The Lives of The Kiowas  by Brooke   

                Do you believe that people actually put leaves in their food or put elk teeth on their clothing? Well, the Kiowa did this and much more. Kiowas cared much about their religion, food, hunting, clothing, and the way they lived. Kiowas history has to do with survival and religious ways.

                As part of religion the Kiowas have “visions.” In their “visions” rituals and objects were to become medicine. Medicine might include corn, stone, sticks, tobacco, or paint.  Dances were also part of religion. The most common dance was the Sun Dance.  Sun Dance was a religious ceremony and could last ten days.

                Origins were also part of Kiowa’s life. In origins there were six ranks. The six ranks were designated when women and men separated into ranks by their social class. The people could move up in rank by doing a good deed and by growing up, but they could also lose a rank by doing a dishonorable deed. The Kiowa first lived in Columbia and then moved to the Rocky Mountains next to upper north where they settled and made lives. Kiowas used hand signals, pictographs, and symbols as communication.

                Kiowas also had to have food. Kiowas planted crops such as beans, seeds, roots, corn, and squash, which after harvest cooked for food. Hunting was also very important. Kiowas hunted buffalo, elk, deer, and antelope. Besides bow and arrow, the Kiowas also ran and shouted to gather buffalo near the edge of a cliff until the buffalo were so scared they jumped off.  Another method the Kiowa tribe used to hunt buffalo is disguising themselves or starting a fire in the grass to scare buffalo so the animals would either trample each other or get suffocated by the smoke.

                Kiowas also had clothing. For decoration, Kiowas used bells, beads, fringes, bones, earrings, and leather straps. The main cloth was made out of buckskin, breech cloth, elk teeth, or deer hide.

                Kiowas had friends, too. Kiowas had much peace when they became friends with Comanche when the Crow tribe turned on them. When Kiowa became friends with Comanche, they started sharing land, which gave both tribes many acres. After that Kiowa and Comanche had raiding parties; both tribes raided as far north as possible and gained a lot of land.

                In conclusion, that is the way Kiowa’s lived. The Kiowa had religious ceremonies, hunted and cooked food, and made a happy life. Kiowas had wars, too, of course, but most of Kiowa’s history is survival and religious ways. That’s how the Kiowa lived.        

Teepee

Davis, Lucile. The Kiowa of Texas. New York: Rosen publishing group, Inc. 2003

http://.www.every culture.com/north America/Kiowa-religion-and-expressive-culture-html. Advameg Inc. 2008

“Kiowa”. America the beautiful.2008. Grolier online. 29 oct. 2008. <http://atb. grolier.com/cgi-bin/article? Templatename= topics.html& assetid=atb 4145& assettype=t

Wunder, john. The Kiowa. United States of America. Chelsea house publishers.  1989.

Wunder, john R.  “Life on the great plains.” Kiowa, Indians of North America. New York: Chelsea house publishers, 1989 (updated in 2008) American Indian history online. Facts on file, Inc. http://www. Fofweb.com/active link2, asp? ItemID=WE43&singlerecord= true (accessed October 30, 2008)

The Kiowa Indians by Sydney         

           Do you know anyone whose house is made out of sticks and animal skin? Well, the Kiowa Indians did that and also a lot more. Kiowa also had some hard times like when it would rain really hard and then their teepees would fall down.

            Religion was a big part in the Kiowa’s lives. There are the visions that broutght the people of Kiowa presents and then they had to hope that that there was good luck inside. The sun dance was a religious ceremony and the dance could last up to  ten days; they had one every  year  and the people of Kiowa lovedd it .Kiowa’s people believe that the sun was the most powerful thing on Earth and it had magic. They gave a lot of respect to the bison, beans, and the eagle.

           The Kiowa tribe from birth until they died wore animal skin. They used animal skin for everything like their bedding, food, housing, and clothing. The tribe is from Texas that is where they first started the tribe.  Now the people are found all around North America. The skin came from whatever was left from hunting like they had some buffalo, elk, deer, and antelope. They made mostly everything waterproof.  A lot of people in America have a lot of friends but the Kiowa really didn’t they were friends with the Comache and also the Crow but only for a little bit. People had to be at least eighteen years to join the tribe; they did many dances and told a lot of stories.

       Kiowa’s people had to eat, but  before they could eat, they had to go hunting. They normally ate buffalo, deer, elk, goats, sheep, antelope, bears, prarie dogs, foxes, rabbits,  and squirrels; and then for fruit they picked some berries.  A boy was not allowed to go hunting until he was at the age of thirteen. They rode horses when they went hunting. Thetribe made the women and girls skin the animals and also cut them up. Each time they went hunting, the men would get about 500 pound of meat. Then they were able at last to eat for a while.

Corn Bread

          The Kiowa tribe had big famililes. The families would have a mom, dad, kids and sometimes grandparents. They were called clans.  Kiowa  families had many important traditions.  For example, the  marriages were often arranged by the parents of the young couple . Then they also had daily life traditions. The men hunted a lot, but sometimes hunting was put off, for example, one year where they live got twenty inches of rain.  The women taught the kids math, English, science, social studies. 

           That is the way Kiowa’s tribe lived. The Kiowa had religious ceramonies, hunted,  cooked food, made clothe , and made a happy life. Kiowa had fights sometimes but most of Kiowa’s history is survival and religious ways. That’s how the Kiowa lived.

Davis, Lucile, The Kiowa of Texas.  New York: Rosen Publishing group. Inc. 2003

Sherrow , Victoria. The Kiowa , Florida: Rouke Publication,Ink.1997

Waldman, Carl, ”Kiowa” Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes, Third Edition. New York: Facts on file

     Inc.2006. American Indian History online. Facts on file, inc. http://www.fofweb.com/active link 2.         

aspp item id = we43ripin= ind23642 single record= true( accessed October 30, 2008)

Wunder,  John. The Kiowa: united states of America. Chelsea  house  publishers. 1989

Alan l., Donald l., Kolata, Fixco, and Sharlotte  Neely www. World book online.com, 2008

last updated December 14, 2008