COMANCHE
The Comanche are a Native American ethnic group whose range (the Comancheria)
consisted of present-day eastern New Mexico, southern Colorado, southern Kansas,
all of Oklahoma, and most of northern and southern Texas. There may once have
been as many as 20,000 Comanches. Today, the Comanche Nation consists of
approximately 10,000 members, about half of whom live in Oklahoma (centered at
Lawton), and the remainder are concentrated in Texas, California, and New Mexico.
The Comanche speak an Uto-Aztecan language, sometimes classified as a Shoshone
dialect.
Though there are various accounts of the origin of the name Comanche, it is
generally agreed to have come by way of Spanish from the old Ute term
(modern Southern Ute, "enemy, foreigner, Comanche". Early
French and American explorers refer to a plains tribe on the Arkansas River as
Padouca (or Paducah), a Siouan name, which has incorrectly been assumed to refer
to the Comanche; however, they were not present in that area until later.
The Comanches' own preferred name is Numunuu, meaning "human being" or "the
People".
The Comanche are a Native American ethnic group whose range (the Comancheria)
consisted of present-day eastern New Mexico, southern Colorado, southern Kansas,
all of Oklahoma, and most of northern and southern Texas. There may once have
been as many as 20,000 Comanches. Today, the Comanche Nation consists of
approximately 10,000 members, about half of whom live in Oklahoma (centered at
Lawton), and the remainder are concentrated in Texas, California, and New Mexico.
The Comanche speak an Uto-Aztecan language, sometimes classified as a Shoshone
dialect.
Though there are various accounts of the origin of the name Comanche, it is
generally agreed to have come by way of Spanish from the old Ute term
(modern Southern Ute, "enemy, foreigner, Comanche". Early
French and American explorers refer to a plains tribe on the Arkansas River as
Padouca (or Paducah), a Siouan name, which has incorrectly been assumed to refer
to the Comanche; however, they were not present in that area until later.
The Comanches' own preferred name is Numunuu, meaning "human being" or "the
People".