Quapaw history
Let's learn a little more about the
Quapaw Native people, who settled
in this area about 500 years ago. The
Quapaw immigrated from the Ohio River
Valley to the Arkansas River Valley and
arrived in Arkansas between 1543 and
1673.
The Quapaw were part of a larger
group known as the Dhegiha Sioux,
who split into the tribes known today as
the Quapaw, Osage, Ponca, Kansa and
Omaha.
The Quapaw moved down the
Mississippi River into Arkansas, this is the
origin of the word Ogaxpa, which can be
translated as "downstream people".
Tribal history tells the story that as
the Dhegiha people were moving they
came upon the river, and there was a
dense fog. The people created a rope by
braiding a grapevine and while crossing
the river, the vine snapped.
The Omaha people continued
against the current, which is
the origin of their name.
The Quapaw believe their
people were at the end of
the rope and they floated
down the river after it
broke, separating their people from the
group.
Today, most of the Quapaw Nation
resides in northeastern Oklahoma with
the tribal headquarters in Quapaw,
Oklahoma.
The Quapaw community was
traditionally based around the family,
and grouped into clans. The clans were
divided into two groups, the Sky People
and Earth People. The Quapaws also
believed in a force called Wakondah,
which held everything in balance. They
were farmers who grew corn, beans,
squash, gourds and tobacco. Women
were in charge of gardening, and
butchered and prepared the hides of
animals such as deer, bear and buffalo,
which the men hunted.
Tribal flag
History
In the late 1970s, as other Indian nations
in northeast Oklahoma were developing
and displaying tribal flags, the Quapaw Tribe
decided they needed a flag as well. They
developed various ideas to design the tribal flag.
The original design was drawn on cardboard.
The first flags were produced on stiff canvas, on
which a local artist painted the design.
Meaning of the flag
The four eagle feathers represent each of
the four main points of the compass (north,
south, east, and west.)
The number four is sacred to the Tribe
and is found in many of the Quapaw
ceremonies and practices. The Quapaw
People hold the eagle in high esteem because
it flies the highest in the sky, which puts him
closest to the Creator. The Tribe believes the
eagle talks with God, and eagle feathers are
used in many of their ceremonies.
The red and blue background of the flag
represents a kind of blanket used in Native
American Church meetings. This blanket is
made from wool broadcloth, a cloth that is
also used by the tribe for traditional clothing
such as leggings, breechcloths, and skirts for
women. It was originally obtained through
trade with Europeans.
The word
"o-gah-pah"
represents how
the Quapaw people
say "Quapaw" in the
Quapaw language,
which means
"downstream
people."
For more information about the Quapaw, visit www.quapawtribe.com
www.OfficialKidsMag.com • July 2022 • 31
