Kiowa Indians

American Indians

Oklahoma

Indians of Oklahoma

Kiowa Indians

Guide to Kiowa Indians ancestry, family history and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, parish registers, and other agency records.

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Indians of Oklahoma Kiowa Indians

Alternative Names and Spellings: Kiowa, Kioway, Kaigwa, Gaigwa
Ancestral Homeland:
Cultural area: Great Plains - western Montana, migrated to Wyoming and western South Dakota
Linguistic group: Kiowan

Federal Status: recognized

Kiowas Societies: Buffalo Doctor Society; Owl Doctor Society; Sun Dance Shield Society; Eagle Shield Society; only men were members of these societies. There was one society of a select older group of women known as Bear Women Society.

Pictorial history of the tribe known as winter and summer counts

Population: 1990: 10,000

1984: Total enrollment 8,602.

Tribal Headquarters

Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma
P.O. Box 369
Carnegie, OK 73015
Phone: 1.580.654.2300
Fax: 1.580.654.2188

• Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma Official Website

History

A French explorer, Rene-Robert Cavalier, Sieure de La Salle, in the late 1680's, was the first to record an encounter with the Kiowa Indians.

Smallpox epidemics in 1781, and 1801 caused a depopulation of the Kiowa tribe

Inter tribal conflict with the Cheyenne - Arapaho and Sioux pressed the Kiowa to move from the Black Hill area in to the Great Plains area. In the 1790's they migrated with the Comanche into what is now New Mexico.

In 1805 the Lewis and Clark Expedition encountered some Kiowa living along the North Platte River in Nebraska, in 1806 this group migrated to southern Kansas and northern Oklahoma. The Northern Kiowa and Southern Kiowa reunited in 1806

The Osage Indians attacked a Kiowa camp killing many, this became known as the Cut-Throat Massacre.

In 1849 many of the tribe suffered and died due to Cholera epidemic; more than half the tribe died.

In the 1860's a campaign of extermination against the Indians was promoted by Governor John Evans.

The Sand Creek Massacre, on November 29,1864 occurred when the Colorado militia under the command of Colonel John Chivington attack a friendly group of Kiowa; Black Kettle's camp where an American Flag flew. The tribe had been promised protection as long as the flag flew over their camp.

Kit Carson led troops in 1864,against the Kiowa and Comanche in the Texas Panhandle area destroying 176 tipis and utilizing the scorched earth policy.

A treaty in 1865 at the Little Arkansas River assigned the Kiowa and the Comanche to a reservation in Indian Territory and proposed that a census be take at the time of annuity payment in the spring of each year.

Winter attacks in November 1868 were directed by General Sheridan, the attacks were lead by Major Andrew W. Evans, Eugene A.Carr and Colonel George Armstrong Custer against the Indians along the Canadian and Washita Rivers.

In 1868 the Kiowa moved with the Comanche to Indian Territory.

A measles epidemic killed more than 300 Kiowa, Comanche and Kiowa-Apache.

Brief Timeline

• 1682: Rene-Robert Cavalier, Sieure de La Salle a French explorer encountered the Kiowa
• 1781: A smallpox epidemic killed an estimated 2,000 Kiowa.
• 1785: Left the Black Hills area due to conflict with Cheyenne-Arapaho and Sioux
• 1790: Southern Kiowa move with Comanche to what is now New Mexico.
• 1801: Smallpox epidemic -- loss of nearly half of the tribe
• 1805:
• 1833: Cut-Throat Massacre: Osage Indians attacked Kiowas camp killing many.
• 1835: Treaty at Fort Gibson
• 1840: Kiowa made peace with Cheyenne and Arapaho.
• 1849: Cholera killed more than half of the tribe
• 1853: Treaty at Fort Atkinson, Kiowa, Comanche and Apache Indians . "... annuity to be given annually in July in the vicinity of Beaver Creek, the government may establish farms for the benefit of the tribes."
• 1860's: Governor John Evans encouraged a campaign of extermination against the Indians in the territory.
• November 29, 1864: Sand Creek Massacre -- Colorado militia under the command of Colonel John Chivington engaged in battle against a friendly group of Kiowa - Black Kettle's camp where an American Flag flew over the camp. The tribe had been promised protection as long as the flag flew over their camp. More than 100 Kiowa were killed.

1864:' Kit Carson led troops against the Kiowa and Comanche Adope Walls in the Texas Panhandle destroying 176 tipis and employing the scorched earth policy.

• 1865: Treaty at Little Arkansas River placed Kiowa and Comanche on a reservation in Indian Territory . "...an accurate census of the Indians entitled shall be taken at the time of annuity payment in spring of each year.
• November 27, 1868: General Philip Sheridan directed winter attacks by Major Andrew W. Evans, Major Eugene A. Carr and Colonel George Armstrong Custer to attack the Indians along the Canadian and Washita River valleys.
• 1868: Removed to Indian Territory with the Comanche and Kiowa-Apache
• 1892: Measles killed more than 300 of the Kiowa, Comanche and Kiowa-Apache
• 1901: Kiowa-Comanche and Wichita Reservation are opened to settlement, the last opening in Oklahoma

Additional References to the History of the Tribe

• Corwin, Hugh D. The Kiowa Indians: their History and Life Stories. Lawton, Ok. FHL Book:970.3 K627c World Cat
• Frederick Webb Hodge, in his Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico, gave a more complete history of the Kiowa tribe, with estimations of the population of the tribe at various time periods.
• Hughes, Johnson Donald. American Indians in Colorado FHL 970.1 H874h World Cat

• Alice Marriott. The Ten Grandmothers, Norman, OK, University of OK. Press., 1968. FHL Book: 970.3 K627ma
• Mooney, James. Calendar History of the Kiowa Indians FHL book 970.3 K627mj World Cat

Records

The majority of records of individuals were those created by the agencies. Some records may be available to tribal members through the tribal headquarters.They were (and are) the local office of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and were charged with maintaining records of the activities of those under their responsibility. Among these records are:

• Allotment records
• Annuity rolls
• Census records
• Correspondence
• Health records
• Reports
• School census and records
• Vital records

Agency Records

• Upper Platte Agency
• Upper Arkansas Agency
• Kiowa Agency

Kiowa Agency Records, 1892-1947. Includes: Records of Employees, Heirship, Annuity, Vital, and School census FHL first of 23 Films 1028507 WorldCat

Superintendencies

Western Superintendency

St. Louis Superintendency

Central Superintendency

Colorado Superintendency

Biography

Methvin, J. J,. Ahpeahtone, Kiowa: a Bit of History. Part of Chronicles of Oklahoma V. 9 (1931) - V. 9 No. 3 (September 1931Digital version

Lawrence, Arthur. Biographical Indexes to Lawton / Ft. Sill residents, ca. 1834-1975. FHL film 2229379 - 2229383 WorldCat

Wharton, Clarence. Satanta: The Great Chief of the Kiowas and His People. New York, NY AMS Press, FHL book 970.3 K627w WorldCat

Census Records

1927 Census, Kiowa Agency, Oklahoma.Photocopy of original records at the Kiowa Agency, Anadarko, Oklahoma.FHL book 970.466 B898c WorldCat

1900-1904 Apache, Caddo, Kiowa and Wichita Indian: Census Roll Indian Territory. by Valorie Millican FHL book 970.1 M62aWorldCat

Kiowa Indian Census, 1904-1915

Tribe	Agency	Location of Original Records	Post-1885 Census M595 RG 75 Rolls 693 Roll Number	FHL Film Number
Kiowa	Kiowa Agency, 1864-1962	Fort Worth	Rolls 211-23	576900-912
Kiowa Apache	Kiowa Agency/Anadarko, 1864-80	Washington D.C. and Fort Worth	Rolls 211-23	-

Correspondence

Tribe	Agency	Location of Original Records	Pre - 1880 Correspondence M234 RG 75 Rolls 962 Roll Number	FHL Film Number
Kiowa	Upper Platte Agency, 1846-55	Washington D.C.	Roll 889	-
Kiowa	Upper Arkansas Agency,1855-64	Fort Worth	Roll 878	-
Kiowa	Kiowa Agency, 1864-1962	Fort Worth	Rolls 375-86	-
Kiowa Apache	Kiowa Agency / Anadarko 1864-80	Washington D.C. and Fort Worth	Rolls 375-86	-

Lane Records

Tribally owned land: 7,045.80 acres. Allotmented land: 201,350.17 acres.

School Records

Kiowa Agency Mission Schools of Oklahoma, 1881-1914. By Helen Deister Bolt, Polly Lewis Murphy, and Aulena Scearce Gibson FHL book 970.3 K627bh or Film 1697271 WorldCat

Military

Downey, Fairfax Davis and Jacobesn, Jacques Noel. The Red / Blue coats, the Indian Scouts, U.S. Army. Ft. Collins, Colorado: Old Army Press, c 1973 FHL book 970.1 D758r WorldCat

Haley, James L. The Buffalo War: the History of the Red River Indian Uprising of 1874. Norman, Oklahoma" University of Oklahoma Press, c 1976. FHL Book 970.1 H137b WorldCat

Treaties

• 1832 March 26, Kiowa, Ect.
• 1853 July 27, 1853 Fort Atkinson, Comanche,Kiowa and Apache
• 1865 October 18, Comanche and Kiowa
• 1867 October 21,
• 1867

Vital Records

• Kiowa Agency, M595,Births and Deaths 1924-1932, FHL Collection
• Kiowa Agency, M595,Births and Deaths 1930-1936, FHL Film: 576911

Important Websites

• Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma Official Website
• Iowa Tribe Wikipedia

Bibliography

Kiowa

• Carlson, Paul H. The Plains Indians. College Station, Texas: Texas A and M University Press, c1998. FHL book 970.1 C197p

General

• Guide to Federal Records in the National Archives; Record Group 75, Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
• Hodge, Frederick Webb. Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution, 1906 Available online.
• Klein, Barry T., ed. Reference Encyclopedia of the American Indian. Nyack, New York: Todd Publications, 2009. 10th ed. WorldCat 317923332; FHL book 970.1 R259e.
• Malinowski, Sharon and Sheets, Anna, eds. The Gale Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes. Detroit: Gale Publishing, 1998. 4 volumes. Includes: Lists of Federally Recognized Tribes for U.S., Alaska, and Canada – pp. 513-529 Alphabetical Listing of Tribes, with reference to volume and page in this series Map of “Historic Locations of U.S. Native Groups” Map of “Historic Locations of Canadian Native Groups” Map of “Historic Locations of Mexican, Hawaiian and Caribbean Native Groups” Maps of “State and Federally Recognized U.S. Indian Reservations. WorldCat 37475188; FHL book 970.1 G131g.

Vol. 1 -- Northeast, Southeast, Caribbean

Vol. 2 -- Great Basin, Southwest, Middle America

Vol. 3 -- Arctic, Subarctic, Great Plains, Plateau

Vol. 4 -- California, Pacific Northwest, Pacific Islands

• Sturtevant, William C. Handbook of North American Indians. 20 vols., some not yet published. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution, 1978– .
  

Volume 1 -- Not yet published

Volume 2 -- Indians in Contemporary Society (pub. 2008) -- WorldCat 234303751

Volume 3 -- Environment, Origins, and Population (pub. 2006) -- WorldCat 255572371

Volume 4 -- History of Indian-White Relations (pub. 1988) -- WorldCat 19331914; FHL book 970.1 H191h v.4.

Volume 5 -- Arctic (pub. 1984) -- WorldCat 299653808; FHL book 970.1 H191h v.5.

Volume 6 -- Subarctic (pub. 1981) -- WorldCat 247493742; FHL book 970.1 H191h v.6.

Volume 7 -- Northwest Coast (pub. 1990) -- WorldCat 247493311

Volume 8 -- California (pub. 1978) -- WorldCat 13240086; FHL book 970.1 H191h v.8.

Volume 9 -- Southwest (pub. 1979) -- WorldCat 26140053; FHL book 970.1 H191h v.9.

Volume 10 -- Southwest (pub. 1983) -- WorldCat 301504096; FHL book 970.1 H191h v.10.

Volume 11 -- Great Basin (pub. 1986) -- WorldCat 256516416; FHL book 970.1 H191h v.11.

Volume 12 -- Plateau (pub. 1998) -- WorldCat 39401371; FHL book 970.1 H191h v.12.

Volume 13 -- Plains, 2 vols. (pub. 2001) -- WorldCat 48209643

Volume 14 -- Southeast (pub. 2004) -- WorldCat 254277176

Volume 15 -- Northwest (pub. 1978) -- WorldCat 356517503; FHL book 970.1 H191h v.15.

Volume 16 -- Not yet published

Volume 17 -- Languages (pub. 1996) -- WorldCat 43957746

Volume 18 -- Not yet published

Volume 19 -- Not yet published

Volume 20 -- Not yet published

• Swanton John R. The Indian Tribes of North America. Smithsonian Institution, Bureau of American Ethnology, Bulletin #145 Available online.
• Waldman, Carl. Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes. New York, New York: Facts on File, 2006. 3rd ed. WorldCat 14718193; FHL book 970.1 W146e 2006.

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