Kansa

The Kansa, also known as the Kaw, are a Native American people of the Dhegiha branch of the Siouan language family. Their own name for themselves is Kansa. Historically they inhabited the central Great Plains along the Kansas River and portions of present-day Kansas and Missouri.

Traditionally, the Kansa practiced a mixed economy of horticulture, hunting, and gathering, with maize, beans, and squash forming staple crops and bison harvests contributing to their diet. They lived in kin-based communities and participated in a broader network with neighboring Dhegiha peoples, including the Osage, Omaha, Ponca, and Quapaw. The Kansa engaged in trade and diplomacy with other tribes and with European explorers and later American settlers. Contact with the United States intensified in the 19th century, leading to treaties that reduced their lands and sovereignty.

In the mid- to late 19th century, pressures from settlers and U.S. policy contributed to the relocation of Kansa people from traditional homelands to Indian Territory, eventually culminating in the establishment of the Kaw Reservation in present-day Oklahoma. Today, many descendants are enrolled members of the Kaw Nation, a federally recognized tribe headquartered in Kaw City, Oklahoma. The Kaw Nation administers programs in education, health, culture, and economic development. The Kansa language, a member of the Dhegiha sub-branch of Siouan, is endangered, with revitalization efforts including language classes and cultural programs.

Descendants maintain cultural practices and participate in ceremonies while preserving history through tribal governance, cultural centers, and museums. The Kansa contribute to the broader history of the Great Plains and the complex interactions between Indigenous nations and European-American societies.