History

People of the Central Plains have often felt a special connection to the prairie and sky. Among the Plains Indians who have shared this world of open space the Pawnee developed a special relationship with the sky. This connection was expressed in the way they organized their lives and designed their homes.

Pawnees believe their ancestors came from the South. Evidence suggests that they have been on the Central Plains for at least 500 years.

Pawnees were the dominant power on the plains. Their territory included large areas of present-day Kansas and Nebraska. In the early 1800s Pawnees numbered between 10,000 and 30,000. There were four separate bands, and each functioned independently.

The Pawnee long have been known as the "Wolf People." Wolves were respected for their cunning and courage.

Pawnee Indian Museum
State Historic Site

The Kitkahahki (pronounced KIT-ka-ha-key), or Republican, band settled here along the Republican River about 1820. The village with more than 1,000 people contained at least 30 or 40 earth lodges. Thousands of dogs and hundreds of horses lived here with the Pawnee. The village was fortified for protection from nearby enemies including the Kaw and the Osage. By 1830 wood became scarce and the land was no longer productive. The village was abandoned and the band moved north, closer to other Pawnees. The village later burned to the ground.

In 1901 about half of the original village site was deeded to the State of Kansas for preservation. In the 1940s and 1960s archeologists excavated the site. In 1967 the museum building, which is Pawnee Indian Museum State Historic Site, enclosed one of the largest lodges.

Pawnee Indian Museum

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