Kansa (or Kaw ) Indians, a tribe of the Siouan language family. The Kansa, Osage, Quapaw, Omaha, and Ponca form a group sometimes called Dhegiha. Kansa Indians lived along the Kansas River, which derives its name from them, as does the state of Kansas. In 1846 they were given a reservation at Council Grove, Kansas, and in 1873 they were moved to Indian Territory (Oklahoma). Diseases such as smallpox took a heavy toll, and few Kansa remain today.