Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma

Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma
Name	Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma
Caption	Kiowa traditional dancers
Popplace	Oklahoma
Languages	Kiowa, English
Religions	Native American Church, Christianity
Related	Comanche, Apache

Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma The Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma is a federally recognized Native American nation primarily based in southwestern Oklahoma with historic ties to the Southern Plains. The Kiowa share ancestral connections and intertwined histories with the Comanche, Plains Apache, Cheyenne, and Arapaho through alliances and treaties such as the Medicine Lodge Treaty and conflicts including the Battle of Adobe Walls and encounters with figures like Quanah Parker and Cochise. Today the tribe engages with federal entities including the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the National Congress of American Indians, and the United States Department of the Interior.

History

The Kiowa people historically migrated from the northern Plains into the Southern Plains and formed confederations and military alliances with the Comanche Nation and Plains Apache, participating in major events like the Red River War, the Battle of the Washita River, and intertribal diplomacy recorded during visits with Gen. Philip Sheridan and Ranald S. Mackenzie. European contact brought interactions with Spanish Empire explorers, traders from the Hudson's Bay Company, and later United States Army expeditions tied to treaties such as the Treaty of Medicine Lodge and subsequent forced relocations to lands administered under policies like the Indian Appropriations Act and the Dawes Act. Prominent Kiowa leaders in the 19th century included Satanta, Satank, Big Bow, and White Horse, all of whom figured in trials, negotiations, and removals to reservations overseen by agencies connected to the Indian Peace Commission and the Fort Sill military presence. The 20th century saw Kiowa participation in national movements such as the American Indian Movement and legal actions involving cases before the United States Supreme Court and legislative changes through acts like the Indian Reorganization Act and the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act.

Government and Political Organization

The Kiowa Tribe maintains a constitutional framework with elected officials including a tribal council, an elected chairman, and administrative departments that interact with federal agencies including the Bureau of Indian Affairs and institutions such as the Indian Health Service and the National Indian Gaming Commission. The tribal government engages in intertribal organizations like the Inter-Tribal Council of the Five Civilized Tribes, collaborates with the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association, and participates in litigation in forums such as the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma and appeals to the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. Leadership has negotiated compacts with the State of Oklahoma, agreements with the Department of Justice, partnerships with philanthropic organizations like the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and representation at national gatherings like meetings of the National Congress of American Indians.

Culture and Society

Kiowa cultural life preserves traditions of powwow dance, horse culture, and peyote ceremonies associated with the Native American Church, with artistic expressions seen in ledger art collected by institutions such as the Smithsonian Institution, the National Museum of the American Indian, and the Oklahoma Historical Society. Ceremonial leaders, elders, and cultural practitioners engage with museums like the Gilcrease Museum and universities including the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University for cultural preservation, language revitalization, and exhibitions. Kiowa social structures historically included age-based societies, warrior societies, and clans paralleled in works by ethnographers like James Mooney and A. H. Hollis; contemporary cultural advocates collaborate with organizations such as the American Indian Cultural Center and Museum and networks like the First Americans Museum.

Language and Education

The Kiowa language, a member of the Tanoan? (note: linguists classify Kiowa as a Tanoan?—see scholarly debate), is taught through immersion programs, language classes, and curricula developed by tribal education departments partnering with institutions including the University of Oklahoma's Department of Native American Studies, the Oklahoma State University language programs, and national initiatives like the Master-Apprentice Language Learning Program. Education services coordinate with the Bureau of Indian Education, local public school districts such as Lawton Public Schools and Apache Public Schools, and higher-education institutions including the Carl Albert State College and tribal scholarship programs administered in collaboration with the Department of Education. Efforts involve collaboration with linguists from centers like the School for Advanced Research and support from foundations such as the Ford Foundation.

Economy and Services

The tribe operates enterprises and programs in economic development, health care, housing, and social services, engaging with federal programs administered by the Department of Health and Human Services and agencies like the Indian Health Service and the Housing and Urban Development’s Native American programs. Economic ventures include tourism linked to sites such as Fort Sill National Historic Landmark District, cultural centers, small-business development through partnerships with the U.S. Small Business Administration, and gaming operations subject to regulation by the National Indian Gaming Commission and compacts with the State of Oklahoma. Workforce initiatives coordinate with job training providers like the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act networks and regional colleges including Cameron University.

Reservation and Land

Kiowa landholdings and trust lands result from treaties and allotments under laws including the Dawes Act and subsequent land-claims settlements litigated in courts such as the United States Court of Federal Claims. The tribe manages natural resources on tribal lands, cooperates with federal agencies including the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and engages in land stewardship programs modeled on examples from tribes such as the Otoe-Missouria Tribe and the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma. Issues around jurisdiction involve statutes like the Indian Civil Rights Act and decisions from the Supreme Court of the United States affecting tribal sovereignty and criminal jurisdiction referenced in cases similar to McGirt v. Oklahoma.

Notable Members and Contemporary Issues

Notable Kiowa individuals include artists, leaders, and activists who have contributed to tribal life and national discourse, comparable in prominence to figures represented in collections at the National Museum of the American Indian and archives of the Smithsonian Institution. Contemporary issues include health disparities addressed through programs funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, economic development contested in forums such as the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, and cultural repatriation coordinated under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act with museums like the Field Museum and the American Museum of Natural History. The tribe participates in federal policy discussions with agencies like the Department of the Interior and advocacy networks including the National Congress of American Indians and the Native American Rights Fund.

Category:Native American tribes in Oklahoma