"The state of Kansas was named after a tribe of Indians called Kansa or Kaw. This tribe arrived in what is now Kansas around 1720. They settled in temporary villages near the current cities of Leavenworth and Atchison. The tribe's name meant "People of the South Wind." Later, to be closer to the best bison hunting grounds, they established their principal village where the Big Blue River joins the Kansas River, near the present city of Manhattan. From 1492 to 1845, land that became Kansas was at various times claimed by six different countries. The first European to see this land was the Spanish conquistador Francisco Vázquez de Coronado, who explored the area in search of Seven Cities of Gold in 1541. French trappers and explorers came to this land in the late 1600s and early 1700s. The United States bought the land that is now Kansas from the French in 1803 as part of the Louisiana Purchase. Although the state's name honors the Kaw people, the first explorers to this region found it occupied by the Indians of Quivira, most likely the Wichita tribe and the Pawnee people. However, the Wichita spent most of their time in what is now Oklahoma and Texas. At the time when Spain ruled much of North and South America, Kansas was commonly called "Harahey." The people of Harahey were probably Pawnee. Native Americans played an important role in the history of Kansas and their heritage and influence will be apparent at many locations along I-70."