Kaw Nation Exhibits

The success of western routes of travel, such as the Santa Fe Trail, and American demand for land in the West forced the Kaw Nation (Kanza) to relocate several times. Three exhibits about the Kaw and the impacts of the trail are placed in Council Grove, Kansas, at Kaw Mission Historic Site, and Larned, Kansas, at the Santa Fe Trail Center. Exhibits were designed in collaboration with the Kaw Nation and funded by the National Park Service's Challenge Cost Share Program and the Santa Fe Trail Association.

To view all three exhibits, click here (1.2 MB pdf, 3 pages).

 
thumbnail of "We Lived along the River" exhibit panel
Exhibit - We Lived Along the River

NPS

The Kaw Nation once lived along the rivers in northeastern Kansas. The waterways were a key aspect of their daily life and culture. As more people headed west, either for trade or to settle, the Kanza were yet again forced to move, this time to Indian Territory, in present-day Oklahoma.

We Lived Along the River, 1.2 MB pdf

 
thumbnail of "People of the Southwind" exhibit panel
Exhibit - People of the Southwind

NPS

The Kaw Nation faced land reduction and removal several times during the era of the Santa Fe Trail. This exhibit focuses on the survival of Kaw language and culture.

People of the Southwind, 450 KB pdf

Last updated: April 9, 2019

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