Kiowa

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

The Kiowa are a Native American tribe from the Great Plains in the United States. They began in the northern Missouri River region and moved south to the Southern Plains by the 17th–19th centuries. In 1867 they were moved to a reservation in what is now southwestern Oklahoma. Today they are federally recognized as the Kiowa Indian Tribe of Oklahoma, with headquarters in Carnegie, Oklahoma. About 12,000 Kiowa lived in 2011, and many more live in Oklahoma and other parts of the United States.

Language
The Kiowa speak the Kiowa language, Ǥáuiđòᵰ꞉gyà, which is part of the Kiowa-Tanoan language family. It is endangered, but the Kiowa have a Language Department to keep it alive.

Life and culture
Traditionally, the Kiowa lived in portable tipis and hunted buffalo. After horses were introduced, they became skilled horsemen and powerful riders. They formed close allies with the Comanche and Plains Apache and fought many enemies on the Plains and beyond.

Social and ceremony
Kiowa society included warrior and religious groups, and they held an annual Sun Dance. The sacred Tai-me figure was central to Sun Dance celebrations. They kept a unique calendar called the Winter Count, recording two events each year.

Arts and influence
The Kiowa are known for beadwork and painting. In the 20th century, the Kiowa Six became famous artists who gained international recognition. The Kiowa culture also produced notable writers, including N. Scott Momaday, who won the Pulitzer Prize in 1969 for House Made of Dawn.

Modern life
The Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma governs health, education, and economic programs. The tribe runs businesses such as casinos and restaurants, and it helped charter Bacone College as a tribal college. The Kiowa have a constitution and ongoing efforts to support language, education, and culture. Notable leaders in Kiowa history include Dohäsan (Little Mountain), Satanta (White Bear), Guipago (Lone Wolf), and Big Tree, among others.