Kiowa Indians Essay, Research Paper

The earliest written reference of the Kiowa Indians was in 1682 by Ren Robert Cavelier who heard of them from a confined Pani slave, male child at Fort St. Louis who called them Manrhouts and Gattacha. The Kiowa are a group of warrior fields people who lived on the southern Great Plains. They became one of the most despised and feared of the fields tribes. The Kiowa folk patterns a peyotism faith and speaks a Kiowa-Tanoan linguistic communication. The Kiowa are noteworthy for their pictography portraitures, which are done twice a twelvemonth of of import tribal events. Many interesting things have been discovered about the Kiowa people, which make them alone from all other fields folks.

There is a narrative about how the Kiowa people came approximately. It is said that Saynday, known to American Indians as Trickster, wandered entirely on the cloud-covered Earth until he discovered the Kiowa life resistance. He enabled the people, as emmets, to creep upward through a hollow cottonwood tree and pulled them through an bird of Minerva hole upon the surface of the Earth. There was adult female who was really conceited because of gestation and she got stuck in the log. After that, no 1 could acquire through, and that is why the Kiowa are a little folk in figure. They looked all around and saw the universe. It made them glad to see so many things. They called themselves Kwu-da, & # 8220 ; coming out. & # 8221 ; When a Kiowa says & # 8220 ; Behold, I stand in good relation to all things, & # 8221 ; he reflects his feeling of unity with the existence. The Kiowa have besides referred to themselves by the name & # 8220 ; Kom-pa-bianta & # 8221 ; , or people of the & # 8220 ; big tepee flaps & # 8221 ; , a distinguishing characteristic of their tepee. Today, some call themselves & # 8220 ; Koi-gwu & # 8221 ; which identifies them as a folk. Kiowa means & # 8220 ; chief people & # 8221 ; in the folk & # 8217 ; s linguistic communication.

In faith the Kiowa were polytheistic and animistic. They had a general belief in supernatural bureaus. Their great tribal ceremonial was the Sun Dance or K ado, which took topographic point in early summer. The ritual characteristically, but non ever, took topographic point in a tepee around a semilunar, earthen alter hill and a sacred fire. The nightlong ceremonial normally commenced about 8p.m. and was led by a mescal head. Servicess included supplication, vocalizing, sacramental feeding of mescal, and H2O rites. They concluded the ceremonial with a Communion breakfast on Sunday forenoon. In the Sun Dance the folk came together for 10 yearss or more. Ten medicine packages were believed to protect the folk and became cardinal in the Kiowan Sun Dance. The Sun was believed to be one of the many spirit forces. There were several objects of spiritual fear. Sun Boy was the great supernatural and mythic hero. He gave them medical specialty in 10 parts which was kept by the priests in priestly tepee. The medical specialty was called the Grandmother Bundles.

The Taime was a sacred image of a human figure-the cardinal figure in the Sun Dance, other little figures or sacred images were known. Seni or mescal was the worship of a cactus ( Lophophora williamsii ) ; it involved a system of myth and rite in which buds from the cactus were eaten. Its usage was long practiced by folks along the Rio Grande and coastal Texas. The Sun Dance served both for spiritual and for societal coherence of the folk. It was believed to animate the American bison and rededicated the beliefs and traditions. It lasted for 10 yearss, six to fix the Lodge, set up the centre station, and have a mock conflict before its dedication, and four yearss for the terpsichoreans to seek a vision while dancing about the pole and the Taime. Self-inflicted anguish, such as cutting of flesh and breakage of fingers, were employed on juncture but non to the extent as other folks.

Peyotism or peyote faith was the basic faith of the Kiowa people. Peyotism foremost developed in about 1885 among the Kiowa and Comanche Indians. Assorted signifiers of peyotist beliefs combine Indian and Christian elements in differing grades. In general, peyotist philosophy consists of belief in one supreme God ( the Great Spirit ) who deals with work forces through assorted liquors. In many folks peyote itself is personified as a mescal spirit, considered to be either God s tantamount for the Indians to his Jesus for the Whites, or Jesus himself. Sometimes Jesus is regarded as an mediator with God or as a guardian spirit who has turned to the Indians after being killed by the Whites. Peyote is derived from the Nahuatl name of the peyotl for a cactus, the top of the cactus contains peyote, an alkaloid drug that has hallucinogenic effects. The Kiowa people thought that eating mescal in the ritual context, enables the person to commune with God and the liquors in contemplation and vision as so to have from them religious power, counsel, rebuke and healing.

Although in many ways the Kiowa displayed a typical Plains civilization, they were among the most marauding and militant people of their part and had an luxuriant and effectual military organisation. Kiowa were ferocious warriors who smartly opposed white colony on the southern fields. They, along with their Comanche Alliess, made make bolding foraies far into Mexico, capturing big Numberss of Equus caballuss and prisoners. The Kiowa besides gained Equus caballuss, laves, and guns from the Spanish. The Crows taught them to sit Equus caballuss and Hunt American bison. The chief arms and implements that were used were the pointer, spear, hatchet, chipped flint, obsidian knives, flint proverbs, scrapers punch, needle of flint or bone, hafted axes and hafted broad scrapers, coup-de-poing ( first axe ) and eyed bone acerate leafs. The Kiowa warriors used Canis familiariss to assist them run for American bison every bit good as to draw or transport things when they moved about. Bodily penalty was non used to educate although male childs could be shamed or ridiculed by their seniors.

The warriors could be described as people of the wild, red-painted warriors, mounted on frenetic, flashing Equus caballuss ; work forces and saddle horses likewise adorned with eagle plumes and the colourss of quills, beads, painted buckskin, ruby and navy trade fabric, and the dull shininess of German Ag. The Kiowa were ferocious warriors and are credited with halting the advancement of the Pacific Railroads due west for 40 old ages. They are besides credited with killing more U.S. Soldiers than any other folk. The Kiowa along with their Alliess the Comanche stopped the northern enlargement of Spain, France, Mexico and the Republic of Texas at the Red River. Rank was established harmonizing to their feats in war including non merely killing an enemy but besides touching his organic structure during combat. The military societies were called & # 8220 ; Dog Soldiers & # 8221 ; because of visions associated with Canis familiariss. The first of six was the Rabbit group for all immature male childs ; others could fall in as they grew up. The Koitsenko was a honorary group of the 10 greatest warriors who were elected. The soldier societies policed the campground and went on Hunts and into war.

In tribal authorities there was a caput or civil head who was an of import topadok & # 8217 ; or bivouac leader chosen by all the topadok & # 8217 ; s and the war heads from their councils. The last great caput head was Doh san ( Little Bluff ) , who died in 1866. The Kiowas were divided in their policy toward the Whites. Lone Wolf led the hostiles while Kicking Bird led the peace party until 1875, when he was poisoned. Later Lone Wolf gave his name to his nephew who became caput head in 1896. Women had no voice in tribal authorities.

The civilization country of the Kiowa was the last to develop in North America ; it began around 1620 with the debut of the Equus caballus into New Mexico by the Spanish. When the Equus caballus was foremost introduced to the Kiowa, they thought that the Equus caballuss were sacred Canis familiariss brought to them from the Gods. They learned later they were merely Equus caballuss but most Indian folks still call Equus caballuss sacred Canis familiariss. After deriving Equus caballuss, laves, and guns from the Spanish, the Kiowa evolved into wholly mobile life ways of predation, loot, and warfare. The Kiowa lived in big three-poled tegument tepees and everything was adapted for speedy wadding and speedy motion. The cantonment habitation could be moved in 30

minuets. The folk used Equus caballuss and mules for trade with other northern field folks. The Kiowa people came near to developing their ain written linguistic communication, utilizing pictographic marks painted on fells that were used as a type of calendar and as chronological records of events. Sign linguistic communication is frequently attributed as an innovation by the Kiowa for trade, and spread among the Plains Tribes.

The Kiowa believed that dreams and visions gave supernatural power in war, hunting, and mending. Their manner of life is called the Peyote Road ; it concentrates on brotherlike love, household attention, self-support through steady work, and turning away of intoxicant. The Equus caballus, American bison, tepee, soldier societies and the Sun Dance all characterize the Kiowa civilization. Buffalo furnished about everything they needed in material civilization: nutrient, vesture, tepees, tanned hided, fur robes, bedclothes, natural fell, leather, saddles, bridles, canteens, horns for spoons, and hooves for gum.

The Kiowa had a peculiar manner of frock. They wore skin garments, mocassins, legings, pelt robes, and jewellery. Most work forces and adult female parted their hair in the center. The adult females would normally lace their hair or hung it slackly. The work forces would either have on their hair in long plaits wrapped in fur strips or set their hair over the right ear and wore a part of the hair cut short which was considered a tribal symbol. The work forces would normally have on breechcloths and adult females would have on a pull-on displacement frock that went below the articulatio genuss. The Kiowa are besides celebrated for their beading ; they beaded all sorts of things. The Kiowa would bead things such as mocassins and Equus caballus hackamores.

The folk had a superior system, rank was mutable up or down, one could acquire awards to travel up rank but misbehaviors and beastliness could travel a individual down rank. Peoples in the first rank were called Onde and were the blue bloods of the folk. The first rank included great warriors, of import bomber heads, 10 priests having the medical specialty packages ( Grandmother packages ) , and the wealthy associated with war or faith. The 2nd rank was called Odegupa, which consisted of little bomber heads, and medicine work forces who treat the ailment and pattern thaumaturgy. The 3rd rank was called Kaan, it was made up of the hapless people and represented the bulk of the Kiowa people. Misfits, brainsick people, or people who were considered brainsick were referred to as Dapom.

Everybody had his or her topographic point in the Kiowa folk. The work forces were warriors who protected the cantonment, ever on guard against sudden onslaught. They sat around and smoked, but watched and patrolled they were besides really good babe Sitters for small kids. Equally good as having everything the adult females took attention of the critical work, tanning fells, drying strips of meat, cookery, sowing, scrounging for fruit, nuts, and roots, taking attention of the Canis familiariss, puting up tepees or taking them down, and directing the slaves and young person in traveling Equus caballuss to crop. Social organisation was simple and did non affect a kin system. Kiowa belonged to the type of affinity system known as the coevals or categorization type, where collateral and direct dealingss are classed together. Children raised in the Kiowa civilization learned things from both parents. A female parent was close to her boy but the male parent trained and pushed his boy to prominence. Sons respected their male parent and the older work forces. Grandparent and grandchildren were on confidant footings. The grandparents were the instructors, comrades, and narrators of history, fable, and faith. A kid who had no grandparents missed a batch. The basic economic and societal group was made up of brothers and sisters and their households. A blood related group joined voluntarily with a leader to organize a cantonment or small town.

The Kiowa besides organized themselves by age. This is called age grade societal organisation. This means people of certain age scopes would belong to societal organisations. As a individual got older he or she would travel from one societal organisation to the following. The male childs and immature work forces & # 8217 ; s organisations were the most of import.

The household depended upon a boy to go a supplier, and his success was more of import than a miss & # 8217 ; s, but misss could convey wealth to the parents in Equus caballuss or gifts when a adult male wished to do a bride monetary value. Marriage was normally arranged by gifts of Equus caballuss to the parents of the miss by the adult male or his household. A contract was made by credence of the gifts. The hubby normally went to populate with the miss & # 8217 ; s parents. Eloping was on occasion done. If mistreated, a adult female could originate a divorce. Divorce was simple but non common. A married woman sought her male parent & # 8217 ; s consent to disassociate her hubby. Normally after the divorce the bride monetary value was returned. A adult male could disassociate his married woman for criminal conversation or cut off her olfactory organ.

Art was a really of import of Kiowa life. Many creative persons used the foliages of edge record books for their drawings. Pictorial art was used by Plains Indians to keep formal calendar records every bit good as to exemplify narratives. Drawings include scenes of warfare, courtship, personal frock, the Sun Dance, and narratives of Saynday. Their drawings offer a alone beginning of information on tribal, societal, and artistic traditions. Twice a twelvemonth the creative persons made calendar histories which were pictographic portraitures of of import tribal events. Most calendars had really simple images that helped calendar keepers retrieve the name of each twelvemonth. The Sett & # 8217 ; an or one-year calendar and the Anko one-year and monthly calendar were celebrated pictographic calendars. Normally a green, bifurcate pole, stand foring the halfway pole of the Sun Dance indicated summers and a bare tree indicated winters. Besides pulling work forces had other specialised accomplishments in arm devising, tool devising, picture, and the devising of ceremonial things. During the 20th century, artists began to bring forth pictures for sale, uniting traditional and modern techniques to bring forth images of their current ceremonials and dances every bit good as their historic yesteryear. Kiowa painters were outstanding in the development of modern-day Indian picture, and led the early & # 8220 ; Oklahoma school & # 8221 ; of work. Most celebrated among them were the Kiowa Five & # 8212 ; Spencer Asah, James Auchiah, Jack Hokeah, Stephen Mopope, Monroe Tsatoke and, Lois Smokey.

After changeless warfare with Whites, the Kiowa were subdued by U.S. Army military personnels under Lieutenant Colonel George A. Custer in 1868 and were settled with much trouble on a reserve in Oklahoma. In 1874 they broke out of the reserve and resumed active warfare with white colonists in the locality ; they were subdued, nevertheless, in the undermentioned twelvemonth, with the loss of all their Equus caballuss and armaments at Fort Sill and suffered the exile of a figure of their heads and warriors to Florida. The 1887 Dawes Severalty Act upset the coherence of the folk. It called for the disintegration of Indian folk as legal entities and divided tribal lands among the single members, allowing 160 estates to each household caput and 80 estates to each individual grownup. In 1890 some Kiowa participated in Ghost Dance ceremonials, but the pattern was abandoned after a Kiowan emissary visited Wovaka, the self-reclaimed prophesier, and judged him to be a sham. Since that clip they have mostly remained in Oklahoma. In 1901 the Kiowa people were granted U.S. citizenship. The posterities of the Kiowa numbered 9,421 in 1990. The Kiowa turned to adjustment and successfully made the passage to white civilization, many in one coevals. Independent but extremely intelligent, the Kiowa wanted their kids educated and taught the new linguistic communication and new ways. Many of them now live in and around Anadarko, Fort Cobb, Mountain View, and Carnegie, Oklahoma. They are United States citizens, extremely respected, and are doing their manner in ranching, farming, industry, instruction, military and authorities service, humanistic disciplines and crafts-especially picture and sculpture, manner design and jewellery, and in literature. Old Americans they were ; now they are an of import portion of modern America. Scott Momaday, a Kiowa, won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction for his 1968 book House Made of Dawn.

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