The name “”yap” comes from an edible root. By contrast, the Yamparikas (“Yap Eaters’) were north of the Arkansas River. Sometimes the three were styled “Middle Comanches.” The Kotsotekas, or “Buffalo Eaters,” had a territory that included much of western Oklahoma. The Tamina (“Liver Eaters”) and Tenawa (“Those Who Stay Downstream”) were the names of the other two bands. The Nokoni, or “Those Who Turn Back,” were the largest of the trio. North of the Penatekas three bands shared the same range. Their territory brought them into conflict with the Anglo-American settlers, called Texicans, starting in the 1830s. Their range stretched from the Edwards Plateau to the headwaters of the rivers in central Texas. The Penatekas, or “Honey Eaters,” were the southernmost band. But the major bands that played significant roles in Comanche history are well known. There were at least thirteen bands at the height of the tribe’s power and influence in the early to mid-nineteenth century, and it is possible there were even more, but never recorded. There is some dispute over the origins of the name “Comanche.” Most scholars think it was derived from the Ute word Komanticia, roughly translated as “enemy,” or more literally “anyone who wants to fight me all the time.” In their own language they call themselves “Numinu,” or “the people.” The Comanche language is an offshoot of the Uto-Aztecan linguistic family, and closely allied to the Shoshoni tongue. The tribe boasts a modern Comanche Nation complex at Lawton, Oklahoma, a site that employs about 145 staffers. Roughly half of the Comanche nation, about 7,763 people, reside in Fort Sill or the surrounding areas of southwest Oklahoma. The Comanche are a Plains Indians tribe, numbering 14,732 enrolled members. They now face the twenty-first century with confidence. Though their numbers are disputed, historians agree that the Comanches had a profound impact on western history.

Comanche tribe facts