A stretch of river XXX: A history lesson

The following is the full text of a plaque commemorating the Wichita Indian tribe, which stands at the entrance to Riverside Park through which I pass every day. Spelling and punctuation are those of the plaque, but I'm not posting this because of its mechanical errors:

In 1864, about 1500 Wichita Indians, favoring the Union, returned to their ancestral lands and settled along the Little Arkansas River which offered protection from the Confederate tribes until the Civil War ended. The Wichita Indians (consisting of Wichitas, Wacos, Towacanis, Taovayas, and Kechis) are credited with the founding of Wichita. Aside from lending their name, which means "scattered lodges," it was their supply needs that brought traders and eventually settlers. Because of the war, food and supplies for the Indians were meager. This lead to an illegal yet profitable cattle trade and the development of the Chisolm Trail to connect Wichita and Indian Territory (now Oklahoma). When the Civil War was over, the Indians were ordered to relocate to Oklahoma in October. They were not given ample supplies and their trek was devastating. So many died along the way that Skeleton Creek was named after them. In 1927, the Wichita Indians built a grass lodge on Mead Island (near 13th) as an expression of goodwill to the citizens of Wichita.

I have more to say--and much more to learn--about this story on down the road.

Technorati tags:
Indians, Native Americans, Wichita, Kansas, Wichita Indians