Kansas archaeologist Susan Holland has produced this brief, non-technical introduction to an important Great Plains tribe found in central and southern Kansas and parts of Oklahoma and Texas. Much of the material in this book comes from extensive excavations of Wichita sites for a highway project in and around Arkansas City.
The Wichita lived in large villages of distinctive bee-hive-shaped houses located near streams. The houses were constructed of a wooden frame covered by bundles of prairie grass that grows up to 12-feet tall and could last up to
14 years. The Great Plains nurtured large herds of elk and bison as well as turkeys and waterfowl. Hunting and gathering was supplemented by growing corn, squash, sunflowers, and tobacco.
This book will get the reader started in Wichita history and culture, and it is also a guide to more in-depth research of an interesting segment of Native America.
