JICARILLA INDIANS

THESE FOLKS WERE KNOWN AS 'LITTLE BASKET MAKERS'. THEY MIGRATED OUT OF CANADA IN 1300 TO 1500. THEY ROAMED CENTRAL AND EASTERN COLORADO INTO OKLAHOMA. IN 1845 THEY HAD 800 FOLKS AND TODAY THEY HAVE 1800. THEY HAD HOSTILITIES WITH THE SPANIARDS ALMOST AS SOON AS THEY HAD CONTACT WITH THE SPANIARDS. IN 1853 200 JICARILLA SETTLED ON THE PUERCO RIVER IN NEWMEXICO AND WAR BROKE OUT . BY 1854 THE US ARMY DEFEATED THEM . THEY SPEAK A SOUTHERN ATHABASKAN LANGUAGE. BEFORE COMMANCHES THIS TRIBE OCCUPIED MOUNTAINS OF SOUTHERN COLORADO AND NORTHEASTERN NEW MEXICO. THEY WERE SEMI-NOMADIC AND PRACTICED SEASONAL AGRICULTURE. THEY HUNTED DEER ANTELOPE AND BUFFALOS. IN 1724 WHEN THE COMMANCHE PUSHED INTO THE PLAINS, THE JICARILLA SOUGHT REFUGE IN THE MOUNTAINS. THERE THEY HAD ALLIANCE WITH THE PUEBLOAN PEOPLE. FROM THIS TIME ONWARD THEIR TERRITORY WAS BOUNDED BY 43 SACRED RIVERS, THE ARKANSAS, CANADIAN, RIO GRANDE AND PECOS. THEY ARE TRADITIONALLY MATRILOCAL AND ORGANIZED INTO MATRILOCAL CLANS. SOME OF THE PUEBLO PRACTICES WERE INCORPORATED INTO THEIR TRADITIONS THEY ARE EXPERT BASKET MAKERS. THE JICARRILLA BAND OF APACHE ARE THE SINGLE BAND THAT REFUSED TO COOPERATE WITH THE U.S. MILITARY TO LOCATE GERONIMO. THEY SOLD MICACIOUS CLAY POTTERY AND BASKETS TO INCREASE INCOME. THE PUEBLOS TAUGHT THEM FARMING. GREAT DREAMS.COM