These peoples did not live identical lives or make identical political decisions.

The Comanche alone were not a single unified political entity; they were organized into bands — Quahada, Kotsoteka, Nokoni, Yamparika, Penatekas — that had their own leadership, their own territorial ranges, and their own approaches to the growing pressure from the United States.

The Kiowa had their own political structure, organized around specific warrior societies and the Kiowa Calendar, which recorded each year by its most significant event.

The Cheyenne and Arapaho each had their own governance and their own histories of interaction with the United States.