Penatʉka Nʉʉ

The Penatʉka, or Penateka, were the southernmost of the major Comanche bands. Their name means “honey eaters,” and their range extended from the Edwards Plateau to the headwaters of the rivers of central Texas. Their position brought them into frequent contact with Spanish settlements and, later, with immigrants entering Texas from the east.

Comanche bands reached the southern Plains on horseback in the eighteenth century. The Penateka became prominent in the history of Texas as their hunting grounds and the expanding colonial frontier came into contact. Spanish officials negotiated with Comanche leaders while warfare and raiding continued across the region. By the 1830s, Anglo-American settlement placed further pressure on the lands used by the southern Comanche bands in Texas.