Kiowa Tribe

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

Tribal Headquarters
Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma P.O. Box 369 Carnegie, OK 73015 Phone: 580-654-2300 Fax: 580-654-2188 Website

History
Indigenous Peoples of Montana Kiowa Indigenous Peoples of Oklahoma Kiowa

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.

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

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 into 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 Osages 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 1860s a campaign of extermination against the Native Americans 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 taken 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 indigenous people 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. FS Library 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. FS Library Book: 970.3 K627ma
 * Mooney, James. Calendar History of the Kiowa Indians FS Library 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. FS Library film 2229379 - 2229383 WorldCat

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

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

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

Kiowa Indian Census, 1904-1915

Lane Records
Tribally owned land: 7,045.80 acres. Allotment ed 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 FS Library 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 FS Library 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. FS Library 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,
 * Kiowa Agency, M595,Births and Deaths 1930-1936,

Important Websites

 * Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma Official Website
 * Iowa Tribe Wikipedia

Kiowa

 * Carlson, Paul H. The Plains Indians. College Station, Texas: Texas A and M University Press, c1998.