ABSTRACT
The southern Plains exchange system after 1600 CE was a complicated and fiercely competitive network of fluid alliances, rival interests, and conflict residing in the middle of overlapping cultural, economic, and physical power bases. The Wichita people chose to position themselves in the middle of this system, working as “gateway brokers” to control the passage of goods, people, and knowledge through their territories. This chapter presents a multi-scalar model for understanding the complexity of these ever-developing middle grounds, highlighting the persistence and social flexibility of the Wichita people’s experience.
