Kaw

Kaw, also known as Kansa, refers to a Native American people who historically inhabited the central Great Plains of North America, principally along the Missouri River tributaries in what are now Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma. They are part of the Dhegiha branch of the Siouan language family and spoke a form of the Dhegiha Sioux language. The name Kaw is the source of the name Kansas, which became the name of the state.

Historically, the Kaw lived in village groups and engaged in farming, hunting, and trade with neighboring tribes and European settlers. Like many Plains peoples, they faced disruption and pressure from colonization and westward expansion in the 18th and 19th centuries. In the 19th century, under federal policy, many Kaw were moved from their traditional homelands to Indian Territory, present-day Oklahoma. Today the Kaw Nation is a federally recognized tribe with its government and services based in Oklahoma, focused on cultural preservation, language revitalization, and economic development.

Geographically, the Kansas River, commonly referred to as the Kaw River in early maps and local usage, is a major waterway in eastern Kansas. It flows through communities such as Topeka and Lawrence and ultimately contributes to the Missouri River. The river’s name is tied to the Kaw people and, by extension, to the origin of the state name Kansas.

In contemporary contexts, the term Kaw most prominently denotes the Native American people and their descendants, as well as the geographic references named after them. The Kaw Nation continues to play a central role in preserving the heritage and welfare of its members.