As explained in Wild West, Quanah led a party of up to 300 Comanche and Kiowa warriors against 28 buffalo hunters at a trading post on the Canadian River. In fact, Quanah Parker as a historical figure does not appear in the records until after the Battle of Adobe Walls in June 1874. When he did so, his name became a homage to two different worlds: traditional Comanche culture and that of white American settlers. Regardless, Quanah did not adopt his surname Parker until later in life. However, it is possible that “Quanah” is more related to the Shoshone root work kwanaru, which means “stinking” and was meant more as an insult. If that is the case, then why would he have been nicknamed “fragrant?” There is a legend, as related by American History, that Quanah was born on a bed of wildflowers. However, descendants have said that he was originally named Kwihnai, which means “Eagle.” This has led some to surmise that Quanah is actually a nickname. According to S.C.Gwynne, the name may derive from the Comanche word kwaina, which means fragrant or perfume. Quanah Parker’s name may not be his real one. Related read: 10 Places to See Native American Pictographs & Petroglyphs in the West 3. However, after the Battle of Pease River, there is no further mention of Peta Nocona. Decades later, Quanah denied that his father was killed by Ross, and claimed he died later. He led raids on the Texas frontier from the 1830s until December 18, 1860, when he was purportedly killed in battle with Captain Lawrence Sullivan Ross at the Pease River. Quanah’s father, Peta Nocona, was also highly revered as a war chief. While at first his mailshirt held true, at last six-shooters and Mississippi rifles killed the semi-legendary war chief. He urged his horse forward, rode it in a circle, and blew out hard in challenge. S.C.Gwynne, in Empire of the Summer Moon, explains that Iron Jacket, with a false sense of security, came forward in full regalia. Ross, supported by Brazos Reservation Native Americans, raided the Comanche at the banks of the South Canadian River. Iron Jacket’s charmed life came to an end on May 12, 1858, when Texas Rangers John S. His reputation was such that he could blow arrows away. Iron Jacket used this to good effect, impressing fellow Comanches with his ability to turn away missiles. The name, according to the Texas State Historical Association, came about when he acquired a set of Spanish chainmail armor at some unknown point. Quanah’s paternal grandfather was Pobishequasso, better known as the fierce war chief and medicine man “Iron Jacket.” Quanah Parker’s mother’s story is certainly dramatic, but his father’s lineage is also compelling. Quanah Parker’s grandfather was a fierce fighter. Related read: When Did the Wild West Really End? 2. She then bore three children: Quanah, who was born between 18, Pee-nah (“Peanuts”), and Toh-Tsee-Ah (“Prairie Flower”). ![]() She was adopted to the Quahade tribe and given the name Nau-u-day, meaning “Someone Found.”Īccording to American History, War Chief Peta Nocona took Cynthia Ann as one of his wives. Cynthia Ann, who was admired for her toughness and striking blue eyes, was assimilated into the Comanche culture. In May 1836, Comanche and Caddo warriors raided Fort Parker and captured nine-year-old Cynthia Ann and her little brother John.Ĭapturing children was a common practice among the Comanche, and children would either be ransomed back or assimilated into Comanche culture. She was the daughter of white settlers who had built a compound called Fort Parker at the headwaters of the Navasota River in east-central Texas. Quanah Parker’s mother was captured by Comanches.Īny discussion about Quanah Parker must begin with his mother, Cynthia Ann Parker. Related read: 50 Native American Proverbs, Sayings & Wisdom Quotes 10 Interesting Facts About Quanah Parker 1. Unlike most well-known indigenous leaders, however, Quanah Parker was one of the few Native Americans who prospered after the move to life on a reservation. ![]() He became one of the chief representatives for all Native American people, along with others like Geronimo. The most famous of the Comanches was Quanah Parker, who led them in their last days as an independent power and into life on reservations. But as the United States expanded West, their power precipitously declined. ![]() ![]() They reached the peak of their power by the late 18th century, becoming the preeminent power of the region. The different Comanche tribes had developed a warring culture based on the expert use of the horse, through the hunting of buffalo and raiding of other tribes. A large area of today’s Southern and Central Great Plains once formed the boundaries of the most powerful nomadic Native American people in history: the Comanche.
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