche Indian men preferred to wear the long featherhead dressof the northern Plains tribes. Traditionally, Comanche people only cut their hair when they were in mourning. Comanche men usually wore their hair in two braids, which they sometimes wrapped in fur. Comanche women usually wore their hair loose, and sometimes painted the center parts red. The Comanches also painted their faces for special occasions. They used different patterns for war paint, religious ceremonies, and festive decoration. Both men and women sometimes woretribal tattooson their chests.

FoodWhat was Comanche food like in the days before supermarkets?The Comanche staple food was buffalo. Comanche men usually hunted the buffalo by driving them off cliffs or stalking them with bow and arrow. As they acquired horses, the Comanche tribe began to pursue the buffalo herds for communal hunts, moving their villages often as the buffalo migrated. In addition to buffalo meat, the Comanche Indians ate small game like rabbits, fished in the lakes and rivers, and gathered nuts, berries, and wild potatoes.

Clothes

Tools/WeaponsWhat were Comanche weapons and tools like in the past?Comanche hunters used bows and arrows. In war, Comanche men fired their bows or fought with long spears and buffalo-hide shields.

Food

Where do they live

Where they livedWhere do the Comanches live?The Comanche Indians were once part of the northern Shoshone tribe of Wyoming, but split off from them and migrated to their modern location in the Southern Plains. By the time Europeans encountered them, the Comanches were primarily living inTexas,Oklahoma, and New Mexico. Most Comanche people today live in Oklahoma

Tools/Weapons