Kiowa Indians

General Info

• Current population-about 8,500
• Original location-Colorado, New Mexico, Okhlahoma, and Texas
• Reservation location today- Okhlahoma

Daily Life

• Men-hunters and warriors, responsible for feeding and protecting family
• Women-in charge of building houses and dragging heavy pots when tribe moved; they carried babies in cradleboards; houses belonged to women

Daily Life Contiued

• Children-helped around the house, played with each other, hunted and fished with fathers
• Elderly and Disabled-abandoned if they could no longer travel with the tribe

Housing

• Buffalo hide tents (teepees)
• Teepees could house 4-6 people
• Teepees were originally 12 feet high, but became bigger when the Kiowas acquired horses

Kiowa Food

• Buffalo, birds, rabbits, wild potatoes, fruits, nuts, corn
• Kiowa men ran the buffalo off cliffs or shot them with bows and arrows
• Kiowa people traded with other farming tribes for their vegetables and fruits

Spiritual Beliefs

• Kiowans revered the Sun and constellations Pleiades and Cyclone
• They gave special respect to the bison, bear, and eagle
• Their ceremonies included the Sun Dance, Scalp Dance, Feather Dance, and Ghost Dance
• Storytelling was a very important part of the Kiowa culture

Fun Facts

• Wars between Plains Indian tribes were not over territory, but to prove courage
• Communication with other tribes was known as Plains Sign Language