"For example those Keechais who stole Noah Smithwick's horses outside of Bastrop were technically Pawnees."
Only if by linguistics! Keechis were Caddoan..... Just like the Anadarko, Adai, Bedias, Nebadache, Nachito, and Neche etc........ They were recorded early on by both French and Spanish.
I believe Pawnee's were once refered to as the plains Caddo and were supposedly associated with the Quapaws of SE Arkansas. Another Caddoan linguistics group member.
Quapaws were clear up in our area. Just south of Joplin is Quapaw, Oklahoma, near the infamous Spooklight.
