"Oklahoma's history," Baird and Goble assert, "begins with the social development and interactions of Wichitas, Apaches, Comanches, and Osages. They maintained sophisticated and self-sufficient societies that lived in harmony with the land, if not always with each other." Taking into account the physical features and natural resources of Oklahoma, explain how native peoples in both the prehistoric and historic eras adapted to the environment and were able to live "in harmony with the land," and discuss the interrelationships of the various groups.

Oklahoma's history starts long before the inhabitants arrived. To understand how native peoples were able to live "in harmony with the land" I think you must first know how and what formed the land.

Most of Oklahoma was almost completely covered by a sea. It remained this way for one hundred million years. In this shallow sea warmed by the sun existed all kinds of living plants and creatures. Over a very long time the skeletons of billions of these creatures accumulated and formed thick deposits. These deposits, sometimes a mile thick, formed limestone and other minerals. Today tho

A greater threat to the Wichita's was the Comanches. They came in from the west of the Rocky Mountains. In the early 17th-century they acquired the horse from the Spanish. They could range wider areas with the horse, a nomadic tribe they raided Indian pueblos and Spanish outposts for grain horses and captives. By following the buffalo the Comanches moved into Central Oklahoma. They attacked and subdue most of the local tribes including the Wichita. Masters of the southern plains by 1725. These Indians unlike the Wichita's were not self-sufficient. The Comanches could not or would not grow their own crops. So by the 1740's the Comanches leaders knew they had to make friends with the tribes that could do these things. The leaders negotiated and made alliances of friendships and commerce. The Wichita's supplied the foodstuff and French guns. The Comanches provided buffalo hides, horses, and captives to be sold or traded to the French. In this arrangement both tribes cou!

but slowly had to retreat south of the Red River leaving the ancient land to the control of the Osage.

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After the foragers came the farming people. Around 3000 BC, corn was grown by what we will call Indians or Native Americans. In Oklahoma it was limited to small fields along rivers and creeks. These farmers did not completely abandon there hunting or they're foraging in the forest. In the settling down they created storage pits that held more than food these people started making pottery. The making of pottery pots aided in food preparation, storage, as well as making it easier to carry water.

Oklahoma is distinctive as a state for it diverse climate and land, but also for the continuos presence of Native American peoples. By the time Europeans came the apaches, Comanches, Osage and Wichita's had joined together. Making a diverse culture and mixed language this variety has continued into the 19 century with the united states government making Oklahoma a special resettlement zone for native people from all over the country. Virtually all sixty-seven tribes had resided in Oklahoma as well as nine different language groups.

These people planted crops in communal fields much like the Plains Village farmers growing the same types of crops. They even hunted the same animals with the same type of weapons but they were less dependent on the buffalo. The Mound Builders by being located on the Arkansas River were extensive traders with other tribes like copper from Wisconsin, conch shells from Florida, cotton cloth from New Mexico and painted pottery from Nebraska. This sociality of mound people ended about the same time as the plains and for the same reason. Drought caused their crops to fail.

The humans arrived following the herds of animals, using stone and bone tools. Reaching Oklahoma 11,000 years ago. Archaeologist have carbon dated some of the stone and bone tools to this age. These early hunters stayed in the state and became foragers. Their diets consisted of fruits, berries, roots, nuts and seeds besides the meat they hunted. They developed holding pits for surplus and fire pits for cooking. With the art of settling down came the knowledge of baskets, nets, string and petroglyphs on the walls of caves.

Most tribes held kinship in the basis of a wide association known as a clan. Members of the same clan were forbidden to ma

Some common words found in the essay are:
English Wichita, Comanches Osages, Oklahoma Finding, Wa*censored*a River, Mound Builders, Wichita's Osage, Reaching Oklahoma, Wichita Masters, Arkansas River, Americans Oklahoma, mound builders, plains village, village farmers, plains village farmers, caddoan mound, arkansas river, caddoan mound builders, harmony land, buffalo hides, able live harmony, lasted six, wa*censored*a river, pressure caused, live harmony land, stone bone tools,
Approximate Word count = 2308
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)