The languages spoken by Caddoan Peoples are Caddo, Kitsai, Wichita, Pawnee, and Arikara. Just prior to the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Caddoan-speaking nations had inhabited the plains from southeastern Texas to North Dakota. For more on the Caddo Nation, see Freeman-Custis Expedition.
Caddoan-speaking Nations Encountered
The Arikaras
by Kristopher K. TownsendSpelled variously in the expedition journals, Clark sometimes called the Arikara people Pawnee due to their similar linguistic origins—both were Caddoan-speaking people. Weakened by smallpox and Sioux attacks, they would have significant impact on American fur trade interests on the Upper Missouri and affect the lives of several expedition members.
The Pawnees
Although Clark referred to the Pawnee often and included them in the Estimate of the Eastern Indians, the journals do not document any face-to-face encounters.