in the 1600s, the kansa people and the osage nation came to kansas. the kansa people lived near the kansas river, and the osage nation lived near the arkansas river. the pawnee people lived in western kansas. the pawnee lived in western kansas because there were a lot of bison. the french commander at fort orleans, étienne de bourgmont, visited the kansas river in 1724. he built a trading post there. this was near the main kansa village at the mouth of the river. around the same time, the otoe tribe of the sioux also lived in areas around the northeast corner of kansas.