Kiowa Tribe

Cultural area: Great Plains

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.

Pictoral history of the tribe known as winter and summer counts

History
1781 a smallpox epidemic killed an estimated 2,000 Kiowa

1785 Left the Black Hills areadue to conflict with Cheyenne-Arapaho and Sioux.

Unique Military advancement; some soldiers known as "Dog Soldiers"

1790 Southern Kiowa move with Comanche to what is now New Mexico.

1801 Smallpox epidemic loss of nearly half of the tribe

1806 Northern Kiowa reunite with Southern Kiowa

1816 Smallpox epidemic

1833 Cut-Throat Massacre: Osage Indians attact Kiowas camp killing many