Tonkawa+History

Tonkawa History
The Tonkawas first settled in Northeastern Oklahoma in the early 1600's, however Apache tribes pushed them south into Texas. In 1750, the they were pushed farther into Texas, east of the Edwards Plateau by the Comanches. In 1858, 1871, and 1872, the Tonkawas allied with Texas or U.S. military to fight of the Comanches (partly for revenge). Sadly, during the Civil War the Tonkawas allied with the Confederacy and over a third of the tribe was killed by union backed tribes. In 1879, the Federal Government set up a resevration for the Tonkawas but ended up giving it to the Nez Perce who were another tribe. After the Nez Perce left, 90 Tonkawas were forced out of their homeland and onto the reservation in Oklahoma. Today, 571 Tonkawas are still around, most of which are living on a reservation in Kay County, Oklahoma.

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